Question about Cleaning Perches

[katie_fleming]

I feel weird asking this after having Jasper for such a long time, but I have questions about cleaning perches.

He has one tooty fruity perch that gets really dirty each week. It's hard to clean. I use a scrub brush with water and that's it.

He has two perches that help keep his nails filed:
Safety Pumice Perch

and one similar to this one
Beach Sands Perch

Again, scrub brush with water.

The wooden perches I soak in the bathtub in warm water and then scrub them off. Same for his boing.

I am mostly concerned about the tooty fruity perch. I scrub it as best as I can, but since it's an edible perch (not sure how much he eats to be honest, never see him) it could be harboring bacteria.

What should I be cleaning (if any) his perches with? I plan to throw out the tooty fruity perch as soon as I can get a replacement of a different kind of perch. Unfortunately the pet store I order from has been out for months and there aren't any pet stores in the area that are easy to get to.

Appreciate your help

 

[Birdman666]

Two words: Steam cleaner.

Just zap it and wipe with a cleaning cloth.

Finished.

Steam cleaners are worth their weight in gold in a bird household.

 

[Minimaker]

Two words: Steam cleaner.

Just zap it and wipe with a cleaning cloth.

Finished.

Steam cleaners are worth their weight in gold in a bird household.

What particular steamers does everyone have? I've been thinking I'll have to get one too.

 

[Birdman666]

Two words: Steam cleaner.

Just zap it and wipe with a cleaning cloth.

Finished.

Steam cleaners are worth their weight in gold in a bird household.

What particular steamers does everyone have? I've been thinking I'll have to get one too.

Don't just take my word for it:

http://www.parrotforums.com/cages/58011-steamer.html

I've used both of these, and they work great. (Yeah. Like vacuum cleaners, I tend to use them so much they wear out.) I HIGHLY recommend them.

http://www.target.com/p/mcculloch-heavy-duty-steam-cleaner-mc1275/-/A-10334314?
ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=10334314&ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Appliances%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Appliances_Top+Performers&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9028053&gclid=COry1MLRn8kCFYQ6aQodwp0DOw&gclsrc=aw.ds

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ewbank-5...ct_205104827&gclid=CNWBy93Rn8kCFQ8uaQodBIUBSQ

 

[Dopey]

How much water gets on the floor?

 

[Birdman666]

How much water gets on the floor?

I just use a cleaning towel on the floor after I'm done. Not as much as mopping the floor gets water on the floor.

For wood floors, if you're concerned about finish, just lay a towel down around the area where you're steaming.

 

[Dopey]

Cool - I think I'm going shopping. Home Depot or Target here I come.

 

[katie_fleming]

And you can use those on perches as well? Is there any need for water/vinegar to clean as well? Or do you literally just steam clean the entire cage wiping off as you go? I've never heard of this before.

Currently it takes me an hour to clean Jasper's cage. Spray with water/vinegar and scrub it all down (bottom grate is obv the worst, but I spray poop off on it first now and that helps a lot). I don't take out his perches or toys while I'm doing this, I clean around them. (wooden perches/boing are the only ones that come out)

 

[Birdman666]

That's the advantage to using a steam cleaner. The temperature of the water is hot enough to kill the bugs. You just zap it and wipe.

It quite literally liquifies dried on poop in seconds. Zap. Wipe. Done. No scrubbing required. No chemicals required. No potentially harmful scents, or toxins.

It's just water. (So no expense either. If you're using poop off, a couple of months worth of poop off, and this thing has paid for itself.)

I would be willing to bet that the task it takes you an hour to do now, will be done in 15 minutes or less with a steamer, AND the cage will be cleaner, and smell better.

PERCHES CAN BE CLEANED IN PLACE.

 

[katie_fleming]

How did I not know about these before LOL. Thank you for the info! Much appreciated.

How hot is the steam that comes out of the one you have? I did a quick search on Wal-Mart and found this one. What do you think? I know nothing about steam cleaners.

