by Dara Trahan, July 2013; links updated August 2019
If you are reading this it is probably because you have been scouring the web for a definitive answer on how to safely clean and sanitize bird feathers. Possibly you’ve been getting a lot of conflicting advise.
First, let me assure you, your mother was right when she told you not to pick up that feather off the ground, that it carried germs.
Feather can and do carry all kinds of things, including parasites, fungus, harmful bacteria and viruses.
As a crafter, we find it very convenient to use what we have on hand or can acquire from relatively inexpensive sources. So when that farmer we know offers some feathers from a chicken that had an unfortunate incident with a car? The tempation to say, “Yes!,” is irresistable.
In the case of feathers, that tempation can also be dangerous unless precautions are taken. It can also get you into hot water with authorities and customs agencies if you don’t know the rules for harvesting and shipping them.
The following information contains the steps I take to insure my feathers are safe, clean, soft, pretty and, of course, legal:
- Know your source and the rules: Using that pretty feather you find on the ground in your craft is tempting, but is it legal? There are laws in the U.S. that prevent the harvesting and use of migitory bird feathers and raptor feathers. See this article up at the Department of the Interior site: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/mbpermits.html . The gist is that it doesn’t matter that you found the feather, it is a violation to have it in your possession (with rare exceptions). So its best to stick with domesticated species, unless you are positive the feather is from a non-migratory, legally harvested bird, (example: a turkey taken with a permit during turkey season). Some countries also prohibit the importation of feathers or require proof of proper sanitization. Know the rules or at least make your buyer aware that there may be custom prohibitions before selling/shipping internationally.
- Birds carry parasites such as mites and lice and despite what you have read elsewhere just freezing them for awhile may not do the trick. Some bird mites will infest homes (and the humans who live in them!). See the Bird Mite Org for details: http://birdmites.org/ . The best way to deal with these little critters? Kill them *before* you bring them into your home. Take a handful of modern mothballs – the kind with paradichlorobenzene – and place them in an air tight container. Add the feathers. Store the container outside the home for at least 24 hours. Note! Mothballs can be dangerous to pets, kids and wildlife so be careful of the storage location!
- Once the pesticide has done its work we want to take care of any bacteria and viruses. Feathers can hold everything from salmonella to west nile virus to influenza (and more). After removing the feathers from the airtight container, I soak them for at least a half hour in a 50/50 mixture of Isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. This mixture will kill the bacteria and render most viruses inactive (you can’t kill viruses as they are not alive). I say *most*, because some viruses may not be suspectible, but the ones we are most worried about, like the flu, are suspectible. Bleach is more effective, but will make feathers brittle and can diminish their color. Hydrogen Peroxide not only oxidizes bacteria to death, but serves to brighten up your feathers without leaving them brittle. Note: The higher the concentration of alcohol or hydrogen peroxide the better.
- After their soak, I handwash the feathers in a mild hand soap. I gently suds up each feather, making sure to remove any remaining stains or debris with my fingers, then gently swish them in a basin of water. This step also removes any remaining chemicals or oil that may be on the feathers while keeping them soft to the touch. You will find this step exceptionally necessary for feathers that have been at the bottom of a cage as soaking alone won’t get rid of the spent seed husks and other (more disgusting) things clinging to the feathers.
- I then put them in a pan in a warm sunny place to dry before fluffing them a bit. It is important that they dry quickly to avoid any fungal or mold infestations. You can use a hair dyer and child’s toothbrush to speed up the process if desired.
- Finally, I store the feathers in an airtight ziplock bag in a dry place until use.
One final note, while I’ve used this process successfully on pheasant, chicken, turkey, cockatoo, pigeon and even peacock feathers, delicate fluffy feathers, such as Ostrich, are very hard to “re-fluff” in the end. It’s better to find a safe commercial source for very delicate feathers.
