Get Your Dirty Birdbath Sparkling Clean Using A Common Kitchen Staple

Adding a birdbath into your yard is a great way to attract local birds to stop by for a visit, but you do have to keep it refreshed, clean, and looking like new. A dirty birdbath isn't just frustrating for the birds who stop by. Overlook regular cleaning, and this watering hole could turn fetid and become a breeding ground for both mosquitoes and various diseases carried by birds – including ones that can infect humans, like the Zika virus and avian flu. If you aren't exactly thrilled by the idea of having to clean your birdbath regularly, know that it can be a relatively simple chore. Yes, it can require some scrubbing, particularly when debris like bird droppings and algae build up. But odds are you already have the key ingredient you need to take your birdbath from dirty to sparkling clean in your kitchen: vinegar.

Vinegar, specifically white vinegar, is a potent cleaning solution you can employ all over your home and yard. It's also highly acidic, which allows it to dissolve sticky, gunked-up residue and debris. That acidity also makes vinegar a great choice for eliminating mineral deposits and killing bacteria, which is exactly the kind of solution you need to keep your birdbath clean. So, when you're facing smelly water, have a birdbath that's due for a freshening up, or need to rid your birdbath of algae, head into your pantry and pick up that bottle of white vinegar.

To make your birdbath look as clean as the first day you brought it into your garden, you'll need water, white vinegar, a scrub brush, and a bucket or spray bottle. You can make your vinegar cleaning solution before you get the actual cleaning started: Mix nine parts vinegar with one part water in either a bucket or a spray bottle. Once that's ready, empty any existing water out of your bird bath and rinse or wipe out any loose debris. Then, you can either spray the vinegar and water solution onto the basin's surface or dip your scrub brush it to apply it by hand. Spraying the solution will be easier, especially if you want extra solution to keep on hand for regular cleanings.

Then, use your scrub brush to scour the interior and exterior surface of your birdbath's basin for any lingering stains or stubborn debris that's hanging around. Rinse the entire birdbath once you're finished to be sure there's no lingering vinegar. While the liquid is great at cleaning dirt, grime, and even algae — and it is a bird-safe solution — you want to make sure the basin is thoroughly rinsed so no vinegar residue ends up in the fresh water.

Finally, let it dry completely. Once it's dry, you can refill the basin with 1 to 2 inches of fresh water. Don't forget to swap out or refresh your birdbath water every other day to keep birds happy with clean water every time they visit.