If you'd like to hear that podcast episode you can give it a listen here ; the relevant segment begins at about the mark. With that said, there are some crucial points to be made about caring for boas or any other feather-adorned items, from skirts and tops to accessories like earrings or headbands.
Okay, well, we all know what feathers are. But for today's purposes, I'm starting with that question to put my answer into context: Feathers come from birds. So when we consider how we might wash a feather, we can take a cue from how birds are washed.
Sure, bird washing! Think about it this way: When there's an oil spill that causes wildlife to be threatened, one of the elements of rescuing birds is washing them, and the stuff that's used to wash birds is plain old dish soap. And so that's what you'll use to clean feathers even after they've been separated from their rightful owner. Dish soap and warm water are all you need to clean feathers, but of course there's some nuance when it comes to the technique.
Use a sparing amount of soap, and massage it gently into the feathers using your fingers. When it comes time to rinse the feathers free of soap, either swish them in clean standing water or under gently running water — feathers are delicate, so be careful not to place them under a faucet that's running at full force. One other important thing to note about washing a boa specifically is that you want to make sure you have enough space for it to move about.
Boas are connected by a "spine" and if that spine breaks, you'll have a drooping boa. And no one wants a drooping boa. So mind that spine! Feathers are often affixed to whatever it is that they're adorning with glue, which means that the manner in which you dry a befeathered item is wildly important — basically, be SUPER careful with heat! 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. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Cleaning feathers to use for crafts. Thread starter sherpagirl Start date Nov 16, Sort by date Sort by reaction score. If we butcher our rooster, I would like to save the feathers to use for crafts.
After the feathers are plucked out, is there a way to sterilize the feathers without ruining them? Oct 16, 40 3 34 Wetumpka, Alabama. You can soak them very carefully in some warm sudsy water with dishwashing detergent, rinse, then let them air dry on a paper towel. After that I usually stick them in the freezer for a couple of weeks to kill any mites that may be there.
Aug 2, 2, 49 South Central KY. They really don't need to be sterilized. They aren't sterile when you handle the birds. They just need to be clean, like your laundry, hair, etc. I clean mine by soaking in warm water with Woolite. I swish them around a little, but mostly just let them soak. I read advice from a taxidermist who washes feathers with ordinary shampoo, she said it makes them soft and shiny.
So you might want to try baby shampoo, or a good conditioning shampoo. After I rinse mine really well, I fill a container with clean water, and put a few drops of cedar essential oil on the water.
Not much, you just want a very thin film of oil on the water, just enough you get that rainbow-reflection effect when the light hits the water. Agitate it well, drop in the feathers and swish them around. Lavender would be great to use, too, or orange oil. Those are all good for killing bugs, and smell nice. The oil gives the feathers a nice sheen, as well.
Since I usually clean large amounts at a time, I don't want my whole house full of drying feathers. I found that I can put them in one of those quilted looking zippered pillow covers, put that on inside another pillow cover, zipper end first, so the zippers are on opposite ends and dry them in the dryer.
You will lose a few, but most will come out just fine. If you roll the zippered ends down a little, and fasten them with a safety pin, fewer feathers will work their way out of them.
Some will get stuck in the polyester padding inside the case, and you'll have to pull those out, but it helps keep them from working all the way out and going through the holes in your dryer drum. The tightly woven allergen blocking pillow cases might work, too, but I like the quilty ones. At first I worried over losing some of the feathers, until I realized just how quickly you get way too many accumulated.
Apr 17, 28 Kingsley, MI.
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