How to clean bird feeders and bird baths
There is nothing better than the joy of watching birds feed in your garden. Providing food and drink is a great way to lend them a helping hand, but it’s also crucial you keep their feeding area clean to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
In this guide we'll run through everything you need to know about keeping feeders and baths clean, so you can ensure your garden birds stay healthy and happy.
Why is cleaning so important?
Regularly cleaning your bird feeders, tables and baths is essential to ensure garden birds stay healthy. Disease has been linked to population declines in some species and dirty feeders can harbour pathogens and increase the risk of cross-contamination between the birds that visit them. Keeping on top of your cleaning regime will help prevent the risk of spreading disease.
What cleaning products should I use?
Ark-Klens cleanser
The Ark-Klens ready-to-use spray cleanser is a must-have product for cleaning bird feeders, tables and baths. This safe, non-toxic 3-in-1 cleanser, disinfectant and deodoriser is recommended by vets and therefore ideal for use on feeders and baths. It comes in a 500ml bottle and can be used right away. Simply spray on, leave for a minute and wipe off.
Long-handled cleaning brush
Essential for anyone with a tube-shaped hanging feeder, this brush features a long handle to ensure you get right into those hard-to-reach places. Suitable for even our longest feeders, the brush has special synthetic bristles that easily scrub away any leftover food, waste or debris to ensure your bird feeder is squeaky clean.
Bird feeder cleaning kit
Make a saving and get everything you need to start cleaning with our handy bird feeder cleaning kit, which contains our long-handled brush and Ark-klens ready-to-use 500ml spray bottle. This value pack has everything you need to keep your bird feeders sparkling clean and safe for any birds that visit your garden for a bite to eat.
How to clean bird feeders and baths
All of our bird feeders and baths have been designed so that they are as easy to clean as possible. Make sure you clean them outside, wear waterproof gloves and have a bucket of warm, soapy water to hand.
How to clean bird feeders
- Throw any leftover food from your bird feeder away into a bin.
- Fully dismantle your bird feeder. The lid and base on our range of Easy-Clean seed feeders are removable so that you can ensure every part of the feeder is cleaned as thoroughly as possible.
- Use a non-toxic disinfectant like Ark-Klens or a mild (5%) bleach solution and our long-handled cleaning brush to scrub away any old food, waste and debris and clean the feeder.
- Rinse the individual parts of the feeder with fresh water once cleaned. Leave outside to dry and ensure they are completely dry before you reassemble.
How to clean bird baths
- Empty the old water out of your bird bath, removing any old leaves or twigs whilst doing so.
- Use a sponge and soapy water to scrub the bird bath, paying particular attention to areas with lots of dirt or algae.
- Apply a non-toxic disinfectant, like Ark-Klens spray. Leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing off.
- Leave your bath to air-dry before refilling it with fresh water.
How often should I clean bird feeders & baths?
Clean your bird feeders and baths at least once a week to ensure any old food or debris is removed and to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The water in bird baths should be changed daily, and if you have a lot of traffic to your feeders, make sure you clean them more than once a week.
Handy tips
- Always clean your bird baths and feeders outside, wearing waterproof gloves. Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
- If there is a lot of old or mouldy food left when it’s cleaning time, try putting out less food to prevent waste.
- Only ever use a non-toxic disinfectant or mild (5%) bleach solution on feeders or baths, and make sure you rinse it off afterwards.
- Relocate bird feeders and baths regularly to avoid a build-up of discarded food or faeces under them.
- We recommend fully dismantling bird feeders to give them a thorough clean.