Keeping the Bird Cage Clean

Simple cleaning of your bird's home every day takes only a few minutes and goes a long way toward keeping your feathered friend healthy and happy. Not only is it unsightly and foul smelling for you, but neglected bird cages can actually be unhealthy for the birds living in it. Cleaning a soiled large bird cage, especially one whose maintenance has been overlooked for too long, can seem like quite a chore. To make cleaning and maintaining your bird cage less daunting, consider setting up a regular schedule that breaks the job into smaller, more manageable tasks. Divide your bird cage cleaning schedule into jobs that should be done every day, weekly, and monthly to guard against germ and bacteria build-up.

1. Before you feed and water your bird each day, you should remove the food and water trays and thoroughly wash and dry them.
2. Take a few moments to wipe down the surfaces of the bird cage, including any perches and bird toys.
3. Last, replace the bird cage liner as the bottom of the bird cage will be full of scattered food and droppings and can develop quite an unpleasant odor and unhealthy habitat if left more than a day or so.

Your weekly bird cage cleaning schedule should include a thorough soap-and-water scrubbing of the birdcage tray, the bottom grate, and all bird cage accessories, including bird toys and bird cage perches.

Once a month, scrub the entire bird cage, taking great care to clean between every bar and in every corner and nook. It is important to make sure the bird cage is completely dry and free of any residue of cleaning solution before you return your bird to his bird cage. Birds are very sensitive and a wet bird cage or one that still has traces of detergent on it can be harmful to your bird.

Maintaining clean bird cages don't have to be a time-consuming chore. A little organization and forethought, and you and your bird will be chirping a happy and healthy tune.