Maintaining a healthy environment

Cleaning your bird's cage is essential to prevent disease. Setting and adhering to a cleaning schedule for your bird's cage is essential. Breaking the process down into simple tasks to be completed daily, weekly, and monthly will help maintain a healthy environment.

Daily Cleaning

Dirty cages can lead to a host of serious health problems in birds. Certain cleaning must be done every day to minimize your pet's risk of infection.

  1. Change the cage liner, and clear the forage area of discarded food and feces.
  2. Clean food and water dishes with a mild dish detergent making sure to rinse and dry them.
  3. Wipe Down Surfaces. Using a damp rag or paper towel, spot clean the surfaces of the cage, including the bars, perches, and any toys. To clean stubborn, stuck on messes, use a bird-safe cage cleaner.

Weekly Cleaning

Decide on a certain day each week to complete weekly cage cleaning duties.

  1. Wash the Cage's tray. This tray should be removed at least once a week washed with hot soapy water. Remember to make sure that the tray is dry before putting the liners back in and replacing it.
  2. Remove and Scrub the Grate. The grate should be scrubbed weekly to remove any dried droppings that may have collected on it. The easiest way to clean a grate is to place it in a bathtub and use a scrub brush to remove the waste. Make sure that it is completely dry before returning it to the cage.
  3. Clean and Change the Perches. Perches should be soaked and scrubbed once a week. Wooden perches take quite a while to dry after they've been cleaned, so it's a good idea to keep a few "back-up" perches on hand. Put these in your bird's cage while the ones that you've cleaned are drying.
  4. Clean and Rotate Toys. Birds use their mouths to explore and play with their toys. Once a week, any toys that are in your pet's cage should be removed, soaked, and scrubbed.

Monthly Cleaning

Once a month, you should do a thorough cleaning of the whole cage. The easiest way to do this is to take them outside to a deck or patio, using a water hose to spray the cage off. Do whatever works best for you, but make sure to follow these important tips:

  1. Use a Good Scrub Brush. Buy a sturdy scrub brush with durable bristles to scrub the bars and base of the cage with. Use a suitable cage cleaner to help break down stuck on material that is hard to get off.
  2. Make Sure to Scrub the Cracks. Bird cages, have many cracks and crevices that provide an ideal place for germs to grow. Use the bristles of the scrub brush to get down into any grooves in the bird cage, and don't forget to scrub the corners where the bars are welded together.
  3. Disinfect. After removing all hardened feces disinfect the cage with a 10:1 disinfectant water solution.
  4. Rinse and sun dry thoroughly. Always remember to rinse every inch of the cage completely, to remove any remnants of cleaners or detergents. .

Maintaining a clean environment for your pet takes only a few minutes a day, but can possibly add years to your bird's life. Cleaning your bird's cage may seem like a lot of work, but you will find that if you stick to this simple schedule, you can complete the job with minimal time and effort.