Bird Cage Cleaning (this will save you a ton of time) I promise!!!!

[kme3388]

I learned this trick when I volunteered at a shelter. It has saved me so much time. I never have to scrub the grate, or tray any longer. Both of my parrots hang out at the top of their cage, and never play with their papers unless they get mad and throw them on the floor…. I place the papers on top of the grate instead of underneath. I just change the papers daily. Here are photos of what I’m talking about (excuse my cleaning supervisor in the photos).

 

[Henderbird]

Oooh that sounds like a pretty handy trick! Is it possible to remove the grates? I've never paid close attention to bird cages even at my aunt and uncle's!

 

[chris-md]

I do this as well. Works very well for bird like yours and mine that don’t really spend any time down there. The time it saves me has been imessurable.

I hate the grates. In his old cage he didn’t have a grate so it wasn’t an issue. I came to do this when I realized, in his new cage I bought him, Parker can partially escape through the bottom (he gets stuck halfway out, he’s a larger Ekkie) when the grate isn’t present. So definitely innovation born of necessity.

 

[kme3388]

Oooh that sounds like a pretty handy trick! Is it possible to remove the grates? I've never paid close attention to bird cages even at my aunt and uncle's!

You could remove the grates if you have a removable one. Then you’d just have to place the papers at the bottom of the cage/tray. Both of the cages I have do have removable grates, and trays. I could remove both… I just leave them there. More then likely if I remove them I’ll place them somewhere, and lose them.

 

[WingDing]

I'm definitely going to start doing this with one of our birds who never ventures below the midline of his cage. The other bird likes to crawl around on the grate on a daily basis so probably won't do that for him.
Thanks for the tip!

 

[JimsBrother]

I do the same. And your supervisor is a cutie.

 

[zERo]

I learned this trick when I volunteered at a shelter. It has saved me so much time. I never have to scrub the grate, or tray any longer. Both of my parrots hang out at the top of their cage, and never play with their papers unless they get mad and throw them on the floor…. I place the papers on top of the grate instead of underneath. I just change the papers daily. Here are photos of what I’m talking about (excuse my cleaning supervisor in the photos). View attachment 38724View attachment 38723

I do the same! I thought hardly anyone else did it! I do it with all my birds cages but unfortunately I can't do it with my Quaker, it makes him a bit 'nesty'

 

[Squeekmouse]

I wish that would work for me, but both of my boys would go down there to pick up dropped treats or toy parts... plus Trigger loves destroying paper... any and all paper. You all who can do this are lucky.

 

[kme3388]

I wish that would work for me, but both of my boys would go down there to pick up dropped treats or toy parts... plus Trigger loves destroying paper... any and all paper. You all who can do this are lucky.

I have no idea why but both of my parrots always sit on the highest perch that they can get on. If I had a perch 1 inch from the top of their cages they’d try to fit (no I don’t do this).

You are correct though if you have parrots that like the bottom of the cage or if they enjoy making confetti with their papers this definitely wouldn’t work.

 

[Laurasea]

I wish that would work for me, but both of my boys would go down there to pick up dropped treats or toy parts... plus Trigger loves destroying paper... any and all paper. You all who can do this are lucky.

Yep my gcc goes nuts tearing it up and trying to hide under it..
plus the quakers usually mess with toss around


Sure would be nice to do this and save time for sure

 

[fiddlejen]

I actually do this intentionally because (1) my budgies love to go foraging on the floor of my conure's cage for her nutriberry scraps. ---(They don't care for them, if given to them directly. Only when foraged or stolen from Sunny's cage!)--- and with their nice tall cages (2) neither budgies in own cage nor Sunny in her cage, care to hang out at floor-level, so they are not walking on their papers.

 

[HeatherG]

I have had female birds for whom I had to MAKE grates because the girls would get into the paper and tear it up and get nesty. Don’t throw out your grates; that’s what they’re there for.

Yes, now I have boy birds and neither is at all interested in the paper so I could take the grate out if I wished. I scrape the poops off with a tool like a grill cleaner or a putty knife.

