Cage cleaning questions...

[parrotntn]

What/how do you folks clean your cage trays/grills? (I think grill is not the right word, but I don't know what to call the thing that slides out that looks like a grill that keeps the bird off of the bottom tray)
disinfectant?? like what? what's NOT to use??
then, do you line it with paper?? or some sort of granulated material? Cecil's owner uses ground up corn cobs that he buys. That's awefully messy to me, but I'm new with this "big bird cage" cleaning deal. I like the newspaper, but I wanna use what's best for the bird, even though he bit my sweet wife.
Thanks!
Mark

[Monica]

Grates.... I prefer not to use them... right now, only one cage has a grate in it, although I'm not too entirely sure why, cause I just cover it with paper...

Normally, I just use some hot water, and a lot of scrubbing and dish soap... maybe even the hose or power washer (would work great if mine didn't break...)... a steam cleaner would work wonders too.... don't have one....

Can be cleaned with dish soap and water.... vinegar and water... GSE (grapefruit seed extract) and water, or even bleach and water... Only once have I thought the need to use vinegar... use GSE occasionally here and there... I don't use bleach at all... normally though just use dish soap and water... for all around cage cleaning...

I myself use paper.... Corn cobb isn't healthy to use... can harbor bacteria if not changed frequently... and if birds aren't kept out of it... can cause crop impaction if they eat it.... top of that, it's easier to moniter poops with paper than some sort of small material....

[jimpierce7]

I use hot water and simple green most the time. The simple green is very diluted. I also use GSE and hot water. About 10 drops to a spray bottle.

[CALVINS MOM]

I prefer Pet Focus. Also, NEVER use corn cob. Aspergillosis waiting to happen. For the bottom, you can use Carefresh Bedding, paper towels or good old fashioned newspaper.

[parrotntn]

Ok, how often? one bird to a cage? I know this sounds stupid, but do you change them every day? or leave a lil poop in there for a day or two.

[habs71]

We use vinegar and water to clean the cage..soak the perches, ladders and toys in boiling hot water.

We line the cage with newspaper ads..Sydney likes looking at the colorful ads for computers or food. On Sundays he gets the comic section.

Because Sydney gets cooked food and fresh veggies everyday, and is a messy eater, we change the paper everyday so it doesn't attract anything or provide a breeding ground for who knows what.

All in all it doesn't take that much time.


Skip

[Doyle'sMommy]

I use vinegar and hot water to clean the whole cage. I can also pull my grates out and clean them in the sink or bath tub. I line everything with newspaper, it is much easier to monitor the poops and it doesn't cover up the mess so I know I won't get lazy and skip a day of cleaning. I clean the cages and change newspaper daily. It takes about an hour to clean all three cages, sometimes less.

[Maui's Mom]

I use pet focus on the grate. the grates are kept in because my macaws like to go to the bottom of the cage and play with their balls and foot toys. if i didnt have the grate, they would be walking in the poop always and I wouldnt want them to eat any nuts or stuff that landed in the poop.
There is sheets of paper that fit the bottom of the kings cages ( thats the only cages I own, so i dont know about the rest ) I dont know the price, but with 5 cages to clean everyday, it wouldnt be economical for me to purchase it. I use newspaper and they get changed twice a day.
The grates, perches and toys get wiped down once a day and if the weather is decent, i take the grates outside and just hose them off after spraying them with Pet Focus. I use the poop off for tuff spots and I use the poop off for the java tree.

[Vega]

I usually just use good 'ol HOT water to spray them down with. Once a month or so I do an all over cage cleaning using HOT water and apple cidar vinager. That's usually when I take the grate to the shower for a good scrubbing too.

I let it go so long between major cleanings because they don't (well didn't--this routine will have to change) get soft foods in their "day" cages. I line the bottom tray with 3-4 layers of newspaper and change it every-other-day.

[FeathersNFur8]

I use Vanodine (V18).

No Bleach! No toxins! No detergent! Inexpensive. Vanodine can be used everywhere in the aviary. Read more here:
http://www.vanodine.com/vanodine_v18...infectant.html