Birds are naturally clean animals.
They preen themselves (or clean themselves) several times a day to keep dirt, debris, and other particles off of their feathers.
Unfortunately, we can’t say that their cages do the same.
While we all wish that cages were self cleaning – they’re not.
And even though parrots are not dirty animals, they can create a mess.
Whether they be eliminating their waste or eating a messy meal, parrots can leave a mess behind in their cage.
Which brings us to the question, how often should you clean your parrots cage?
There is no real definitive answer to this question. In other words, I can’t say, “you should clean your parrots cage every three days”. Rather, your parrots cage should be cleaned regularly but should be broken down into daily, weekly, and monthly chores.
Today we’ll help to break down what these chores are and discuss some other common questions related to birdcage cleaning.
Questions we will talk about today include:
Why is it important to keep your bird cage clean?
Where do I put my bird while I’m cleaning it’s cage?
Can I use chemicals in my parrots cage?
And so much more!
So let’s not waste another minute!
Why is it important to keep your parrot cage clean?
Before we break down the daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance chores that you should perform on your parrots cage, why don’t we first talk about why it’s so important to keep their cage clean.
The answer to this question is really quite easy and obvious.
A healthy cage means a healthier home and a healthier bird.
Just as it’s not sanitary for us to live amongst our own feces and leftover food scraps, neither is it for our parrots.
When we don’t clean our parrots cages, bacteria can build up which can lead to a variety of health concerns for our parrots.
Not only that, but a dirty parrot cage can be unsanitary for us too, leaving our homes dirty and smelly.
Furthermore, parrots are an extremely clean species of bird.
They don’t like to be dirty which is why they are found preening themselves on a regular basis.
When a bird’s cage is dirty, they will be unhappy in their home. And I’m not sure if you’ve ever met an unhappy parrot before, but it’s not a nice thing.
Unhappy parrots can act out behaviorally, causing extreme noise and disruption in your home.
But by keeping your parrot’s cage clean, you’re contributing to their happiness.
A happy cage is a happy parrot.
How Often Do I Need To Clean My Parrots Cage?
Okay, now that we know why it’s so important to keep our parrots cage clean, how often do we need to do it?
As I mentioned before, you can break down the maintenance of your parrots cage into daily, weekly, and monthly chores.
Let’s take a look:
Daily chores:
Replace the liner of your parrots cage.
This is where your parrots droppings will fall, so you will need to replace them regardless of which type of liner you use.
Wash the dishes.
Any food or water dishes should be washed on a daily basis in hot, soapy water, and then should be dried thoroughly before putting them back into the cage.
As an added tip, you may want to have more than one set of dishes so that you can swap them out as the other is being cleaned.
Wash the accessories.
This includes any bird baths, perches, or toys that may have accumulated any bird droppings.
Clean the surrounding area of the bird cage.
This will help to remove any feathers, debris, or seeds that have dropped onto the floor.
By keeping up on this task daily, you can better maintain a clean environment for both you and your parrot.
Weekly chores:
Clean the tray of the bird cage.
Even though the trays have liners on them, the bottom of the cage can still gather germs and bacteria over the course of a week.
Remove it at least once a week and clean it thoroughly before putting it back in.
Clean the grate.
While not all birdcages have them, many cages have grate at the bottom to catch any droppings that fall through.
To prevent bacteria from growing, remove and scrub this grate.
A scrub brush is the best tool for the job.
Wash and clean perches.
If you haven’t needed to clean your perches on a daily basis, it’s important that they are at least cleaned weekly.
These can accumulate dirt and are a breeding ground for bacteria.
Soak, scrub, and dry them at least once a week.
Monthly chores:
Perform a thorough cleaning of the entire cage.
Remove all of the perches, toys, dishes, grates, and trays and clean down the entire cage using a good scrub brush.
Be sure that you get down deep into the cracks where bacteria can form and don’t forget to scrub the bars.
Once finished, make sure your cage is thoroughly rinsed (to ensure that no cleaner is left on it) and dried to prevent bacteria growth.
Where do I put my Parrot while I am cleaning their cage?
One of the best things about parrots is that you can take them out of their cage and let them wander around.
There’s lots of things that you can do with your parrot while you’re cleaning their cage.
If you have another safe room to put them in, you can let them roam in there while doing the cleaning.
My best advice, however, is to let your bird be a part of the cleaning process.
Bring them into the bathroom (or wherever you are cleaning the cage) with you and let them wander on the floor or sit on your shoulder.
Your parrot loves your company, and you can use the time when you are cleaning their cage as bonding time.
Just be sure that you watch your bird closely so that they don’t get too close to any cleaning agents that could cause them harm.
Can I use chemicals to clean my parrots cage?
No.
Harsh chemical cleaning agents should not be used to clean your parrot’s cage.
Your bird’s respiratory system is extremely delicate and any fumes released from harsh cleaning products can pose a risk to their health.
Remember, there’s a good chance that anything you put into your parrots cage will end up in their mouth.
No, not just their toys and food, but also the bars of their cages, their perch, and anything else within the confines of their home.
As such, you don’t want to risk any leftover chemicals ending up in their mouth.
Even if you do your best to rinse things thoroughly, there’s still a good chance that there will be leftover residue.
So when it comes to cleaning, go natural.
What can you use to clean your parrots cage?
If you can’t use chemicals to clean your parrots cage, then what can you use?
Chemical free dish soaps
If you can find an all-natural dish soap, you can use this to clean your parrots cage.
Just combine it with a little bit of water and use your scrub brush to wipe things down.
If you can’t find an all natural brand, you can use a gentle brand like Dawn as well.
Distilled vinegar and water
Vinegar is the best old fashioned cleaning method in the books.
Just add 1-2 cups of vinegar per gallon of water and you can use this solution to clean anything from perches, to mirrors, to the entire cage.
White distilled vinegar is completely natural and will not pose any risk to your parrot.
Steam
Steam shouldn’t be used as your primary cleaning method, but you can use it to help kill mold and bacteria in places that you can’t reach with a scrub brush. Steaming models can be found on some online bird stores.
Baking soda
Baking soda can be a cheap, effective, and safe cleaning method, and is really good at absorbing oils and lifting stains.
With that being said, it does leave behind a white residue, so lots of rinsing will be needed if you choose to use this method.
In conclusion, it’s important to keep your parrots cage clean in order to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold buildup which can pose health risks to both you and you bird.
To make things easier on you, break down your cage maintenance tasks into daily, weekly, and monthly chores. By doing so you will not only have a healthier bird, but also a happier one.