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How to Wash Feathers
- To further sanitize the feathers, add a tablespoon of alcohol after rinsing them in water that has reached a temperature of up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
- (Avoid bleach; hydrogen peroxide will bleach the feather; bleach will dissolve your feathers.)
- Wash the feathers like you would your handsfeathers are far more resilient than you might think! Soak them in a solution of dish soap and water for a maximum of 15 to 20 minutes.
- After the feathers reach the desired level of cleanliness, you can give them one last water rinse.
How To Dry a Feather
- air dry and blow dry
- During the drying process, run your fingers through the feathers if you notice that they are beginning to split.
- blow dry and air dry throughout the drying
- When blow drying ostrich feathers, see if you can “refluff” them with a pet brush.
If you ever notice small holes or loose feather fluff, separate those areas from other areas of your feathers and repeat the freezing process. You can take an additional safety measure, though it involves using chemicals, by lightly dusting flea powder inside your container. This same substance, which contains the active ingredient carbaryl, is occasionally applied to dogs and cats. This will kill mites and beetles. In order to keep bugs away, feathers are occasionally kept with moth balls (naptha or paradichlorobenzene), but this is more hazardous and smelly. Feathers and woolen materials were once kept in cedar chests due to the wood’s natural insect-repelling properties. Although I would still keep the feathers sealed, it wouldn’t hurt to store them in this manner if I had a cedar chest.
The same protein-like material that makes up fingernails is used to make feathers, and it’s called keratin. It is the toughest of animal materials. However, pests and mold and sun can still destroy feathers. But if you follow these easy instructions, your feathers should last foreverunless your puppy gets really chewed up or something goes wrong.
2. Clean. Wash with a mild soap like dish soap. Gently remove any dirt by running your fingers from the base to the tip of the feather, much like you would pet a cat that enjoys having its fur properly rubbed. Rinse with clean water. Air dry or dry with a hair drier. If the feather is undamaged but not perfectly shaped, you may be able to gently press it back into shape by placing it in the steam of a tea kettle. Youtube will have a few videos about this steaming method.