Happy Crafting and I hope this was helpful! What do some of the final results of this process look like? Here’s a mask I made with turkey feathers obtained from a local farm: http://daragallery.deviantart.com/art/Bird-Masquerade-Mask-by-Dara-Trahan-384649324. And here are sanitized cockatoo feathers: https://www.etsy.com/transaction/112807187?.
jeannine said:
beautiful
Bri said:
It would be helpful if you organized your article in a easier to read format. All of your information is put into really big chunks. Separating it out into bullet points or smaller segments makes the information easier to follow.
Indy said:
Thank you for this! My boss’ husband killed a turkey and they gave me the tail fan, and a wing. I am currently soaking the feathers, and soon will wash them with the soap. I’ll reply with how they turn out.
Indy said:
It worked out great!! Thank you so much for this guide!
daragallery2013 said:
You’re welcome! I’ve used this process on turkey feathers too 🙂
limner1 said:
Will doing this eliminate allergic reactions to feathers? Fingers crossed! I have turkey, peacock hen, and a buzzard feather waiting to be turned into quills.
Thanks.
daragallery2013 said:
Hi Limner,
While I’m not an allergist and don’t play one on TV, the general advice with allergies is to remove the cause from the home. If someone is allergic to feathers then they shouldn’t use them. Most people, however, aren’t actually allergic to the feather, rather the dust mites and mold that can accumulate on them. This process and proper storage (i.e., a clean, dry, air tight container) will eliminate these later allergens.
D
limner1 said:
You’ve saved me from another ER visit and you’ve saved my feathers! So, thank you! There’s a feather in the corn meal, flour and borax concoction right this minute. 🙂
You have a grand sense of humor! 🙂
Shari Irwin said:
I’m awaiting some feathers from a grouse that a cousin hunted – now I know how to sanitize them! Thank you!
Sharon said:
Thank you. This is excellent advice for those of us who love found feathers.
Emily said:
Thank you so much for sharing your process! I could not believe how well my peacock and turkey feathers turned out! I was worried after washing them because they looked like they totally lose their shape, but when I used the hair dryer on them, they opened right back up and fluffed on their own–even the really fluffy down-type turkey feathers I had! I was getting really congested when I was looking to do some crafts with turkey feathers a friend gave me, and I now I feel great knowing they are nice and clean.
Heather (feather) said:
Thank you! One of my nicknames is Bird Lady.
I’m so relieved that I can use found feathers in
my craft work with information from you!
Merino said:
Do you need the hydrogen peroxide? All I have right now is the Isopropyl alcohol.
Merino said:
Do you need the hydrogen peroxide? All I have right now is the Isopropyl alcohol
daragallery2013 said:
It depends on what you are trying to do.
Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are both commonly used as antiseptics and used to remove bacteria from surfaces. While alcohol can lift stains, you won’t get the same bleaching effect as when hydrogen peroxide is present. The oxygen released when hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with cells results in cleansing bubbles that can also lift debris.
If you just need to kill things alcohol and peroxide are both strong disinfectants, so use either. If you want to brighten the feathers/lift stains and debris then you may need both.
arothe3 said:
Would just soaking them in the hydrogen peroxide and alcohol do the trick? Wouldn’t that kill whatever the moth balls kill? Thanks!
daragallery2013 said:
Hi! Sorry about the delay in reply. Missed this comment somehow. Not necessarily. Although I’ve read mixed opinion on them, the Center for Disease Control states that alcohol & hydrogen peroxide aren’t very effective against parasites like bird mites and lice. For example, alcohol may kill the adult lice but not the eggs. Hydrogen Peroxide is effective against some mites, but – again – not the eggs. However, if you are worried about paradichlorbenzine – the insecticide in moth balls – you could try placing the feathers in cedar shavings, lavender and rosemary or Diatomaceous Earth or boric acid somewhere outside and away from the home for a few days so the parasites vacate the feathers before bringing them in.
Julie said:
So would Borax in the section work or does it have to the boric acid in the insect repellent area?
DaraGallery Blog said:
Hi Julie,
Borax has long been recommended as an insect repellant. It supposedly kills fleas and mites by dehydrating them so the effect is the same.
Dara
Kit said:
Thanks very much for this! I had collected some lovely feathers from a friend’s farm and wasn’t sure how to make sure they were safe to display.
