Cleaning Hummingbird Feeders


We all treasure the visits we get when we are successful in attracting hummingbirds to our feeders. But often, especially in warm weather, we find the hummingbird food will cloud quickly and all too soon the feeder is in need of cleaning. Here's a few ideas on how to best clean your hummingbird feeder and keep the birds happy and healthy.



Hummingbird food will typically last three to five days, sometimes even less in very hot temperatures. Once the nectar solution begins to appear cloudy it's time to change it, and that's the time to clean the feeder.

MOST IMPORTANT: Rinse after cleaning, and then rinse after cleaning a couple of more times. You don't want any trace of cleaning solution left in the feeder when you are done.

Start by emptying the nectar from the feeder. Take the feeder apart and scrub the various parts. The hardest thing do is often to clean the bottle, you may want to invest in a bottle brush to help clean it. There are a variety of cleaning solutions that are recommended.

  1. Old fashioned soap and water can work great
  2. For tougher jobs a mix of bleach and water can cut the gunk (use about 1 part bleach to 10 parts water)
  3. A less toxic alternative to bleach is hydrogen peroxide, try using a 3% strength
  4. If you are concerned about impacting the birds' health or the environment, there are enzyme based cleaners commercially available

For the tougher jobs, you will probably want to soak the feeder for at least 15 minutes to get all the contamination out of the feeder.

For those tough to get at spots, in addition to a bottle brush, you might want to use a cotton swab. I've seen some folks recommend using uncooked rice and mixing in in with the cleaning solution so that it can act as a scrubbing element.



For some feeders, the disassembled parts will fit nicely into the top of your dishwasher. Just drop it in and let it go!

For feeders with plastic parts take care if you are wanting to use a bleach solution, as it may cause them to fade. And of course don't get it on yourself. This is not nearly as big a problem with hydrogen peroxide.

Don't forget: RINSE