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How Should I Be Cleaning The Cage?

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How Should I Be Cleaning The Cage?

Postby Georginia » Sat Apr 29, 2017 12:46 am

Of course, I've always been cleaning the cage for my birds, and I think that it turns out really clean after the whole cleaning. I set up 2 bowls filled with room temperature water. One of the bowls (the larger one), is the one I place all the toys and water/food dishes in to soak while I scrub the rest of the cage. The bowl with all the toys and dishes is only water, doesn't contain any soap mixed with it. The other, smaller bowl is what I use to dip paper towels in to make them wet for the scrubbing of some parts of the cage. I also have a sponge which I have made specifically for the cleaning of the tray and parts of the grate. So, what I do is first empty out the bird's dirty litter (I use some sort of Corn Cob bird and small pet litter) from the tray. Then I scrub the tray completely with regular water (no soap). I then remove the grates, and scrub them with the sponge, and then use wet paper towels to get in between the spaces of the grates. I set both the tray and grates aside to let dry. I then remove all toys and water/food dishes and place them in the larger bowl to soak in water (no soap). Then I remove the perches and scrub those down to remove any droppings and other yucky stuff, as well as scrub any bars of the cage that need cleaning. Once everything is done soaking and drying, I place everything back in the cage, add new, fresh Corn Cob litter, and let the birds back into their clean home! It takes me about 40 to 90 minutes to clean their cage, and I do it once a week.

My question is: Should I be cleaning the cage with soapy water or anything else added to the water? I've always been afraid that the soap or any other cleaning stuff will harm the bird if they decided to peck at washed toys.
I currently have two male Budgies, whom I love very much! I hope to soon expand my bird family and adopt more loving feathered friends into my home!
Georginia
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 40
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Types of Birds Owned: Budgies/Parakeets
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Re: How Should I Be Cleaning The Cage?

Postby liz » Sat Apr 29, 2017 7:14 am

I use dish soap in the water to clean the things I can get in the sink. I have taken the cage to the shower and scrubbed it down. I used to use lemon juice but that was a lengthy job. As long as you rinse it off really good then they won't be harmed. Injesting soap will cause diarrhea so you need to rinse all of it off.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
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BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
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Re: How Should I Be Cleaning The Cage?

Postby Trick or 'Tiel » Sat Apr 29, 2017 8:31 am

I like to use a product called Poop-Off to clean my birds' cages. It's a bird-safe enzyme-based cleaner that makes poop soft and easy to wipe off. You can spray the liquid onto your sponge or a cloth, then wipe any droppings from the cage bars, tray, perches, or grate. It will save you a lot of time cleaning these places, especially the grate because you have to go in between the bars. What I like to do is that since my cages are really big, it's a little cumbersome to hold the grate up while I scrub it, so I carry it to the bathroom and put it in the bathtub. There, I use a wet sponge with Poop-Off cleaner and a container of water to rinse. It works super well, especially if you have a large grate. This saves so much time cleaning in between the bars because the poop just melts away.
Here is a link to where you can buy it on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Poop-Off-Bird-Re ... s=Poop+off
Trick or 'Tiel
Conure
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Re: How Should I Be Cleaning The Cage?

Postby Pajarita » Sat Apr 29, 2017 11:26 am

I clean the cages everyday but I don't scrub them everyday. I scrape the poop off the grates and the perches with a stripping brush then wipe them with a sponge I dip in soapy water (I use a squirt of Dawn in it and drop of Clorox). I put clean paper on the bottom tray (I don't like to use anything else because absorbent material doesn't allow you to judge the poop well and this is something that needs to be checked daily as it's one of the first symptoms of disease), wipe down the bars that might have gotten dirty with food and put clean bowls in it. Once a week, I wash the bottom tray (in the bathtub with soap and water) and do a better job on the bars, toys and perches. Twice a year, I power wash them. I don't use vinegar or any other product. I've had birds for over 50 years and warm water, soap and a drop or two of Clorox do the trick very well and it's perfectly safe for them.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
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