How to make your own disinfectant?

[goldenbrown]

Hello everyone! I'm getting a GCC in a few weeks and I want to start it off in my old cockatiel cage until I have the money to get a really nice cage for it. I want to make sure that no bacteria or anything are left in the cage so my new GCC doesn't get sick. What are some effective recipies for homemade disinfectant/cleaner? I'd like to use it on the food dishes, too. Also, if I bake the wood perches in the oven will that disinfect them?

[r2rusmc]

How about scrubbing the cage really well with liquid soap of your choosing then spraying the cage with a bleach solution, let it soak for 15 minutes then rinse really really well. Then put out in the bright sun for the day to sun sanitize.

You can bleach and sun sanitize the perches and feed dishes as well.

That's just to get you started before the cage is reoccupied and in my opinion the best bet.

As for homemade disinfectant/cleaners (I'm thinking chemical free) the only one I'd recommend is steam.

Using a vinegar solution will help clean. Some folks swear by GSE (I'm not one of them). Hot soapy water using dish soap.

I pressure wash when I can, yes I use soap and bleach, then sun sanitize. When I can't get cages outside or there isn't enough sun I use steam.

[Peanutbutter]

For most things I firmly believe that washing the germs away is a better solution than killing the germs.... but I do clean my cage this way:
Tau Topics - Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide as Disinfectants
1 spray bottle of Vinegar
1 spray bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide
Spray either one, Spray the other on top, wait for poop to soak it up, wipe, rinse off.
(read the link)

[chapala]

If you use hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle, it must be opaque, protecting from light. Light will degrade hydrogen peroxide, so it can't be stored in a clear or semi-transparent bottle.

[goldenbrown]

I've heard the bleach solution is a good one to use, but what proportion of bleach to water should I use?

[maggy]

I use hot soapy water for a general clean, boiling water for the once a week special clean, vinegar on the cage and perches and bleach on second hand kids toys (the toys ...not the kids). Most times if somethings clean there is very little bug risk.

[Parrotz007]

I use apple cider vinegar.
It's safe to use on cages, branches/perches, dishes etc.

[chapala]

A disinfecting bleach solution (never used around the birds) is one part bleach to 9 parts water (10% solution). If you do use bleach, let sit about 10 minutes, then rinse very well, and rinse again.

Vinegar (no need to use apple cider vinegar, white vinegar is cheaper and works just as well for cleaning) would not be strong enough to clean a used cage that might carry disease, but is great for daily cleaning. I mix it in a spray bottle, half white vinegar, half water.

[asulli]

Like PeanutButter I use the Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar solution. I also put out in the sun after cleaning with the above.

[EmilyGrace]

I don't have a bird, but when I had rabbits, I used vinegar. Sometimes their litter boxes would get really gross and have a orange-yellow build up on the bottom. I would dump white vinegar in the litter box, let it sit for about 15 minutes and then scrub. It worked much better than bleach. They would come completely clean and look like new (besides the nibbles on the sides that is).