Too often you may see a birdbath on someone’s lawn that has been neglected for so long that it’s as green as the person’s grass. If you happen to be that person, here are some steps to getting that birdbath back to that new look:
1) Make sure you empty the old water
The old water has probably been attracting mosquitoes and gnats, not to mention keeping the birds away. Be sure to empty it out before starting your cleaning.
2) Rinse with a hose
Make sure you have a garden hose nearby to rinse off the entire birdbath. This should go a long way in getting rid of some of the algae.
3) Mix your cleaning solution
Before you start with the contents of the solution, please remember that chemicals in general are very bad for birds so you need to be very cautious. A frequently used solution for this job is ¾ cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. Make sure you don’t get any of the solution on yourself. After mixing the solution, let it sit in the bird bath for 30 minutes. If you are not going to constantly be around the bird bath, cover it up with plastic.
4) Rinse with a hose…again
After letting the solution sit, go back and rinse the birdbath with the hose again. If some of the algae or mildew still remains a little bit of scrubbing should get it off. Before you let the birdbath dry, be sure that you have thoroughly rinsed it to make sure that all of the bleach solution is out.
5) Refill
After you have made sure that the bleach solution is rinsed and that the bath is dry, refill the bird bath and let the birds enjoy!
Remember the best way to keep your bird bath clean is to regularly maintain it. If you change the water at least once every two weeks, it should stave off most of your algae problem and your bath can keep looking pristine.