Birdcage Cleaning

Cleaning Bird/Avian Cages

Aside from the daily changing of paper/liner, birdcages should also be cleansed.
Tips on the Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Cleansing of your Avian Cages.

Daily
Toss out the old seed in each dish at least once per day. I find it is easiest to remember as a chore, first thing in the morning.
Change Water. Make certain water dish isn’t slimy. Wipe water dish with Vinegar and rinse well prior to refilling with water.

Do your birds bathe in their water dish? A separate bath for bird bathing can be placed in the cage during sunny times of day, when a wet bird should be able to dry easily. If you cannot place a bath in the cage, please change their drinking water more frequently.
Dispose of paper liner and any waste that is lying on the bottom of the tray. Replace bird paper, after doing so and after any baths where the paper should become wet.

Weekly

Wipe the bottom of your birdcage down with a damp towel or paper towel that is moistened with a vinegar and water mixture. I keep Vinegar/Water in a Spray bottle with a permanent label, since this mixture easily cleans as an All-Purpose Cleaner. If cage is damp, dry directly after.

Wipe any stick or perch off with another paper towel or a wire/stiff perch scrapper.

Monthly

Shower the Birdcage after removing the tray, paper liner, and all food/water dishes. Placing the birdcage in your shower (or outside on your patio if you do not feel comfortable mixing germs) stream the water from the shower nozzle into the cage, starting from top (ceiling) to floor (base). I do not recommend soaking.

If you regularly clean the avian cage, soaking would never be necessary.

After spraying cage with a medium hard stream of water, wipe all surfaces with a soft wet cloth of water and (food grade) Baking Soda (in a paste).

Rinse cage again with water from top (ceiling) to bottom (tray).

Spray cage clean with your Vinegar/Water bottle mixture.

Rinse with pure water and place onto a clean dry towel, such as an old bath towel.

Wipe cage completely dry with a clean rag or paper towel, and replace all items back into cage having hand wiped each prior. Resituate Bird Toys, after cleaning, into different areas of the cage for mental stimulation.

Giving your bird a change of scenery and brain stimulation is almost as important as it’s safety. Birds are very intelligent and can die from despair, as seen in a lovesick elderly person who’s lost their lifelong mate! If you have a couple of healthy birds, you can always swap toys, switching theirs from one cage to another.

The NEVER Do List:

Never have any of the following in your bird’s home:

• Cigarette/cigar smoke
• Oven Cleaner
• Perfume (typical mass-produced department store perfume/cologne/body spray)
• Flea Bombs or Pest Killer fumes or powders
• Hairspray
• Paint fumes

Always Treat your Bird as the Asthmatic Child of the House! Unlike an asthmatic, a bird may die from being exposed to harsh, chemical fumes even just once.

The above tips can be used for all birds including those in the Poultry Family, which make curious, clever, and loyal friends!

by Europa Pirate