Cage Cleaning - are they for real??

[tre]

I was shopping online for a bird cage and went to a site called Bird Cages - The Best Selection Presented by BirdsComfort.com and it gave advice on cleaning cages. Read on and you'll be just as shocked as me, I'm sure of it

This is what it says:

How to disinfect the bird cage

How to disinfect the bird cage
Before setting the bird into its “ lodging ” you should do something else

Never the less that the bird cage is new, and the perches are ecologically clean, they should be disinfected carefully. I call this operation “carbonation ”, because as a “disinfectant” gas for burning is used, and gas for cigarette lighters can be used but it can be quite expensive.

How to proceed:

Wash both the bird cage and the wooden sticks with soap and hot water.

Leave them dry well especially the sticks because they soak with water and drench.

Prepare the gas and a cloth with which to put the gas over the perches and the bird cage. It is compulsory to put gloves ( surgery or household for washing plates ), otherwise you hands will smell awful.

Slightly damp the cloth, but not to drop gas from it, and carefully rub the bird cage everywhere and the perches. Now the bird cage and the perches are absolutely ready to be completed and to put the bird inside.

The disinfection is very useful for the bird because when it steps on the “ carbonated ” perches, a part of the gas gets soaked into its legs and then when scouring themselves it goes on its feathers.

It is good at least once or twice to clean the perches with gas and to change them. That is why I told you in the beginning to provide yourselves with wooden sticks.

To clean the bird cage with gas is more difficult, because you are supposed to have a spare ” lodging ” for the bird, where to put it temporarily. Nothing prevents you from cleaning the bird cage periodically with a cloth damped with gas without washing it with soap.

[birdsnreps]

omg!! i would never use any type of gas on my cages!! i agree wtih the hot soap and water thing, but NOT the rest!! we sometimes soak the cages in bleach and hot, soapy water, then rinse them thouroughly and let them dry completely before putting the birds back in, or we spray them down with a mixture of water and orange tko, then just wipe all the poo and food off.

[Kiwi1224]

I'm totally shocked by what I read! I do the same as birdsnreps...the strongest cleaner I use is bleach water and then I rinse with very hot water and dry totally. I sure hope people do not use that advise...quite scary!

[Beaks]

here is a copy of the email i sent the admin of that page.(admin@birdscomfort.com)

How to disinfect the bird cage
that is the most moronic thing i have ever read anywhere on the treatment of an enclosure for a bird (or any animal)

Dont you know that gas contains chemicals that can burn flesh and cause cancer not to mention destroying brain cells and causing a terrible death due to the caustic nature of the chemicals and their ability to destroy the tissues of the lungs/airsacs thus making it impossible for the bird to process oxygen?

where in the hell did you get the idea that using gas as a cage disinfectant was a smart thing to do?

I sure hope you dont keep birds because you damn sure dont have a clue.

John

[tre]

There is an option on the website to have an online chat with their customer service, so I talked with them and here are the copies of that conversation.

[Beaks]

gas for burning?

i must be confused because i am thinking that gas for burning is still freaking gas ROTFLMAO

that dude must be a total tard

[april15]

OH my! I hope no one tries this with their birds! Gosh, it seems like common sense that this is very harmful.

[4HAND]

This just goes to show you,YOU CAN"T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THE INTERNET!You have to use your own common sense.
Tena

[birdsnreps]

haha, what an idiot!! i wonder if he really is gonna change his website. it doesnt matter where you are from, and he didnt even explain, like he said he would, what their meaning of "gas" was!!

[terryl]

I think what we have here is a misunderstanding of the word gas,
In Europe including the UK gas is NOT gasoline (Petrol), what they are talking about appears to be lighter fuel which is called gas, and is actually butane.
Although I'm not saying I would use it for cage cleaning.