| MadSci Network: General Biology |
I think that it's terrific that you care so much about these birds that you want to help them. I found an interesting article using a novel procedure to clean feathers without removing the important oils that a bird needs to protect itself. I do not know if it is an accepted procedure to remove dirt and oil from feathers, but it is interesting: http://news.bbc.co.uk /1/hi/sci/tech/330616.stm The traditional procedure to clean anything is with detergent. The detergent forms an emulsion with an oil. The emulsion (cloudy and milky) has different properties than the oil and detergent by itself. After the detergent emulsifies the oil, it will just wash down the sink. There are also other ways that a detergent uses to clean. The following link describes most of the mechanisms, including emulsions: http://www.pssales.com/chemist ry.html One final word regarding the cleaning of these birds. If the dirt on their back is not effecting their health, then it might be best for them to remain a little dirty and a lot healthy. Good luck on your cleaning project.
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