Quick Answers
You can clean your bird cage with a variety of cleaning solutions, including:
- Vinegar and water solution – helps remove stuck-on debris and disinfect
- Dish soap and water – helps remove grease and mild stains
- Bleach solution (10:1 water to bleach ratio) – disinfects and removes stubborn stains
- Baking soda – absorbs odors and mild stains
The most thorough cleaning method involves taking the cage apart, removing all accessories, washing each piece with a cleaning solution, rinsing thoroughly, drying, and reassembling. Clean the cage at least once a week to control odors and ensure your bird’s health. Avoid using toxic cleaners like ammonia.
Why You Need to Clean Your Bird Cage Regularly
It’s important to clean your bird’s cage regularly for a few key reasons:
Odor Control
Bird droppings, leftover food, and shed feathers can make your bird’s cage smell quite strongly if it is not cleaned frequently. A clean cage will help control odors in your home.
Remove Bacteria and Viruses
Dirty cages allow harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites like mites to thrive. Regular cleaning with a disinfecting solution removes these and keeps your bird healthy.
Prevent Disease
Many bird diseases are caused by bacteria and viruses lingering in droppings or spoiled food residue. By cleaning the cage often, you remove these disease-causing organisms before your bird can come in contact with them.
Reduce Mess
Seed hulls, feather sheaths, dried poop, and other debris tends to collect at the bottom of the cage. Frequent cleaning prevents this mess from building up. It also makes quick daily spot cleanings easier.
Improve Happiness
No pet wants to live in a dirty habitat. Your bird will be happier and more comfortable in a clean space free of strong odors and caked-on grime.
How Often to Clean the Cage
Most experts recommend a thorough cage cleaning at least once a week. However, certain situations may require cleaning more often:
- Multiple birds in one cage – clean 2-3 times a week
- Messy eaters – clean as needed to control buildup
- Active birds that kick debris out of the cage – clean as needed
- Illness – disinfect the cage daily while sick
- Stress bars or breeding birds – feces tend to stick, clean often
Do a quick daily spot clean of droppings and spilled food too. This takes just a few minutes but makes a big difference in controlling odors and mess.
What Cleaning Supplies You Need
Gather these supplies to thoroughly clean your bird’s cage:
- Newspaper or drop cloth
- Garbage bags
- Scrub brush or sponge
- Mild dish soap or vinegar
- Bucket or sink filled with warm water
- Old towels
- Disinfectant (bleach, cage cleaner)
- Baking soda
- Extra non-toxic paper towels or rags
- Cotton swabs for small crevices
- Old toothbrush for scrubbing
- Vacuum
Avoid cleaners containing phenols, ammonia, or other toxic chemicals. The fumes can be very harmful to birds.
Step-By-Step Cage Cleaning Process
Follow these steps for a thorough cage cleaning:
1. Remove Your Bird
Transfer your bird to a safe temporary housing area before cleaning. This prevents them from inhaling fumes or coming into contact with damp surfaces or cleaning products.
Place a favorite toy in with them to reduce stress. Avoid drafty or overly warm areas.
2. Remove All Accessories
Take out food and water bowls, perches, toys, substrate, and any other accessories. Scrape off droppings, debris, or grime.
Soak toys and perches in cleaning solution if visibly dirty. Discard substrate, empty food containers, etc.
3. Protect Your Work Area
Spread newspaper or a drop cloth around the bottom and back of the cage. This catches debris, drips, and splashes during cleaning. Place a garbage bag nearby for easy access.
4. Disassemble the Cage
Take apart the cage pieces for easy, thorough cleaning. Place bolts/fasteners in a dish to keep organized.
Soak really dirty grates or trays in solution first to help loosen stuck debris.
5.Remove Debris
Use a vacuum hose, brush, spatula or spoon to remove droppings, feathers, hulls, and other debris from the cage bottom and surfaces. Bag it immediately so it doesn’t scatter.
6. Wash All Surfaces
Mix dish soap and warm water OR vinegar and water in a bucket. Use this and a scrub brush, sponge, or rag to wash all cage pieces, scrubbing to remove grime.
Rinse everything thoroughly after soaking and scrubbing to remove all soap residue.
7. Disinfect the Cage
Mix 1 part bleach to 10 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray down all cage surfaces and accessories and let sit 5 minutes.
Rinse everything very thoroughly again with plain water to avoid chemical burns.
You can also use commercial cage disinfectants by following label directions.
8. Dry the Cage
Allow the cage and accessories to air dry fully before reassembly. You can also use clean towels to dry surfaces.
Damp surfaces left overnight can grow mold and bacteria. Make sure no moisture remains.
9. Clean Surrounding Areas
Use soap and water to wash cage stands, shelves, walls, or any nearby areas soiled by debris during cleaning.
Vacuum or sweep the floor around the cage’s location to pick up stray bits of food, feathers, etc.
10. Reassemble the Cage
Once fully dry, reassemble the cage pieces using a clean rag or gloves to avoid new fingerprints and smudges.
