I am looking for advice on how to clean a budgie cage that hasn't been cleaned in a long long while. The budgie is still in it! It is for a friend and I haven't cleaned out a cage before so need the real basics!

Thanks

Hi Audrey,
I noticed that you hadn't gotten a reply to your question in a while and I think it's always nice to get a reply whether it's helpful or not.
I've never owned a budgie so I don't know what the best products are to clean a cage but to be perfectly frank I would just give the budgie and cage back to your friend when he/she returns with a cloth and say "do your budgie a favour and clean it's cage!!" or being less direct you could just hand over a cloth and say "I was going to clean the cage but I wasn't sure how to"... at least that might put your friend on enough of a guilt trip to sort it out.
Good luck!

I have owned birds and so I do have some pretty good advice! Okay first off the cage should have been cleaned more often than this because birds need a clean environment.

Okay as for the cleaning you will need to disinfect the cage and you can buy a good bird cage cleaner from Petsmart or PetCO, I cannot remember the name of it but it comes with a scrubbing brush and it will work GREAT!! Scrub the cage and clean it well with really hot water, you can also use bleach and dishwashing liquid also (or if you don't have the money for the bird cage cleaner) but you will need to rinse the cage really well. Also clean and disinfect the toys, perches, and food bowls really well. You can clean the cage outside using a hose or you can wash it in the shower, etc but clean it really well and rinse good also.


Hope this helps!!

I agree with brandy,

By far the best disinfectant t use on a cage like that is one called virkon s, or even brinsea disinfectant which can be brought from eBay,

You will need to soak the base of the cage with the disinfectant to loosen any droppings off and to get rid of the urine stains
(the white bits)

I wouldn't use a scourer as it will scratch the cage and bacteria will be able t grow inside the scratches and can make the bird ill,
The bars can be cleaned off by soaking in warm water and a bit of disinfectant and a bath sponge that is soft, apply pressure to the sponge and it will squeeze into the middle of the bars cleaning the inside where you can reach easily,

The corners of the cage can be cleaned with a cotton bud or a soft bristle toothbrush,

However I don't know why your friend let the cage go like this as it doesn't take long when cleaning is maintained regularly,

The bleach if you use it will need to be very diluted so as not to harm the bird and it will need to be well rinsed off...

A weekly wash f the cage will make the job a lot easier than leaving it for months,

You will have t remve the bird from the cage t wash the cage.. so if it bites then put your hand in a sock and catch it that way this will stop grease from your hand damaging the birds feathers and also prevent the bite from bieng to hard ;)

Also recommend a really good bath for the bird either by spray bottle or hang on the door type, if the cage is really this bad then the feet will need cleaning thouroughly as there is a problem that can occur from dirty cage floors called bumblefoot which can damage the birds feet if not treated,

Good luck and I don't think it should be your responsibility to do this, your friend shuld consider if she has the time to look after the bird..

I know this sounds harsh but if it is really that bad then the bird could get respitory (breathing i.e. lung ) damage or infections and it could kill it..

Your friend has a decision to make instead of passing the buck to somebody who can be bothered and cares, they should decide if they care enough to look after the cage and bird or to find a responsible new home

Great advice mrssittingduck.. It is a good idea after cleaning the cage to also bathe the birds because if the cage was that dirty they will need a good bath. You can also buy a spray bath at the pet store if you don't want to give them a direct bath, I use 8 in 1 bird bath spray for my cockatiels and it is a good cleaner and is also good for molt and conditioning for the birds. Very quick and easy!! You can buy a bottle of the 8 in 1 for $4.99 at Petsmart and there is some other brands also. If you want to just bathe them in a sink, use plain water because soap can irritate them but is also drying to the coat and can cause them to itch and scratch.



After the bath, dry them and hold them gently with a clean towel until they are dry so that they don't get too cold. Sometimes I use a blow dryer on my birds, but they do not mind it and I use it on low and hold it about 12 inches away from the birds. If your birds do not like the blow dryer or are not tame it would be best just to gently hold them inside of a towel until they dry. The birds and your friend will feel a lot better once the birds and cage is cleaned!

Also if you can't affrord the disinfectant or the wash for washing the bird there are alternatives,
The substitute for the cleaning of the cage is watered down vineger and the substitute for bird wash is t bath the bird in baby shampoo , this is safe for the bird and won't strip the natural oils :)

Katie