Katrina asked: How do I clean and sanitize feathers found in the duck coop? I raise Pearl, White and Purple Guinea’s, Pekin Ducks and Sebastopol geese. They often drop beautiful feathers that get soiled by mud and/or droppings. I want to remove the visible soil and stains from the white feathers and sanitize them for use in my Native American crafts. I also find tons of turkey feathers on my property.
Feathers
are delicate and require special care when cleaning. There are two types of feathers, contour and down. Contour feathers are the beautiful wing feathers that are collected for art projects and crafts. They are firm in structure, but delicate as they can easily lose their beautiful form to water and improper handling. The down feathers are soft and do not have the sturdiness of contour feathers. They are often used as filler for pillows, comforters, etc. Proper cleaning is crucial for keeping feathers looking good and keeping their form. Here are several methods for various types and colors of feathers. For down feathers, use the section “Cleaning Down Feathers” only. Any of the other methods can be used for decorative or craft feathers.
Cleaning Down Feathers
You Will Need:
- Nikwax down wash or a similar detergent made specifically for down
- Water
- A bucket
- A piece of screen
Steps to Clean the Down:
- Down feathers are often very small and can easily get lost down a drain, so it is best (for both the feathers and the drain) not to use a sink for washing. Instead, a bucket can be used with a piece of screen for covering the top when pouring out the water.
- Put the feathers in the bucket.
- Fill the bucket with enough water to cover the feathers.
- Add as much down detergent as needed for the size of bucket used. Follow the instructions on the label of your selected product for measurements.
- Swirl your hand in the bucket to move the feathers around in the water for a couple minutes.
- Cover the bucket with the piece of screen (rigid screen material can simply be held in place or a porch screen material can be tied over the top with string or a rubber band if preferred.)
- Empty the water.
- Refill the bucket with clean water.
- Swirl your hand in the bucket for a couple minutes to rinse the feathers.
- Cover the bucket with the screen again and pour out the water.
- Allow the feathers to air dry. It is best to spread them out over a baking tray if possible. If you have a piece of screen that can fit over the tray, then it can be set out in the sun to aid in cleaning and the hasten drying time.
“Dry” Cleaning Method
You Will Need:
- Corn meal
- White flour
- Powdered borax
- Bag
Steps to Clean the Feathers:
- Fill a bag with ½ cup flour, one cup corn meal, and three tablespoons borax.
- Place the feathers in the bag.
- Close the bag and shake the feathers around in the powdery mix to fully cover them.
- Let the powder sit on the feathers for about an hour. The powder will absrb the dirt and oils from the feathers.
- Remove the feathers from the bag and shake them to remove any excess powder.
- This method can be repeated as many times as needed to fully clean the feathers.
Gasoline Method
You Will Need:
- Gasoline
- White flour (for white feathers)
- Bucket
Steps to Clean the Feathers:
- Fill a small bowl or bucket with gasoline.
- Dip the feathers into the gasoline.
- Rub the feathers in the direction of the tip.
- Shake off excess gasoline and dry.
- If the feathers are white, make a paste out of gasoline and flour.
- Rub the paste over the feather from the bottom to the tip.
- Continue rubbing until the feather is clean.
- Rinse in plain gasoline.
- Shake to remove any excess gasoline.
- Dry completely.
Soap and Water Method
Though it is not recommended to wash feathers in soap and water, some have had success. Here is a method that can be used if the feathers can tolerate it.
You Will Need:
- Woolite
- Water
- Bucket or tub
- Blow dryer
Steps to Clean the Feathers:
- Fill the bucket or tub with warm water.
- Add a small amount of Woolite and agitate the water to mix.
- Swish the feathers around in the water. Do NOT scrub the feathers as this will damage them.
- Rinse by swishing in clean water.
- Reshape the feathers.
- Dry with a blow dryer on a low setting.
General Cleaning/Dusting
You Will Need:
- Soft brush (ex: paint brush)
Steps to Clean the Feathers:
- Cleaning feathers that have been removed from a bird for any length of time is a tricky action.
- It is best to avoid washing the feathers regularly, but rather, remove the dust and dirt in a gentle way.
- Rest the feather on your hand for support as you brush away the dust that has accumulated with a soft brush.
- Follow the natural direction of the plumage as you carefully brush the dirt away.
- Keep supporting the back of the feather and be careful not to apply too much pressure to the quill or it may break.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Gasoline is flammable and should only be used outdoors.
- One of our site users (Thanks!) suggests using lighter fluid or alcohol instead of gasoline as they work in a similar way but have less of a smell.
- Always protect your hands with rubber gloves and use protective eyewear when necessary.
- Birds secrete oils that keep the feathers waterproof. Once removed from the bird, these oils quickly deteriorate and make the feather more vulnerable to damage from water and cleaning methods.
- Insects are problem for feathers as they like to eat through them. Check your decorative feathers regularly to ensure they are not being eaten by any unwanted guests.
- Store feathers in a pH neutral box for safe keeping.
- If insects do invade your feathers, shake them in some Sevin dust. Allow them to sit for a few hours, then carefully brush away the dust with a soft brush using the methods above.
- One of our site users (Thanks!) wrote in to say that they clean feathers often using Dawn dish liquid.
Thanks for the cool info; wow…very interesting!
My children will be holding them; my concern is how do you disinfect the quill?
Thanks for your help! 🙂
Bette
We sprayed ours with either vinegar or peroxide. Borax mixed with water is also a disinfectant. Don’t breathe in Borax.
Did you ever get an answer on how to clean the quill? I want to make pens with school children.
Thanks, Jeanne
I am specifically interested in preserving Eagle, Buzzard, & Hawk feathers, as they are crucial to the Spirit of my Sacred Staff and regalia. In addition, Turkey, Goose, Crow, Blue Jay, and others are present.
