How you keed your hand feeding tools sterilised?

[Sandra]

I'm just curious to know how everyone keeps their hand feeding tools sterilised?

I haven't found my way and I don't like using harsh chemicals.

[lovezebs]

Sandra
Sandy, I just was everything in hot soapy water. Maybe not sterilized, but as clean aas the dishes we eat on.

I suppose you could wash them in vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or a bleach solution.

~ Elana~

[Sandra]

I do the same thing lovezebs. Very hot water and soap. On non plastic things, I just dip it in boiling water. I was wondering if that was enough as some uses chemicals. Makes me too nervous to use it.

[KarenB]

An item soaked in a 10/1 bleach solution for 10 minutes is enough to sanitize just about any non-porous surface. Just rinse well before using. The only way to sterilize something is to place it in a sealed container (usually a bag) and put it into an autoclave (heat under pressure). Most of us don't own one of those, so sanitizing is the best we can do, but it's sufficient.

Dishwashers usually have a sanitizing cycle you can use.

[kristofer]

I have been using baby sanitary soap for the past year and have had no adverse affect on my birds. I clean the water bowls and food bowls for the other birds as well. Afterwards i give them a thorough wash with clean water.

[monotwine]

I use F1O sc liquid. Best safest thing I've found. Not sure if you get it there.
Otherwise as others have said, a bleach solution is safe enough.

[MiaCarter]

I usually use water with hydrogen peroxide or bleach.
I'll usually boil water and put it in a couple of bottles for use as rinsing water. (I have well water and I've seen the inside of the equipment. It's clean but certainly not germ-free.)
I freeze the bottles of boiled water until I need them.

I'm a bit maniacal over cleanliness with the babies.
My husband teases me that I look like I'm preparing for surgery. (I actually use Dial surgical scrub. I got it from my vet, who recommended it for this purpose.)
But those little babies have virtually no immune system, so I'd rather over-do it and minimize the risk of infection.

I actually have a pottery kiln that I could theoretically use as an autoclave. It goes up to 1200+ degrees.
But I've never used it for this purpose because everything I use is plastic and it would melt.
If I used metal tools, i probably would tho! LOL

[KarenB]

LOL, MiaCarter. At work the setting for instruments we sterilize is 270 degrees F under 27.1 psi (186 kPa) of steam pressure for five minutes.

For dry heat, you would set the oven at 325 degrees F and keep items in for 90-120 minutes.

1200 degrees F might be slightly overkill.

[MiaCarter]

KarenB -- LOL Indeed! I think 1200 degrees may be a bit much! LOL

I have a really accurate pyrometer so it would be pretty simple to use the kiln for sterilization.
It would be dry heat, so 325 for 120 min. Good to know!

Heck, if it's only 325, I bet you could repurpose a new toaster oven. Cheaper than firing up a ginormous kiln.

But alas, I currently use primarily plastic items. So rather than sterile tools, I'd get a pile of molten goo and some real nasty fumes.

[delray]

I dont breed finches, so i dont have feeding tools. But for all the food and water bowls and feeders, i use dish soap and wash it until squeaky clean in warm-hot water. . Good luck.

[cindy]

The avian vet told me to not play around with different products for sterilizing handfeeding tools...use a dilute mixture of bleach and water, soaking no less than 15 minutes, rinse well. It is not worth the risk not to.

[Sally]

I use Virkon-S as a soaking medium, it is a fungicide, bactericide, and virucide. It is supposed to be corrosive to metal, but I've soaked my banding tools in it without problem.