As for the alcohol/hydrogen peroxide mixture, is it 50/50 straight up mixture?
daragallery2013 said:
Yes. I’ve had good results with a 50/50 mixture. Other experiments to whiten and brighten – like chlorine bleach – have “eaten” the feathers! And I don’t trust the dry methods to really kill/wash away germs and debris. The only thing that’s been a problem with this method is Ostrich plumes. Too delicate.
VicZ said:
What concentration of isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide should I use? Thanks.
VicZ said:
What’s the concentration of isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide I should use? I have a pelican flight feather that I want to make into a quill. Thanks.
daragallery2013 said:
Hi Vic,
I’ve been using a 50/50 solution and it definitely works well on quills. Note that having domestic migratory or sea bird feathers is a no-no, though.
Dara
Fny said:
Just the sort of guide I needed. Bookmarking this page for sure!
Terese said:
I was just wondering if you could help. My healthy cocatiel of 8 yrs died.
My son cut some wing and tail feathers for me to make a decorative memorial using his feathers. You’re mentioning soaking them.
Will that cause the feathers to fray? Or split. We want to preserve them as is.
Could you please advise as to what would be the best way to proceed.
Many thanks 😊
daragallery2013 said:
Hi Terese,
Sorry about your loss.
My article is on cleaning feathers that may be dirty, not preserving feathers. I would be careful of moths and direct sunlight though. I’ve had moths munch on one of my owl masks I had hanging on the wall and had to replace the feathers.
Since you’re sure of the source, you shouldn’t need to sanitize your furbaby’s (or featherbaby in this case) feathers in the 50/50 mixture of alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. If you wanted to wash them with a gentle soap before fully drying them you could. If they de-fluff, let them dry fully then go over them (gently) with a hairdryer and children’s toothbrush to re-fluff (preen) them.
You may then want to look for articles on preserving feathers as they can degrade over time. I’ve read that putting them in dry Borax for a few days works. Ultimately, you want to get them behind glass due to the moth issue.
Tracey M Hanlon said:
Why wouldn’t you just soak them in Lysol for 15 minutes? 1 step kills all
daragallery2013 said:
Hi Tracey,
I would hesitate to use a product like that for several reasons – 1) while it is a disinfectant and antiseptic it would have no effect on bird lice and there is only anecdotal evidence that it works on mites. 2) I’m not sure what effect benzalkonium chloride would have on feathers. I would have to test whether it made them brittle as many products do. 3) While it is generally considered safe for humans there is evidence that it is highly toxic to aquatic life and doesn’t break down quickly like what I’m recommending and 4) it would not have the bleaching effect of the hydrogen peroxide.
I’ve tried to come up with effective solutions for the all problems “found feathers” create (bacteria, viruses and pests) that also limits avenues of exposure and toxicity. Lysol doesn’t achieve all the objectives.
Aureane said:
Hi! For my crafts I use very tiny feathers (less than 1 cm, like budgies feathers), and I tried several methods to wash them. Sadly, it’s hard to make them look as beautiful as they were before washing they don’t hold their shape and become loosey. Is there a way to sanitize so tiny feathers without the risk of damaging them?
Thanks alot!
daragallery2013 said:
Hi Aureane,
Hmmmm, I’ve used this method on small cockatoo neck/wing feathers and it works. I had to use a children’s toothbrush and hair dyer to get them to reform and refluff after the “wet” stage but they came out as good as new (tedious process though). Not so with ostrich feathers. Each little “branch” has tiny little branches coming off the main branch and I couldn’t get them to reform properly after the wet satge.
There are dry method of sanitizing that involved covering and locking the feathers up in borax and cornmeal then just brushing them. Another method recommends freezing them for a week or two. I’m not convinced these methods are entirely effective to kill everything that could be on the feather.
Aureane said:
Hi! Thanks for the reply! I don’t think I would brush each feather, because I have bags full of domestic budgies moult feathers, most of them being smaller than the half of a nail… I have made a test with isopropyl alcool only (no peroxyde), and it seemed to let the feathers in better condition than water/soap mixture. Should I need another treatment to ensure the elimination of every possible pest? Mothballs? Freezer?
