Is there a trick, to keeping a white birdbath clean? My cats drink from it! We do have hard water (well) and the color of the water turns a slight orange color. any suggestions?
Lori C, the nasty orange color that I get is from my well that I use for irrigation. I use plain old vinegar and a little scrubbing & birdbath looks good again. The iron content of my water causes problems but iron is good for the plants.
I just use plain water and a wire brush. I do this about once a week or so. I use a hose with a strong sprayer nozzle to rinse the bird bath after scrubbing it good with the wire brush.
I have used baking soda and water to clean my birdbaths. I empty the bowl, sprinkle baking soda and scrub with a tooth brush. Follow-up with a {{good}} rinse and your birdbath will look wonderful.This has been my method of cleaning for over 20 years with safe results. FYI - Baking Soda is also used in cleaning the inside of aquariums/ fish tanks with safe results.
To Prevent Algae Growth in Your Birdbath... Drop a few pennies in the water and leave them there. The copper will inhibit algae growth.... or .... add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the water to keep algae at bay. It won't harm the birds, and it keeps the birdbath much cleaner.
http://library.fws.gov/bird_publications/son...
you might be able to line the bird bath with some plastic sheeting that you could then dispose of now and then.