Even though we consider the Rollerfeeder to be a dishwasher safe bird feeder, we highly discourage you from cleaning a bird feeder in the dishwasher for the following reasons:
We consider “Dishwasher safe” a marketing gimmick since most bird feeders can be washed in the dishwater with little to no damage on the proper dishwasher setting and rack placement.
The main issue is you are likely introducing possible bird soiling and possible bird diseases into your dishwasher – which we all know is for your dishes you use to eat from. There is no scientific evidence these germs and bacteria are killed during the dishwasher cycle so why take the chance.
Birds can spread bacterial diseases using their beaks from one feeder to another where other birds contract the germ. These germs or viruses can be on the bird feeder and when another bird uses the feeder it catches the germ.
Soiling is another common issue – even though birds feed mostly outside the seed area – they soil in many other areas while accessing the feeder and vying for a place to feed.
We recommend avoiding the dishwasher to clean any feeder and just use a warm pale of water, or wash tub with mild detergent and rinse thoroughly with warm/hot water and let dry completely.