Replace substrate, dishes, perches, toys, and other accessories in a fresh layout.
11. Return Your Bird
When the cage is fully reassembled, dry, and accessories/substrate replaced, return your bird to their nice clean home!
Monitor for signs of stress after cleaning and allow them to settle back in.
Cleaning Solutions to Use
Here are some safe, effective cleaning solutions to use on bird cages:
Dish Soap
Plain dish soap diluted in warm water helps remove basic dirt, grease, debris, and mild stains from the cage. Use a mild fragrance-free soap.
Rinse very thoroughly after soaking and scrubbing to remove all residue.
Vinegar
A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water helps eliminate odors, dissolve mineral buildup, remove some light stains and disinfect.
It’s safe for most bird-safe cage materials when rinsed thoroughly after use. Avoid metal cages.
Bleach
Bleach diluted to 10 parts water to 1 part bleach disinfects the cage very effectively. It helps remove tough stains and kill bacteria, viruses and mites.
Rinse extremely well and avoid breathing fumes. Never mix with vinegar.
Baking Soda
Baking soda scrubs can be made into a paste to help remove stubborn debris and stains. It also absorbs odors well.
Rinse fully after use and avoid getting soda in your bird’s eyes.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide can disinfect minor cuts or be diluted for cleaning. Avoid using it full strength, as the bubbling can upset birds.
Rinse fully after cleaning. Don’t use with bleach.
Cage Cleaner Sprays
Look for commercial cage cleaning sprays made specifically for bird enclosures. Many contain disinfectants and are safe when instructions are followed.
Avoid scented, strong chemical or ammonia-based cleaners.
What Not to Use When Cleaning Bird Cages
Some common household cleaners are toxic for birds and should never be used on their cages, including:
| Cleaner | Why Avoid It |
|---|---|
| Ammonia | Fumes are very dangerous if inhaled by birds. Can poison them. |
| Abrasive Cleaners | Can scratch cage surfaces, leading to bacteria growth. |
| Acetone | Extremely irritating and toxic to birds if fumes are inhaled. |
| Chlorine Bleach | Fumes are hazardous to birds. Can burn skin, eyes if not rinsed fully. |
| Oven Cleaners | Causes severe skin and eye burns. Toxic if inhaled or ingested. |
| Toilet Cleaners | Often contain bleaches, acids, or disinfectants toxic to birds. |
Tips for Cleaning Different Cage Materials
Use these tips to safely clean common bird cage materials:
Stainless Steel
– Use baking soda or vinegar solutions to remove stains, debris, and odor
– Rinse very well after cleaning stainless steel
– Can soak in diluted bleach solution for disinfection
– Avoid steel wool scourers or abrasives
Powder Coated Metal
– Wash gently with warm, soapy water using a soft cloth
– Rinse fully with clear water
– Wipe dry with microfiber cloth to prevent water spots
– Avoid abrasive scrub brushes
Painted Metal
– Use warm water and mild dish soap solution
– Gently scrub stains with soft sponge or rag
– Rinse fully and wipe dry
– Avoid abrasives or scrubbing too hard
Plastic
– Wash with dish soap and lukewarm water solution
– Use soft brush or sponge on smooth surfaces
– Rinse very thoroughly after cleaning
– Avoid solvents or chemicals that could react
Wood
– Wipe down with damp rag dipped in soapy water
– Use old toothbrush to scrub crevices
– Rinse and dry immediately after cleaning
– Don’t soak, as it can crack, warp wood
Concrete
– Scrub with brush and mild detergent
– Use diluted vinegar to dissolve mineral buildup
– Rinse very thoroughly after cleaning
– Avoid pressure washing or abrasives
Wrought Iron
– Mix baking soda and water into paste
– Gently scrub to remove debris and stains
– Rinse fully and dry right away
– Avoid submerging in water to prevent rust
Tips for Easy Bird Cage Cleaning
Use these tips to make cleaning your bird’s cage faster and easier:
- Take the cage outside or to a well-ventilated area for cleaning.
- Cover shelves, tables, or floors below the cage area to catch drips.
- Let soaking and scrubbing do most of the work, not elbow grease.
- Use cage liner or substrate to catch most droppings between changes.
- Have multiple perches, toys, and dishes to rotate into the clean cage.
- Focus on visible areas first, then do a final overall clean.
- Dry all surfaces fully before reassembly to prevent mold or rust.
- Maintain cleaning tools like brushes just for the cage to save time.
- Clean in the morning when temperatures are cooler.
- Team up with someone and split cleaning tasks to finish faster.
Conclusion
Regularly cleaning your bird’s cage is essential to maintain their health and happiness. Follow these tips on supplies to use, cleaning solutions that work, techniques for various materials, and ways to make the process easier.
Aim to fully clean the cage at least once a week, more often for multiple birds or very messy cages. Daily spot cleaning droppings also helps a lot.
The effort is well worth it for a fresh environment and healthy home for your feathered friend!
