Cage cleaning ?

[Birdlover11]

I just finished cleaning the bird cage. Even though they are just 2 budgies they make A LOT of mess. The cage grate is covered in poopies . The litter is full of pellets and nutriberries. The toys are slatherd with I do not know what. This is my weekly battle for cleaning my budgies cage. The most complex liquid I use is hot water. I need somthing that makes cage cleaning easier. I read that you could use lemon or lime juice ? I went to petco yesterday for my monthly birdie supplies refill and they had " poop off " . I was going to buy it but it was 18 bucks ! I have a 50$ budget which I agreed with my parants with for monthly shopping. Buying a giant bag of litter, seed, pellets, 3 different kinds of treats and nutriberries the price gets up to 45 pretty quickly . I thought about asking my dad but I remebered that I made him pay 60$ earlier this month for a play gym and a thermo perch. What do you clean your cage with ? Do you have to make your own cleaning solution ? How ? I am sick and tired of using water. It takes me a whole hour just to scrub the poop off everything . What can you use to clean cages ? I know this might be a stuiped question but can you use Clorox disinfectant wipes ?

 

[BillsBirds]

You could use a weak solution of bleach & water, but rinse everything very well. Also, you could use a vinegar & water solution. Again, rinse well. Use a scrub brush on the messy parts. Wipes would probably be okay, but, again, it's important to rinse everything well. If the birds are in another cage, or carrier, let the washed cage dry in the sun for a while. Do not use bleach, wipes or vinegar while the birds are in the cage.

 

[cdnbirdlover]

I use hot water and plain old dishsoap. I line the bottom of the cage with newspaper and pitch that out daily (no grate). I've figured out how to lay it out to catch most of the poop (right under the high perch where Basil sleeps). I have also figured out how to configure the perches so that most poop hits the newspaper and not another perch or toy. Once a week I scrub everything down (with a good microfibre cloth and hot soapy water) and rotate the toys for something Basil hasn't seen in a week or two. There's always pellet dust, feathers and even bits of veggies underneath the bottom layer of newspapers but that tips easily into the garbage can before scrubbing. Food and water dishes and the birdie bath are done daily.

 

[Rio Mom]

I clean some parts with hot water and original blue dawn soap. I also use a handheld steamer to clean.

 

[mrob]

best thing i ever invested in was a steam cleaner. They are amazing - they just vaporise dried up poop, and sterilise at the same time, with absolutely no chemicals. You can get different attachments - once you go steam you will never go back! I use mine all the time, not just for the bird cages, but also for a no scrub oven cleaner, amazing at windows, etc etc.

 

[MonicaMc]

What kind of litter are you using?

Plain old white paper, B&W newspaper, construction paper or butchers paper is most often recommended for the bottom of cages.

White vinegar or Apple Cider vinegar can be used to clean the cage with, and you don't even have to wash it off! Once it dries, it's perfectly safe for the birds! Make a solution of 50/50 vinegar to water.

I most often use dish soap and hot water, vinegar if I feel certain spots need more cleaning, and a steam cleaner for the really hard to clean spots. With a budgie cage, if you have a spare cage you could put the birds in, it's rather simple to take the cage (toys and dishes out) into the shower and spray it down, or take the cage outside and hose it down, then clean with hot soapy water/vinegar.

 

[DerSchniffles]

I find that parsley cleaner works pretty well. The wife and I have been using it for the house now that there is a fid living here . Its by Earth Friendly Products and its called Parsley Plus. It works suprisingly well considering its all natural. But other than that, just a vinegar and water mix but I REALLY hate the smell of vinegar.

 

[SandyBee]

I use Lemon, you know the real lemon stuff in the bottle.
Works like vinegar and smells better, its natural and the smell doesn't bother the birds. I use it very diluted and it works really well.

I use it quite diluted, I find it easier when I wipe perches every 2 days so muck doesn't build up.

 

[lpolliard]

A light coat of Pam spray on grease on the grate after cleaning helps out with future cleanups. Poops aren't as stubborn to remove.

 

[Birdlover11]

Thanks for everybody posting. The litter I use is " Petco organic Bird litter " I tried to use news paper but since I don't have a slide out tray the on,y way out is the small entrance door which makes it really hard to change, and my budgies are scared of everything so when I pull out the news paper they start flying around and hitting perches which makes me worried. The litter which I can take out in small pieces makes it less scary to the budgies. I will try to use the lemon juice thing and bring the age outside to hose it down. Also do you have to wash off these on juice and has anybody use birdy cleaning product brands like poop off ? Also do all the cleaning ways all of you suggested need to be washed off ?

 

[Wulfgeist]

To clean the cages I use Pet Focus which I got from MySafeBirdStore. It comes in a spray bottle (and you can get a non-diluted bottle for future refills) It's a little pricy but it does a great job. I think it's also a fungicide. I also use newspaper in both my cages, it's cheaper if you get or know someone who gets a paper and will save them for you.

I understand you have a situation with money and cages are expensive. If you don't have a pull out drawer, does the top pop off the base of the cage? If so you might be able to gently pop it off and move it over a paper while you tend to the base. Otherwise I would suggest trying to find some way to save up for a better cage. If your birds gets stressed with you doing anything in there then you are smart by limiting what you do in their cage. Can you provide pictures of your cage?

 

[Birdlover11]

Oh no, all the sides are in pieces so when i first got it i needed a screwdriver to put everything together. Ill try to get pictures

 

[WharfRat]

ummmm trade ya cage cleaning duties!!! :09:

 

[Birdlover11]

ummmm trade ya cage cleaning duties!!! :09:

No way, I do not want to know what a macaw can do to a cage in a week ! Parakeets poop are like little dots,I can just imagine the size of a macaws ! How many birds do you have ? Must be vacation If you had to clean P and S cage

 

[Birdlover11]

Pepsi and sprites cage, it's small but they are out most of the day

 

[WharfRat]

No way, I do not want to know what a macaw can do to a cage in a week

ROFLMAO!!!

a week?!?!?!? try just one day!! :11:

We clean ours twice a week and sometimes that's stretching it. :54:

We have 2 Green Wings Macaws, 2 Yellow Nape Zon's and a tiny lil Hahn's Macaw that pound for pound is probably the messiest.

 

[Birdlover11]

I didn't know if to start a new thread , but I found somthing weird on my budgies perch,

 

[WharfRat]

that branch doesn't look dried out or aged at all...did you clean it and let it dry out before using it?

 

[Birdlover11]

What do you mean ? I got the perch from the pet store . I Think they regurgitated on it , it looks like baby mush . Could a bird regurgitate and miss ?

 

[WharfRat]

my apologies, looks like a fresh cut branch from a tree, not store bought