There’s an old-fashioned expression “canary in the coal mine.” Miners lowered canaries down the mineshaft to see if there was enough oxygen in the mine for humans to breathe. If they died, miners knew it wasn’t safe..
Hummingbirds are the same way with detergent. Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned regularly, but many detergents contain artificial fragrance and color that can be detrimental or even fatal to hummingbirds. See Audubon.org for more tips. @audubonsociety
Here at Safi Home Works, we only use very mild cleaning agents that are usually safe if ingested, and we do our best to always rinse well. Hummingbird feeders are safe for hummingbirds when we clean them and the homes and offices we clean are safe for humans and their pets when we’re done.