Best way to clean a plastic Hummingbird feeder
It can be quick and easy to clean a plastic Hummingbird feeder although the best way you can go about it, begins with a simple dish soap bubble bath.
Best way to clean a made in plastic Hummingbird feeder is with a simple dish soap solution, that will be part of a bubble bath in a plastic bowl. All parts must be disassembled, before diligently cleaning the exterior and interior of each part. Remember to use a disinfectant to lift up hard to remove stains.
Not only the best way to clean a plastic Hummingbird feeder, but its likely to be the easiest way to clean any nectar-filled Hummingbird or Oriole feeder.
How to clean a Hummingbird feeder that is both quick and efficient is with a generic dish soap that can be used to clean all bird feeders with. Dish soap is good at cutting through grime, and therefore will have no difficulty removing stains on a plastic Hummingbird feeder.
Hummingbird feeders made in plastic do tend to show signs of mold if its allowed to develop, thus its vital to clean plastic Hummingbird feeders as often as you can.
Not only do Hummingbird feeders allow mold or algae to develop, but the exterior can soon be caked in nectar if it isn't washed off regularly - and so to can the Hummingbird feeder soon be covered in bird poop - due to other birds attempting to drink the nectar.
Of course Hummingbird feeders aren't all that of a bad idea although they can be high maintenance, due to the nature of their use.
Want to keep ants or bees off your Hummingbird feeder? Its vitally important then to clean up nectar that is stepped on to the exterior, with any leaks fixed to prevent sugary-water spilling on the ground below.
Made in plastic Hummingbird feeders will need to be diligently cleaned through once in a while with a set of Hummingbird fine comb brushes, in an effort to remove unseen mold or algae that is hidden away in the part wells or tubes.
Its all good scrubbing each disassembled part two or three times a month, yet the mold will be allowed to continuing growing as its missed on every wash.
Plastic Hummingbird feeders are quite durable but I will still recommend going gently at first, as you don't want to risk scratching up the exterior with a hard bristle brush or scour.
Clean in a gentle dish soap
Simply put, the best way and potentially the only way to clean any type of Hummingbird feeder, is with use of every day dish soap.
Dish soap being the kind you wash dishes with of course - and with it being a safe cleaning solution which will to cut through grease - this same generic dish soap will work perfectly when its time to clean your plastic Hummingbird feeder.
Disassemble
How you will go about cleaning a plastic Hummingbird feeder is to first get to grips with how to dismantle the whole feeder. Hummingbird feeders do come apart quite easily, thus its vital to pull it apart into as many parts as possible.
Only when the Hummingbird feeder is disassembled can you proceed to clean it with a generic dish soap.
Fill up a plastic bowl with boiling hot soapy water, made up with the dish soap that will create a good bubble bath.
Proceed to put all parts in to this bubble bath to give all sections a good soak, as to allow all residue or stubborn stains to be wiped off easier, 10 minutes or so later.
Allow time to soak
Never clean a Hummingbird feeder dry, the hot water soak its vital to soften up any dirt, stains, algae or common mold which can all potentially develop on the exterior of the feeder - with a guarantee of mold growing in hidden crevices.
Soak the parts for up to 10 minutes before you proceed to clean each part one by one - to clean the exterior of all parts - while going through less accessible, interior parts more diligently.
Allow all parts to air dry but not before rinsing each section with fresh water to remove soap residue. Never assemble the Hummingbird feeder wet, as you'd need it to dry off in order for certain parts to connect again, which can be a little tighter than others while wet.
Disinfectant included
Now that you've cleaned your Hummingbird feeder in a simple dish soap - as the best way to clean a plastic Hummingbird feeder - it might be time to think about cleaning the feeder again in a disinfectant, prior too or after the initial cleaning process.
What I am referring to is how to disinfect your Hummingbird feeder, which will benefit with a disinfectant like a safe vinegar solution if you've found mold or algae on the feeder.
All this and more is a sign of bacteria present, while at the same time no noticeable signs of bacteria can be present anywhere, thus its vital to clean your Hummingbird feeder with the aim of removing bacteria in the process.