 

[Sama]

I learned this trick when I volunteered at a shelter. It has saved me so much time. I never have to scrub the grate, or tray any longer. Both of my parrots hang out at the top of their cage, and never play with their papers unless they get mad and throw them on the floor…. I place the papers on top of the grate instead of underneath. I just change the papers daily. Here are photos of what I’m talking about (excuse my cleaning supervisor in the photos). View attachment 38724View attachment 38723

Yes it is ok , but our birds like amazons, eclectus, indian ring necks will tears it I tried it before

 

[ravvlet]

For those of us who have to have grates because our silly parrots will march down and shred their paper - a damp, warm towel will loosen and remove stools from the grate (and can also be used before that to get off any stray chop stuck on bars, toys, or perches) every night. I do a basic wipe down like this for our cages daily before putting the boys to bed. It’s great for preventing dander build up too.

I used to use baby wipes but not all baby wipes are parrot safe and the ones that just have water are pricy! Instead I got some “reusable paper towels” (flannel towels with serger-seam edges) and I throw them in a landry bag and wash them with whatever else needs to go after the parrots are asleep. You can wrap the dry/clean towels around a paper towel holder too, which is handy.

 

[Terry57]

I also do this, and a few cages I did remove the grates completely. It really does make a difference when cleaning. My cockatoo is the only one I can't do this for.

 

[Mgoakes]

For those of us who have to have grates because our silly parrots will march down and shred their paper - a damp, warm towel will loosen and remove stools from the grate (and can also be used before that to get off any stray chop stuck on bars, toys, or perches) every night. I do a basic wipe down like this for our cages daily before putting the boys to bed. It’s great for preventing dander build up too.

I used to use baby wipes but not all baby wipes are parrot safe and the ones that just have water are pricy! Instead I got some “reusable paper towels” (flannel towels with serger-seam edges) and I throw them in a landry bag and wash them with whatever else needs to go after the parrots are asleep. You can wrap the dry/clean towels around a paper towel holder too, which is handy.

I use a paint scraper for one of my Amazon’s as she poops on the same place all the time. But I make sure I do it before I take the old paper out. Her greatest pleasure is tearing apart her straw mats that I get especially ally for birds. It is like a job for her. She likes to tear everything up, so I think she would tear up the paper if I took the grate off.

 

[ravvlet]

Oh no! Ours loves shredding stuff too. Cardboard toys are his favorite!

I have found that hot water will get off any amount of poop (sometimes if it’s really stubborn I just bring the whole grate into the bathroom under the shower head) but that nightly wipe-downs prevent cement-like buildup as long as he’s not being a potato and sitting in one spot.

 

[StormyPica]

A tip for the paper-tearing parronts that don't have cage grates:
Put a foraging/shredding toy near (but not touching) the paper. It worked very well with Cossie, as her cage doesn't have a grate.

 

[kme3388]

In the summer powerwashing cages is amazing. It's so hard to deep clean a cage in the winter. How often does everyone else deep clean a cage? I am a little hesitant now because one of my cages got rust within a year of owning it, and I was curious if it was because of me powerwashing it. Stainless steel is amazing, and easy to wipe down but they are SO expensive.

 

[ravvlet]

Our Amazon has had at least two bouts of nasty bacterial infections in as many years so we’ve been taking the cage out and spraying it down with F10SC, or if going outside is not an option at least spraying it down fully with a mix of vinegar and water, as well as running toys/perches through the dish washer, monthly. I do daily wipe downs on everything (cage and playstands) with hot water to remove any visible poop or food particles and once a week soak dirty perches, toys and grates and do a more rigorous spot clean on the play stands.

I have a paper on the wall of my office where I write the date I last deep cleaned the cage, playstand, and small playstand, as well as when I’ve changed the humidifier and air filters (and when they are due).

His cage does have rust but only on the tray where the paper sits so he can’t access it, it only really bothers me! I don’t have a pressure washer though, I just use the hose and scrub with either no scratch dish pads or towels.