Skip to main content

How to clean a bird cage the right way

A bird who brings music and joy to your life deserves a clean living space. A bird cage needs regular maintenance and a deep clean routine to provide Tweety with a cozy home. Your bird will feel pampered and loved by you while also enjoying better health in a sanitary cage. The key to easy bird cage cleaning is to stick to a schedule. Follow our guidelines to make the task effortless and give you more time to play with your feathered friend.

Daily maintenance

Person cleaning a bird cage with cloth
victoras/Shutterstock.com

Daily cleaning of your bird’s cage helps prevent unwanted infections and keeps your bird’s home in top condition. With everyday maintenance, basic cleaning of your cage is a quick and easy task that takes minutes to complete. Here are the steps to follow:

  • Change the cage liner: Every cage needs a liner to capture your bird’s droppings and the food that falls from their beak. When you change the cage on a daily basis, you help prevent disease and unpleasant odors.
  • Clean the dishes: At the end of the day, your bird may have some leftover food or water on their plates. Tossing these leftovers and washing the dishes every night prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. Before putting the plates back in your pet’s cage, be sure to give them a good rinse and dry.
  • Wipe down accessories: Toys, birdbaths, and any other cage accessories require daily cleaning with a wet rag or paper towel. If your bird is a little messier, you can also wash the accessories with water and soap. Don’t forget to scrub down any droppings that accumulate in your bird’s perch.
  • Clean surrounding area: For your personal comfort and the health of your family, remember to sweep or vacuum the surrounding areas to remove food, feathers, or droppings that fall on the floor.
Recommended Videos

Deep cleaning

Depending on your bird’s habits and their space, your cage may need weekly or monthly deep cleans. Typically, larger birds need to have their cage thoroughly cleaned once a week while smaller breeds can go a month between deep cleans.

These are the supplies you need for this:

  • Cage liners
  • Paper towels or rags
  • Bird-safe disinfectant
  • Scrub brush

Once you have a set schedule for your full bird cage cleaning, be sure to stick to it and follow these steps:

  • Empty out the cage: Place your feathered friend in a safe area and remove everything from their cage.
  • Remove and wash the cage tray: Take out the tray at the bottom of the cage and give it a good scrub. Even though this tray is usually covered by the liner, it still needs a wash to remove any droppings that get past the liner. Remember to dry the tray well before putting it back in the cage.
  • Scrub the cage: Using a sink or garden hose, wash the entire cage thoroughly with water and soap. Pay special attention to cracks and crevices that accumulate debris. Rinse the cage well to remove all soap.
  • Disinfect the cage: Spray down the whole cage with bird-safe disinfectant. For an organic alternative to disinfectant, make your own solution using white vinegar and water or baking soda, lemon juice, and water. Then, let the cage air dry.
  • Clean or change the perch: For a deep clean, soak and scrub your bird’s perch to remove dirt and waste. If it’s looking worn, simply rotate or replace your bird’s perch for a new one.
  • Sanitize and change toys: Wash your bird’s toys on a daily basis. If you have multiple toys, consider rotating them so your bird always has a clean toy and stays entertained.
  • Change the liner: Once the cage is clean and dry, replace the liner before putting the bird and toys back.

Tips and tricks

Here are a few tips to make cage cleaning an easier chore:

  • Place a mat or old sheet on the floor before you start cleaning the cage. This is especially helpful if you have carpet.
  • Keep your bird’s food bowls half full. This helps keep things neat and prevents your bird from becoming a picky eater.
  • Having extra plates, perches, and toys make daily cleaning easier.
  • Consider a steamer for easier removal of stubborn droppings.
Yellow bird on perch in its cage
Image used with permission by copyright holder

With discipline and love, you can offer your sweet bird a clean cage that they’ll love. While it may seem like a lot of work, it’s easy to keep your bird’s home neat as long as you’re consistent about daily maintenance and regular deep cleaning. Once you’ve gotten the hang of bird cage cleaning, you’ll be able to do it quickly and with less effort. This means you’ll have more time to spend with your healthy and happy feathered friend.

Topics
Wondering what sharks are ideal for your home aquarium? These sharks fit right in
The best sharks for you to enjoy at home
Fish tank with aquatic plants

Without a doubt, sharks are the proverbial bad boys of the deep. Their antics have been the focus of major motion pictures, week-long television specials, and classic Rat Pack songs. Although we’re all used to seeing these creatures lurking in big bodies of water, we’ve found a few species that fit your fish tank. Yes, believe it or not, you really can keep sharks at home. First, you'll need to research and educate yourself on how to care for them. You'll also need to make sure you have the proper tank to accommodate them. If you're thinking of adding a shark to your tank, here are the ideal sharks for your home aquarium, as these breeds are small enough to fit.

Can I get a shark for my fish tank?
Yes, but they have stringent requirements and experts often recommend leaving shark caretaking for advanced hobbyists or professional aquariums. However, if you decide you're up to the challenge, you should prep first. A lot. The general rule of thumb says that the tank needs to be more than three times the length and two times the width of the (biggest) adult shark.

Read more
How to clear cloudy aquarium water in a few easy steps and make your fish happy
When your aquarium water is cloudy, you'll have to do some sleuthing to find the cause
Hand cleaning tank with sponge

No matter how talented an aquarist or fish parent you are, you'll probably run into cloudy aquarium water at some point. Maybe your filter breaks unexpectedly or one of your fish has tummy problems, and you wind up with a tank so murky you can't see through it.

If you walk in to feed your fish and stumble on cloudy aquarium water, don't panic. While a good tank cleaning will probably be necessary, it's even more important to discover the underlying problem. We're here to show you how to clear cloudy aquarium water and keep your fish safe from filth.

Read more
Video: Parrots playing basketball is the best thing we’ve ever seen
They also show us the bird version of volleyball
Sun conure parrot tilts its head while standing next to a ball

Basketball season might be over for humans, but while you await the return of your favorite sports in the fall, you can enjoy a little game of birdsball. These extremely clever parrots have developed the best bird trick imaginable, tossing and running a ball back and forth and shooting it through the hoops (they're very good at dunking). If you want to watch a parrot with moves that would surely put your own basketball skills to shame, you should check out a video called Parrot Play NBA.

It starts out with a group of four birds, two green and two yellow who somehow know their teammates and how to play. In fact, Noris Buzdugan commented, "Bro they even have matching teams," which certainly adds to the flavor of the game. There's no need for jerseys when you can determine your teammates just by the color of their feathers. The happy birds run back and forth, put the ball through the hoops, and play tug with their opponent. After the basketball game finishes, they squeeze a quick version of volleyball in, tossing the little ball over a net. While the human viewers seem delighted, it's nothing compared to how happy and proud the birds look (we're still not sure who won though).

Read more