How you go about using an homemade vinegar or even a bleach solution is completely up to you, with two options available to you:
- While filling up a bowl of dish soap to create an effective bath to clean your Hummingbird feeder, part by part - proceed to add 4 parts of distilled or white vinegar in to the bowl to make a disinfectant bath. Simple homemade disinfectant like this will kill off bacteria while the soapy bath will remove stains or dirt.
- After you've cleaned your Hummingbird feeder by disassembling all parts to put in a bubble bath, follow the instructions as mentioned above to allow all parts to dry off in the air. Now, fill the same bowl but with clean water, then proceed to add 1 part distilled vinegar to make up a disinfectant. Clean all parts with a cloth but do allow time for each each to soak for a while.
For convenience, do add the distilled vinegar to the boiling hot soapy bath - made up of dish soap - so you can avoid repeating the cleaning process over again.
Do avoid a bleach solution if you can but if you must, make it with a ratio of part 1 bleach to 9 parts hot boiling water, to really dilute the dangerous to wild birds' bleach.
Diligently comb through interior
While I stand by with the best way to clean all plastic Hummingbird feeders, and metal or glass Hummingbird feeder as it happens - with a simple dish soap wash - in reality, you may need to go through each section with a fine comb to clean.
It won't apply to those of you who clean your Hummingbird feeder quite often, like two to three times monthly, but for those of you who come up short with a frequent cleaning program, you will certainly have it harder.
Do clean all parts of a plastic Hummingbird feeder with all sections still soaking in a bubble bath.
Only when all parts have been disassembled and remain soaking in this bowl of hot soapy water - with or without vinegar or bleach making up a disinfectant - can you comb through each part will a fine comb.
Fine comb being a set of fine tip brushes that are used to clean among other things, Hummingbird feeders or oriole feeders, jewelry, automotive parts and more.
Hummingbird feeders will develop mold or algae if left unchecked, thus you'd need a fine comb to remove said issues that often grow in hard to access port wells - or any crevices hidden away internally.
Flexible brushes they are thus you can push the long combs through port wells or in to long tubular style Hummingbird feeders to guarantee the removal of mold.
Clean more regular than glass or metal
Unfortunately, when it comes to plastic Hummingbird feeders, you will in fact be forced to clean them more often, as the still durable plastic build is prone to developing issues that are allowed to fester in grime.
Glass Hummingbird feeders that have a glass reservoir will appear cleaner and brighter than plastic - whereby the plastic counterpart is likely to mist over as the sugar will eventually damage the interior.
Metal Hummingbird feeder bodies - as metal is never part of the nectar storage - will have issues of its own, but when it comes to keeping clean, metal is far easier to clean than plastic Hummingbird feeders are to maintain.
Plastic Hummingbird feeders still remain super safe to use all year round, but only if you keep it well maintained.
Hummingbird feeders made in plastic need more care and attention as you avoid any potential signs of mold growing. Mold developing on plastic Hummingbird feeders will risk permanently staining the exterior or interior.
Clean your plastic Hummingbird feeder as often as you can them - like two or three times a month - or more when the Hummingbird feeders are readily used come spring through summertime.
What else you can do is change the nectar as often as you can which will be more often than cleaning the whole feeder, like two or three times a week.
Summary
Clean a plastic Hummingbird feeder in the same way you'd clean the dishes in the sink, with dish soap added to boiling hot water.
Best way to clean a plastic Hummingbird feeder is that easy, only you won't use the kitchen sink for hygiene purposes; you'd need to use your own cheap plastic bowl you can add all disassembled Hummingbird feeder parts in.
Disassemble all parts that you can then allow them all to soak in this boiling hot soapy bath.
Only when up to 10 minutes or so has elapsed can you proceed to diligently clean each part with a cloth or scour.
To avoid mishaps later like when mold as been found to be developing in hard to reach parts, do consider utilizing what is called a 'Hummingbird feeder fine comb set' which will include long, flexible brushes you can force through the port wells or tubes.
In this dish soap bubble bath you hopefully set up outdoors, add a distilled vinegar solution or a far weaker homemade bleach disinfectant, if stains are hard to remove.
Similarly, an household antibacterial spray used for kitchen countertops can be used, providing the disinfectant is washed away thoroughly in the soapy bubble bath.
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