Upright Fabric Steamer with Microban® at Walmart.ca

But it says the temperature is about 85-95 C. I'm going to talk to my dad (microbiologist) and see what he thinks. Maybe there are other units that are hotter, or maybe this IS fine.

I don't have $200 to spend on one, so if I can grab one from Walmart it will be better for my wallet.

 

[DexMom]

With the fabric steamer you're not going to get much pressure, just a mist of steam. If you get something more like this: Steamfast Everyday Handheld Steam Cleaner, SF-210 - Walmart.com the stream of steam will have some more oomph behind it to blast off the mess.

I tend to take the perches and grate out of the cage and blast them in the sink, then put a large towel down under the cage while I go in and blast the bars and nooks and crannies, then put it all back together again. The whole process takes me 30ish minutes with the steamer - and used to take me at least twice that amount of time without it.

 

[katie_fleming]

Thanks for the info. I could take out the bottom grate and clean it in the bathtub.

Since I'm in a small apartment (with carpet) I can't really be blasting water on the rest of the cage if the pressure is that high because it'll just make a mess everywhere. And I can't take apart his cage because I needed help putting it together in the first place lol it was not an easy cage to assemble.

Hmm......

 

[lizard]

Thanks for the info. I could take out the bottom grate and clean it in the bathtub.

Since I'm in a small apartment (with carpet) I can't really be blasting water on the rest of the cage if the pressure is that high because it'll just make a mess everywhere. And I can't take apart his cage because I needed help putting it together in the first place lol it was not an easy cage to assemble.

Hmm......

I have a nice McCullough steamer and I don't think there's as much pressure behind it as you're imagining. It's definitely not a pressure washer, hehe. The steam moves over the object melting off the yucky stuff and leaving a wet surface.

 

[katie_fleming]

Sounds good. I think I'll go with the one I found at Walmart. Even if I have to spend some more time on the bottom grate that's ok, but being able to use it on perches will make me feel better.

Thanks for all the info

 

[Birdman666]

The problem with the handheld models, (and that was the first one I bought) is that:

Steamfast Everyday Handheld Steam Cleaner, SF-210 - Walmart.com

(1) you are holding the tank of water, so it does get heavy after awhile, and

(2) it's a much smaller tank than the floor models, so you're refilling it several times in the process of cleaning, as opposed to just filling a floor model once.

The floor models are much better and aren't that much more expensive. I can do the entire bird room on ONE TANK with the floor model. As opposed to three to six tanks on a handheld.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Steamfast...fault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

 

[Birdman666]

How did I not know about these before LOL. Thank you for the info! Much appreciated.

How hot is the steam that comes out of the one you have? I did a quick search on Wal-Mart and found this one. What do you think? I know nothing about steam cleaners.

Upright Fabric Steamer with Microban® at Walmart.ca

But it says the temperature is about 85-95 C. I'm going to talk to my dad (microbiologist) and see what he thinks. Maybe there are other units that are hotter, or maybe this IS fine.

I don't have $200 to spend on one, so if I can grab one from Walmart it will be better for my wallet.

That's not the right kind of steamer. That's more for getting wrinkles out of clothes.

 

[katie_fleming]

That's not the right kind of steamer. That's more for getting wrinkles out of clothes.

Oh ok :/ The one you sent me isn't available on the Canadian Walmart's site

 

[Birdman666]

That's not the right kind of steamer. That's more for getting wrinkles out of clothes.

Oh ok :/ The one you sent me isn't available on the Canadian Walmart's site

Home depot and Lowes carries them.
Target has them.
Walmart by us has them.

 

[Birdman666]

Home depot has one of the ones I've got on sale for $70.00!!!
Ewbank 50 fl. oz. Steam Dynamo Cleaner-SC1000 - The Home Depot

THAT IS A GREAT FRIGGIN' DEAL!!

 

[katie_fleming]

Damn, I don't see it on the Canadian Home Depot site either :/ LOL

Another thing I don't have a car so need to find somewhere that ships. Maybe when I get home at Christmas I can try and find something there!