Sterilizing feeders for storage (3 Viewers)

[Katy Penland]

Okay, all you hummer experts, I need your advice.

Sad as I am to have to start putting away all but one feeder for the season, was wondering what's the best way to throughly sterilize the feeders before storing them away in sealed plastic bags for the winter.

I have the glass cylinder/plastic, 4-perch/flowerette type, and wanted to use a 9-1 ratio of water to bleach. While this will be okay for the glass cylinder, will this solution harm the plastic or leach into it in any way so that it'll be a problem for using next year? And how long do I need to soak it in this solution? Alternatively, is using a vinegar-water solution equally good (and less toxic)?

Beaucoup arrigatos. :t:

 

[Tammie]

Kaattttttttttttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! Hi!

I'm by no means a 'hummer expert' but I've always used the bleach solution for glass AND for plastic with no troubles. The mixture is weak enough that it does the job but doesn't harm anything. I still think it works much better than vinegar but some people may disagree. I'll always use the bleach tho.

 

[crickieheather]

Tammie probably knows what works better than me, but I've heard never to use bleach because it DOES get absorbed a little by the plastic. I have no research to back this up, however.

 

[KC Foggin]

Is anyone still using the denture tablets to fizz away the junk inside and then using boiling water? Vinegar wouldn't sterilize anyway would it?

 

[Curtis Croulet]

There is relevant research on the effect of bleach on plastic concerning laboratory animals, and the result was disturbing, but my memory of the details is vague and I don't want to guess and give wrong info. Tz'unun will know. My feeders are HummZingers, and I usually just rinse them out, but sometimes I send them through the dishwasher. I've had zero mold problems with the feeders.

 

[Katy Penland]

Thanks, everyone, for the responses. I just got a copy of Sheri's (Tz'unun) "Hummingbirds of NA" field guide and should've had the presence of mind to check there first. Anyway, here's what she says in the feeding section:

"Feeders may be cleaned in hot water alone or with a small amount of vinegar or bleach added. Soap and detergent should be used with care to avoid leaving residues, and feeders must be thoroughly rinsed before refilling. Specially designed feeder brushes make cleaning easier and more thorough."

I've not had any problem with molds or other build-up while feeders are in use because I use a brush on the inside and around the flowerettes each time I refill them. But I was concerned about making sure nothing "grew" inside the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of the reservoir base while they were stored. Maybe I'm over-worrying, but these birds are so tiny, it wouldn't take much to adversely impact their health. Even with the mention of bleach being okay, I'm terrified of using such toxic chemicals, even if highly diluted.

KC raises a good question: I know vinegar's good for removing lime and calcium build-up on plastics and glass, but does it in fact do anything to sterlize or clean the feeder? Anybody know?

 

[DGirlLA]

Vinegar is a disinfectant

Vinegar is indeed a mild disinfectant. I use it for cleaning the kitchen and bathroom.

According to the article found here, a straight 5 percent vinegar solution (that you can buy at the grocery store), kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs.

I have, (and love!) hummzingers, and I worry about bleach on the plastic.

I did just find an article on sanitizing home brewing equipment (!) here, that states you shouldn't soak plastic in bleach because of bleach absorption into the pores of the plastic. (Who knew plastic had pores?) Anyway, the relevant quote from the article is "In other words, if you soak a plastic bucket in bleach for a long time, expect your finished beer to taste like bleach."

Another article, found here about disenfecting bird cages, states "Plastic tends to retain some of the cleaning agents and disinfectants." The article goes on to mention how thorough the rinsing must be, and they are talking about sanitizing the cage itself and the furniture, not so much a food bowl.

From a quick net search it does appear that plastic can absorb the bleach, and some people claim it will pass the bleach back out from the plastic container into liquids stored in it. Certainly something to think about.

 

[Tammie]

But the difference here is that it's such a minute amount of bleach you are using and you're only rinsing it in a mild bleach solution for a couple of minutes, not hours. Plus as far as I know, any residual bleach left after a thorough rinsing in hot water, will evaporate. Done properly, there should be no hint of bleach left after cleaning. The rinsing in hot water is the most important step but like Katy, this year, I have a set a brushes specifically for feeders too.

 

[KC Foggin]

Vinegar is indeed a mild disinfectant. I use it for cleaning the kitchen and bathroom.

Well okay then. Still learning after all these years

 

[ehrodz]

Does anybody know if Oxyclean is any safer and as effective as bleach for cleaning feeders?

 

[humminbird]

Personally, I just wash the feeders well with a good strong stream of water and a bottle brush and put them away. I use any kind of cleaner ONLY when it is absolutely necessary.
There is no need to "sterilize" the feeders. Any sterilization you are doing now is lost over the winter months as the feeder sits on the shelf. Any sterilization that you do in the spring is lost as soon as the first bird sticks its bill in the feeder. The cleaning before putting the feeder back up is much more important.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

 

[humminbird]

and I worry about bleach on the plastic.

I did just find an article on sanitizing home brewing equipment (!) here, that states you shouldn't soak plastic in bleach because of bleach absorption into the pores of the plastic. (Who knew plastic had pores?) Anyway, the relevant quote from the article is "In other words, if you soak a plastic bucket in bleach for a long time, expect your finished beer to taste like bleach."

I use bleach on feeders again ONLY when absolutely necessary. I do not allow the feeder to dry after bleaching. Instead, I rinse it in clear water. Then I rinse it again. And once again. Then I allow it to go bone dry.

This is the same procedure used by the Red Cross to clean their PLASTIC manequins. I have yet to taste bleach on a manequin I have used for CPR training.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

 

[Katy Penland]

Briefly OT

I have yet to taste bleach on a manequin I have used for CPR training.

Yucky-poo, don't you use mouth guards?! Yuck yuck yuck... :bounce:

 

[humminbird]

Oh, you definitely use mouth guards whenever possible. But there is still going to be some contact with the manequin plastic, just like there will still be some contact with the victim's skin if you are working an emergency.

Mark
Bastrop, TX