How to clean your hummingbird feeder—and why it is so important.  

Pour any leftover nectar down the sink drain. It shouldn't be reused. Rinse the reservoir with hot water to dissolve any crystallized sugar.

Empty the feeder.  

Take apart any removable elements, like as feeding ports, perches, and ant moats. To get rid of mold and germs, thoroughly clean each component.

Disassemble the feeder  

Fill a sink or large plastic tub with hot water and a few drops of mild dishwashing chemical such as Dawn. Add the disassembled feeder components. Let the feeder soak for at least an hour.

Soak the Parts.  

Use a bottlebrush dipped in soapy water to clean the feeder both inside and out. Concentrate on eliminating the nectar residue, mold, and mildew. An old toothbrush is ideal for cleaning small feeding ports and components.  

Scrub the feeder.  

Pour a few tablespoons of rice into the feeder and add a few drops of dishwashing solutions to clean the narrow necks. The rice acts as a soft abrasive, cleaning hard-to-reach spots.

Rice to the Rescue.  

It is critical to remove all of the soapy residue. Rinse the feeder repeatedly with cool water until no suds remain, then rinse again!

Rinse well.  

Place the feeder components on a drying rack to air dry. Everything should be totally dry before reassembling the feeder.

Air-dry the feeder.  

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