Wish I had an answer Jeanne....mine look like that most of the time too. I have heard that if you set a small bunch of lavender in the bath, that helps keep it clean, but I've never tried it. Hope you get some answers....I need that one answered too.

You could lay down a mosaic, or the glass beads in it to make it look like water. The dirt would be less noticeable that way.
I completely love the birdbath! The wavy lines are just awesome!

Try soaking it in denture tablets.they work for a lot of things I even soak my black grout hands in it .I hate gloves. I get generic ones .Might take a lot just try it.

If it were me I would soak it in clorox water..Worth a try!
Good Luck!
Marsha

Love, love your bird bath, Jeanne!! -so pretty! (that's my name and spelling too, btw! ; ). I haven't placed my clear bird bath out in the garden yet to know what it will end up looking like with time, but with my other bb's, I keep a handled scrub brush (like for dish washing) on hand to give them a quick swiping as needed. Similarly, those handled sponges might work better for a glass surface.

Jeanne, Mr Clean's Magic Eraser is a great little household cleaning 'sponge' and I've used it often on dirty glass stuff in yard. Or SOS pads for that matter.
But I get frustrated too with things getting so dirty from our 'hard' water. My crystal totem got lime deposits on it that I finally gave up on after a couple of years.

Your birdbath is one of the prettiest I've seen and I probably wouldn't have put it in the yard. LOL. Up on the porch for decoration maybe.

hugs, Karen

I think you should send it to someone in the city where it might stay clean. he-he I can email you my address. ;^)

Tip that helps some is to use a heavy copper pipe fitting. I think mine is about 1 1/2 in. long & 3/4 in inside. Why heavy? Well, bird flew off with light weight 1. I just found it after digging up my side yard so bird took it about 50 ft. Birds like pretty things, GF was sorting beads out on patio & went inside & came back out & found some beads missing so she went back in & watched & scrub jay made 3 trips when she came back out, she saw where the jay took them & went & got them. Jay was not happy & scolded her so she took beads inside. Anyway what the copper does is help it not get so slimy. A good spray from garden hose would get some of it out but then it needs good scrubbing every few days. I just wash my "Birds & Bloom" free stained glass birdbath out each day. It doesn't hold too much water & by evening it is dirty & I don't want dirty birds around so I wash it out & scrub about once a week as some of the grout lines start getting mold on them(more of a rubbery grout- guess it's for birds) Yes, I did win it several years ago for getting the magazine!! It keeps my birds happy. I've used cleanser on it & scrub brush but rinse 3 times. Jan

Denture cleaner to soak out the gunk.
Don't scrub it out with anything that might scratch the surface. The abraded areas make great place for algae to get in and set up house!
There is an enzyme you can add to BB's that keeps down the amount of yuckie stuff that builds up. It's harmless to birds and animals and a little bottle should last at least all summer.
Here's a link to one brand I'm familiar with, there probably are others.

Here is a link that might be useful: bird bath protector

I'd be in favor of periodic soaks in a chlorox solution too. However bleach can be corrosive to some metals and might have a deleterious effect on whatever glue you used on this lovely piece, so I'd be cautious.

Bleach keeps the outdoor wading/drinking pool for my dogs, and my hummingbird feeders, clean in summer. It kills nearly every bacteria, virus, and fungus. But again I'd be careful if copper piping and some sort of adhesive are part of this piece. I think it remains lovely even with the dirt.

My DH uses tiny chips of pool chlorine tablet to keep our fountain clean from algae, he tells me sun beating down on it creates algae. Hope this helps.

If you actually want this birdbath to be functional, you will not want to leave it filled with chlorinated water (not good for birds to drink!) but instead just give it a 1/2 hr soak in chlorine every week or so, rinsing and refilling with plain water after.

If it is just intended to be decorative, then chlorine will keep it algae and bacteria and maintenance free.

Hi there, I lurk often but don't post much. Love seeing what all of you do.
My answer for the ick is vinegar. It even takes off lime deposits. Just pour some in and let it soak overnight or so. Or, if you want to be more thrifty just soak some paper towels in vinegar and lay them over what you want to clean. This is how I do toilets (the paper towels) It would help keep it moist if you placed the bowl in a plastic bag or just put some plastic wrap over it.
Just so you know my bird bath is the bottom I cut out of a childs little swimming pool. It is pliable. I drape it over rocks of different sizes so there are many different depths of water. My little birds drink there. The big birds drink and bath. I hose it off occasionally. It catches the rain plus I have irrigation water from the Columbia River. They love it and so do I....after all this is a junk forum and it is definitely junk.
Hope you try the vinegar. Sandra

I LOVE that bird bath!!! Very pretty!!

I've used vinegar and I've used denture tablets for dirty glass, both work. If you have it outdoors I don't know how to keep dirt from accumulating in it. Maybe a coat of floor wax and a good hosing everyday would extend the time it stayed clean, maybe not, just a thought.

You could think about building a little shrine thing over it, it might keep some dirt from settling in the bowl and be pretty too. Ot keep it on the porch. You have a porch with a rack you decorate seasonally don't you. Might have to become part of that vignette. It sure is pretty with the bird.

interesting! love the bird bath, so pretty:D and i may try some of these ideas myself....great ideas! and i made a mosaic birdhouse and used a bird just like that with it!
kudzu

Beautiful project ! My outdoor stuff all gets to look like that . I have 3 teacup birdfeeders that need some serious scrubbing out . I guess that's part of nature .