cleaning bird feeders

[FrozenChocolate]

So, I am going to get started with the birds again. Can I clean the feeders (plastic bog standard) with washing up liquid then soak in sainsbury's sterilising liquid? They are quite manky.

I just poked the manky bits out of mine with a stick and put more peanuts in.
Are you supposed to sterilise them?

Yes very important to sterilise them every year. I use Jeyes fluid but I haven't done mine yet this winter.

Blimey, i can honestly say I've never once sterilised a bird feeder. I do clean them with washing up liquid when they get horribly manky but that's all. Maybe my birds are slovenly, or students.

I hate to link to the Daily Mail, but this is important:

www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1264281/Infected-garden-feeders-bird-baths-blamed-deaths-fifth-Britains-greenfinches.html

Once the snow is off mine, I will be washing them in washing-up liquid and scrubbing them with a brush I save for the purpose. I don't usually use Jeyes, but then we mostly have tough urban birds. I am, though, careful to get rid of the manky old bits of mouldy peanut.