I travel for my job, and I carry my Staff with me many miles.
Any good advice is appreciated.
Peace.
I just found 10 feathers while taking a walk with my grandmother, so the first method will be really helpful! Thank you so very much!
What about freezing them? Would freezing kill any mites or otherwise?
My uncle hunts. He saves the turkey wings and tail for me. I would like to pull or separate the feathers and clean them and then use them for projects. Can someone give me some advice on how to collect them? I tried to pull and twist as suggested, not good. I do not have much strength in my hands and arms now, getting older. A shoulder injury keeps me from being able to grip and pull and twist. Help! Thanks!
I pulled the feathers out of dinner chickens when I was younger. Recently I bought some feathers on a dried cape. It was suggested to me to use tweezers to remove the feathers. When I started that I quickly reverted back to my younger years and with my first finger underneath the feathers (about 10 at a time) and my thumb on top of them I pull them back, away from the skin. This worked great, it was much faster than tweezers and the quills are unbroken.
I do not have any ducks yet, so excuse me if this is a silly question, but are the down feathers possible to clean? And if so, how would I go about cleaning them for use in pillows and other crafts?
I would also like to know if these methods are usable on down. Also, how to remove blood from down.
Brianna,
See my comment above to Maureen about removing blood from feathers. If the down feathers are loose, then yes, the above methods can work to clean them. If using the soap and water method, you can use Down Wash instead of Woolite if preferred. However, if they are stuffed in something (a blanket, a jacket, etc.), then it would be better to use one of the guides specifically for down items:
How to Clean Down Comforters
How to Wash a Down Jacket
How to Clean a Down-Filled Sofa
How to Clean Pillows
Eagle feathers, as well as hawk and other feathers, are illegal to keep even if it did fall from the bird while in flight. It can cost $100,000, so don’t use just any feather. You can dye chicken or turkey feathers to look like something else. In any case, research it before you pick one up!
C.V.
In reply to your question, we use wire snips to remove the large feathers from turkey and goose wings. Simply spread the wing feathers to reveal the thick quill, and then snip them as close to the wing as possible. This is the easiest method for not damaging the feather. Hope this helps!
An addendum to Connie’s statement. It is illegal to posses any feathers from a raptor, UNLESS you are Native American. But, you must be able to prove that you are… in other words, you should have a tribal card.
I have some turkey feathers that unfortunately have blood on them. How would they be cleaned without ruining them? Got them from a friend of mine who legally hunts turkeys.
Thanks
Maureen.
The gasoline method for cleaning feathers would be the best for blood stains. The soap and water method could also work. If not, here is an article on removing blood stains that has some other ideas: How to Remove Blood Stains. Any of those methods might work (salt solution, meat tenderizer, milk, etc.) without damaging the feathers, however washing the feathers is usually not recommended, so you may want to test one feather first. You could also try turpentine instead of gasoline.
Source: The Limp Cobra – “Agitating the Barbules”
Source: Google Books – Taxidermy and Zoological Collecting: A Complete Handbook… by William Temple Hornaday and William Jacob Holland
Source: Google Books – A Manual of Instruction to the Amateur in Collecting… by Montague Browne
Thank you; this is so helpful. Now I will know how to work with my wild turkey wings.
Are there any machines that are used to clean feather for a big purpose like making pillows and comforters? The feathers that are from a killed chicken; so that I can wash those feathers and use them again.
How would you fix feathers that have been water-damaged? I have tried steaming, but it isn’t working.
Hey guys. While brainstorming about this subject, I stumbled upon this article. My husband and I came up with this idea right this second. What if we put all feathers into a pillowcase, close it up good, and put it in the washing machine just like I did when I washed his goose feather jacket. I’m going to try this method. Good luck everyone!
I was given a statue of a fire dancer whose feathers are heavily coated in nicotine stains. Since this is a sentimental item I need a good way to clean them without causing damage since it is not a replaceable item. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
DesaRe,
You can try the method in the guide How to Remove Smoke Stains from a Dreamcatcher. However, there is never any guarantee of safety with cleaning. The best way to keep an item safe is to test a cleaning solution on a small hidden area first. You can use a cotton swab to test as it is very small. Be sure to let the test area dry fully before assessing the results. Good luck!
I bought a very old feather pillow from a tag sale that came in that old grey and cream ticking fabric.
I loved the weight of the pillow!
But the ticking was soiled so I washed it and unfortunately it bled.
I also noticed the seam had ripped open during drying cycle so I got my seam ripper, removed the feathers and now I want to know how to clean these very old but great chicken feathers so I may restuff my now clean (I used OxiClean) original blue or grey feather pillow again!
Is it necessary to wash the chicken feathers due to what I read about them, mites and all that?
Even though it did go through the wash and dry section, the pillow was so densely stuffed I’m not sure that the feathers really got a good washing or a good rinsing, being so stuffed tight into that blue ticking!!!
Myr,
The article has been updated to include a method for down feathers. Since you have alredy washed them, you can just skip to step 8 to rinse them. Drying them in the sun will kill any dust mites, but washing them is necessary to remove the allergens that dust mites produce. Be sure to cover them with a screen when drying or they will be blown around in the wind. Good luck!
Source: ABC Health & Wellbeing – Q: Does sunlight kill dust mites?
I have lots of dream catchers with feathers. They all have lots of dust on them. How can I clean them without damaging them?
Betsy,
This is the article you need: How to Clean a Dreamcatcher. Good luck!
How can I wash a chicken feather that has dust, chicken skin and blood stain. Please advise.
Harsh,
That level of dirt will likely require a good wash in soap and water. Leaving the feather out in the sun may help to bleach out the blood stain. Good luck!