Clean hummingbird feeders are quintessential to attracting hummingbirds. People look forward to spotting these majestic little birds all summer long, and their speedy wings make them easily missed. It’s important to regularly clean hummingbird feeders not just to attract them but because their nectar spoils quickly and can contaminate fresh hummingbird food.

Mold, bacteria, and other pests or animal borne disease can linger on feeder surfaces and make your delicate, winged friends sick or spread disease.

No one who cares enough to feed hummingbirds wants to harm them, so we made this step-by-step guide for cleaning your hummingbird feeder. It’s actually very easy! Plus, most of the items you need you probably already have.

Here are the 5 Steps to a Cleaning Hummingbird Feeder.

1. Empty your hummingbird feeder in the sink

First, get rid of the old nectar even if no hummingbirds have eaten it. If it's mostly full, you can fill it up half way or less next time. Hummingbird food, called nectar, is just sugar water which can easily be made at home with equal parts white table sugar and water. It ferments and goes bad quickly so you need to change it every couple of days. Change daily when temps are hotter than 70 degrees fahrenheit.

Tip: You can easily refrigerate and store excess unused nectar (sugar water) in a closed container. See our article on 9 Ways to Attract Hummingbirds for more details.

2. Take Apart the Feeder

There are multiple small parts to your feeder that need to be removed so it can be cleaned thoroughly. Simply unscrew or pop off all the removable pieces such as the flowers and nectar caps.

3. Soak in a Cleaning Solution

Then it’s time to soak your feeder. There are 2 main solutions you can use to clean your hummingbird feeder:

• A few drops of mild soap like Dawn and hot water. Some people may be concerned about the perfumes or dyes in dish soaps being bad for the birds but, so long as you rinse it well, they’re perfectly fine.
• Alternatively you can use vinegar and hot water.

Fill a clean basin or sink with your hot water and choice of cleaner. Soak for about 30 minutes.

4. Scrub All Parts of the Feeder

After soaking your feeder for about 30 minutes you want to thoroughly scrub it with a mildly abrasive brush or sponge. An old toothbrush is a great option if you have one. Bottle and straw brush cleaners are another great option.

This Brush Cleaning Set has a variety of sizes and lengths to choose from.

There’s also this popular Cacti Bottle Cleaning Brush Set with a faux Terracotta holder for people that want something more aesthetically pleasing.

Bottle and straw brushes can last years. In fact, I’ve been using the same one for 5 years now.

Other products for the tight sports on hummingbird feeders are pipe cleaners or makeup brushes like mascara wands. If you regularly use mascara, maybe there’s a way to clean your old mascara wands and keep them for cleaning. I’d love to hear if someone already does this.

Scrubbing the hummingbird feeder with a cleaning solution of your choice is the best way to ensure a properly clean and sanitized feeder.

Bonus Tip: If the materials of your hummingbird feeder allow it, you can use a handheld steamer or the dishwasher. I would still get the nooks and crannies with a brush if possible, though.

5. Rinse Well and Dry

Rinse the scrubbed parts under warm or hot water until all cleaning solution is gone. Lay flat on a clean, dry dish towel or in a clean dish rack to dry. Make sure whatever surface you use to dry your freshly cleaned hummingbird feeder is clean or else it could contaminate the feeder.

Don’t have a dish rack? This bamboo dish drying rack is both collapsible for easy storage and is a sustainable material, too, which is always a plus.

Bonus Tip: Use what you have on hand first. It’s the best way to reduce waste and keep bird populations (and all wildlife) healthy. You can read more about the importance of conservation, eco-friendly products and shopping habits, and sustainable habits you can incorporate into your daily life to keep birds happy and healthy.

Be sure to check out our blog post 9 Ways to Attract Hummingbirds this Fall to get the best out of the last few weeks of hummingbird season. Your squeaky clean hummingbird feeder is sure to help.

Happy Birding!