# Dirty tail feathers: How do I clean them?



## Belinda

Arnie has a habit of using her tail feathers to sweep food and enjoys dunking her tail feathers into stuff such as my tea cup. Grrr. 

So how do I clean them so they're like sparkling new and not a muddy grey. It really makes her look dirty, and she has showers regularly, but the stains don't go away. Can I use something on her tail feathers like a pet shampoo or something? :/ I don't want to use anything that will harm her, so if her dirty feathers have to stay *sigh* I guess she can look like a little grub.


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## lperry82

My dobby used to get his tail feathers in my coffee nearly all the time
I used plain water to wash it off, stuck his tail under running water


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## tielfan

It's possible to wash feathers but it's not recommended unless there's something hazardous in the feathers. Dawn dishwashing liquid is the most-recommended product for feather washing, and it's even used to clean birds that got caught in an oil spill. Baby shampoo is another option. But if you decide to use either of them, it's important to rinse really really well, because these soaps don't wash out of feathers as easily as they wash out of hair. 

If I remember right it's difficult to get tea stains out of clothes, so I don't know whether you can get them out of feathers even with Dawn or baby shampoo.


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## KateBascombe

I'd be careful about baby shampoo... I can't say for sure but I'm a pet groomer and I know that any shape or form of human shampoo on dogs, cats, or horses is dangerous. It's fine for their coats, but extremely harsh on their sensitive skin.


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## sweetnsour924

Just a very small dab of Dawn dish liquid. I use it and its recommended by my avian vet. But do not to get it in their eyes.


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## .mpeg

when mister got dirty when i was syringe feeding him i just used a wet cloth just with water.


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## lperry82

What about dirinking chocolate 
Iv had everything today from cookie, first he splahes his face in the budgie feeder dish splashing me with water, then he pooped over the laptop which was running down the screen  His dusty feathers up my nose then he wouldnt keep still putting his tail in my chocolate  he is now eating and food flying every where standing in food aswell


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## srtiels

Massaging a little Dawn dish washing liquid on into the tail under running water helps. I have also found that hydrogen peroxide on a cottonball, and used to wipe the feathers helps remove anything organic such as blood or food.


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## lperry82

Thankyou i will look that up


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## Belinda

cookie sounds like just as much as a pig as Arnie. She is the biggest grot.


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