How to clean a bird cage
It is very important to keep the cage of our birds clean to prevent the birds from contracting any disease and, at the same time, maintain hygiene at all times. You will need to remove the bird’s droppings daily and wash the waterers, as well as wash the feeders and accessories several times a week. You’ll also be learning about useful materials, disinfectants, and easy ways to clean your bird accessories. In this article we present the steps to follow so that you know how to clean the bird cage.
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Steps to follow:
1. First of all, it should be noted that our birds must have a cage appropriate to their size and species, so that they can move without any problem. We recommend that you consult our article how to choose a cage for birds. Make sure they’re comfortable and happy when you’re in the cleaning mode.
2. To be able to clean it more easily, we recommend that you place a newspaper at the bottom of the cage where excrement, feathers and other dirt fall, so that you can later remove it and replace it. You can use paper towels, crafting paper, and even parchment paper as well.
3. Also, most cages have a tray that can be removed to wash and / or we can directly remove the entire lower part of the cage (which is usually plastic) to clean it thoroughly. You can soak the tray in soapy, hot water, or bird-safe cleaners before trying to scrape the debris off which a lot of people find easier for cleaning.
4. To clean the bars of the cage, you will first need to remove the bird and place it in another cage or a safe place. We recommend not wetting the metal part directly, as it could lose the paint or enamel and rust, so it is better to use a damp cloth. Using bird-friendly cleaners or hot water, vinegar, and mild dish soap solution works really well for cleaning the cage. Rinse completely and fully dry the cage before putting the bird back.
5. The drinkers and feeders can also be removed to clean them and thus prevent dirt from accumulating in them and, therefore, prevent any type of disease in our birds. Scrub with soapy, hot water, disinfect thoroughly, and making sure to fully rinse them off before letting dry. They need to completely dry before filling and using again to prevent diseases and mold.
6. The bird’s toys (swings, mirrors, baths …) should also be cleaned regularly in order to keep them in perfect condition. Remove all debris, scrub all the toys with soapy, hot water, then disinfect thoroughly before letting toys dry completely. Make sure to throw away all damaged toys.
7. When cleaning the cage and accessories, we recommend using soap and water or a dishwashing detergent (Mild Dawn dish soap works well) and, in case something is extra grimy, you can use bleach, which will help disinfect. Be sure to rinse everything well, especially in the case of bleach. Others have used warm water and vinegar at a 50/50 ratio as a disinfectant as well.
8. To access the most difficult places, you can use a small brush (for example, a toothbrush) that you will only need to clean your bird’s cage, thus preventing it from becoming contaminated. They do sell cage cleaning kits that contain a brush, scraper, super small broom and dust pan, and more at pet stores.
9. In pet stores, you can also find specific disinfectants so that your bird’s cage is kept completely clean and free of any type of bacteria. We like this one.