Chet said:
Great info., thank u so much
Cher
William said:
UV type C light will surely kill harmful bacteria. Expose them to about 10 minutes [DO NOT LOOK AT DIRECTLY INTO any type of UV light]
William said:
There are 3 types of UV lights available. UV type A, B & C. UV type C IS the best one to use for cleansing any feathers, … any phones, rings, and just about anything you touch and worry about germs and viruses.
Dayton said:
Would bird cage disinfectant mixed with water/mild soup kill mites/ticks? Cause the brand I have is specifically to kill mites.
Chris Northuis Kuck said:
Very interesting. One of my pets, think it was the Greyhound, deposited a bird “part” in my house. I have no clue what kind of bird it is, and I don’t know what part it is, but the feathers are fairly pretty. I’m thinking about using them in some pottery work I do. The last thing I need is mites or lice infecting the house, but I’m concerned that washing them will leave them not quite so pretty. I’m going to cogitate on it before I go to all that work.
Josh said:
Thank you soooo much for this detailed and easy explanation of disinfecting and cleaning feathers! I have actually been looking for a few years. Not many people who I know use feathers from the wild for anything at all. Thank you so much for posting this. I use feathers in my religious practices and this will help me stay safe physically when I use them:)
Kayla gaudb said:
Thanks, I did everything except the mothballs, I hope I won’t get sick or dye, I wore gloves and washed my hands – just so you know I found this bird freashly dead in my yard
Fran said:
Hi. I need to use this procedure. Can you tell me what concentration of hydrogen peroxide it is possible to get? I had a look on amazon.co. uk and all I could find is 12% as the highest.
Yet I’ve been able to get isopropyl alcohol at 99.9%
Are you in the UK?
Where did you get yours from?
Do the mothballs come in different concentrations too?
And how many mothballs do you need to use?
Thanks
Fran
DaraGallery Blog said:
You don’t need that high of a concentration of peroxide. According to the CDC, a concentration of 3% hydrogen peroxide can inactivate rhinovirus. And 70% iso alcohol kills about everything if you can’t find 91%.
Nichelle said:
Can I use this method on the fluffy feathers from a chicken? The very soft and thin ones that lay under the big feathers… thanks for any help! Between my grandparents farm and ours we have about 20 chickens and once a day I go out and scour the coop collecting all the feathers that are still clean! I have a huge box full now, but didn’t know how to clean them, so thank you so much for this article!
DaraGallery Blog said:
Yes. I’ve cleaned chicken feathers with this method that I’ve received from my “hay guy.” We won’t talk about how the chicken died. The feathers look terrible at first when wet and appear to shrink to nothing. If carefully laid out to dry they regain their volume. A toothbrush can be used once completely dry to add a little more fluff.
Teri said:
Do you soak the entire feather? Seems like it would destroy the feathers
Robin said:
I have a lot of pheasant feathers, do you think I could but them in a pillow case and and put them in my dryer on a low setting?
Christina said:
How long should I soak the feather in the alcohol/hydrogen peroxide solution?
DaraGallery Blog said:
It depends on what you’re trying to do – kill bacteria and viruses or whiten and brighten the feathers. If just disinfecting then five to ten minutes should do the trick. Alcohol kills most bacteria and coronaviruses within 30 seconds while it is ineffective against noroviruses (like the Flu). Hydrogen peroxide is more effect against flu and rhinoviruses, but can take up to five minutes or so to work. To lift stains and brighten items it can take longer so you may want to wait 10 to 15 minutes.
Miriam said:
Hi,
I have collected moulted feathers from next doors farmyard geese and chickens and a few wild pheasants. Unfortunately Paradichlorobenzene Balls have been banned in the EU. Do you have any other recommendations to make sure all parasites and their eggs are killed? I would be really grateful for your help!
