Cleaning feathers

[Selina]

Hi guys!

I hope you can help me on this.
I have some white feathers at home, but they have some dirt and stains.
How can I clean them??
Is there any chance to get away those stains?

Thx

Selina

[CHEROSAGE]

I use a mild dish soap to wash my feathers. Mix up a solution with warm water( Ivory or Dawn works well). Let the feathers soak for a while, stir them gently and rinse thoroughly. Wash again if you need to. Afterwards dry the feathers and I use baby oil on my feathers. Take a little oil on your hands wipe them together. Not a lot of oil. I run the feather across my hands on both sides of the feather. Don't use toooo much oil, it will glob up the fletching and not look very nice.

Good luck with your feathers!!!
Wa-Do!!!!

[o_styo_jngl]

woolite....wash it in the tub.....follow the directions....WORKS LIKE A CHARM!!!!!! i guarantee it

[Selina]

Hi CHEROSAGE!

How long do you let the feathers soak?
15 min?, and with what do you dry them or do you just let them lie around?

Selina

[Mariposa]

Selina, what I do to dry them is blot them with a towel, or paper towel, in an upward position, which is the natural growth of the feather....Once I feel the feather is almost dry I blow at it and shape the feather at the same time....I never let them dry on their own because then they dont get their shape back, they just end up looking like chicken feathers....
After they are dry then I too apply a wee bit of oil to help separate the hairs....(perhaps there is a better word for it, but this was the first that came to mind)

Any other ideas, would certainly be welcomed too...I love to learn more....

[CHEROSAGE]

Selina:
Sometimes I'll use my wifes hairdryer or a fan will do fine.
The soaking time is merely up to you and how dirty the feathers are. If you have just pulled the feathers you may want to let them soak longer to help kill the bugs and other things. You might want to wash them again if the first washing is done well enough.

[Selina]

A big THANK YOU!!!

It worked very well!
Thanks again for your help

:D :D