DaraGallery Blog said:
Paradichlorobenzene is not a nice substance. I’ve read about alternatives such as freezing feathers for 24+ hours, to rubbing them down with gasoline, to “dry cleaning” them with a mixture of corn meal and borax. The problem is, I’ve also read that these methods don’t really work. However, the borax method would probably be the most effective and safe alternative as its long been touted as effective and relatively safe pest control in the environmental community.
Kraig Mitchell said:
Is isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide essential ? I have potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide for soap making… can either of these be used in solution form ? ? ?
DaraGallery Blog said:
I’m not sure. I haven’t researched their effectiveness in killing certain viruses and in whitening safely.
Judith Bryant said:
If pheasant feathers have been stored in cardboard mailing tubes for 8-10 yrs will they still need sanitizing b4 selling?
DaraGallery Blog said:
Feathers deteriorate over time, becoming more and more fragile. I’m not sure how feathers that old would react to cleaning even if moths or other critters haven’t had access to them.
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Sally Provan said:
Hi there,
Your article is so informative!
I understand to use a 50/50 mix of Isopropyl alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide, and that the Hydrogen Peroxide should be medical grade BUT what percentage concentration is the Hydrogen Peroxide you are using? (3%? 6% 35%?)
thanks for your help!
DaraGallery Blog said:
3%. According to the CDC, a concentration of 3% hydrogen peroxide can inactivate rhinovirus.
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Lisaxaphona said:
After washing your feathers swish them around in cornstarch and water, about a tablespoon per sink basin of water. Then, it is essential to use a hairdryer to dry them. this will fluff them up like they fresh off the bird.
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Covid cat lady said:
Hi! I tried to use this guide when cleaning feathers I bought for my cat from Amazon. They were supposed to be real/natural feather toys. They already smelled like mothballs, so I skipped that step and went straight to soaking in the 50/50 mixture.
Except, after 30 min, the water turned dark brown and when I wiped feathers w napkin, a little blue and yellow came off. Does this mean they’re fake dyed?
(Bc in the past, just washing an artificial feather would cause dye to bleed. Whereas this time it only bled a little after a 30 min soak in your solution, followed by another 30- min soak in soapy water., so im unsure if that definitively means they’re fake or not. Because it took so much more soaking before color bled).
Unsure if you have experience with seeing feathers bleed (since you’re cleaning the real deal and know how they respond to your above cleaning cocktail).
I figured you may not be an Amazon or cat expert. But you are a real feather expert and know what to expect when you treat them with this guide.
Thank you for any help!
DaraGallery Blog said:
Hi Covid Cat Lady,
I’ve cleaned natural chicken, pigeon and even delicate white and yellow cockatoo feathers that had to be “refluffed” after cleaning and never had pigment in the water. Dirt and grit, but no color. Unfortunately, I’ve never tried it on purchased dyed goose quills or chicken feathers. You are probably right in that you released some of the dye. Hydrogen peroxide bleaches out colors.
Dara
Kay said:
Hello there, do you know if the migratory bird act would apply to the Muscovy ducks that I raise on my farm?
DaraGallery Blog said:
Hi Kay,
Domesticated duck feathers are sold all the time. Non-native feathers are also sold all the time with exceptions, such as when the bird species is endangered in its own country. Muscovy’s are a tough call because their range has extended into the US over time and there is a federal control order in effect. It looks like you can’t sell or use any part of the duck if harvested from the wild. Still, if you’re raising them and not harvesting feral ones and can prove it, it should be fine. Checking with your local wildlife control officers first might be a good idea as your state may have more specific rules.
D
Viktor said:
For the 50/50 mix of alcohol and hydrogen peroxide: do they have to be certain percentages or would 3 or 12% hydrogen peroxide work?
DaraGallery Blog said:
Hi! Sorry I missed this comment and only found it now. I’ve never tried a high hydrogen peroxide mix, though I do remember during my research that the bottles sold in your typical pharmacy are very diluted compared to their industrial/commercial counterparts. I also remember reading that these purer forms should be handled with care.
Abby said:
Do you know if the Migratory Bird Act would apply to vultures?
DaraGallery Blog said:
If they are a native north American bird, then yes. They’re protected.