Ten Tips for Easy Bird Room Maintenance
By Anne Watkins
It's a fact of life. If you live with birds, you live with mess. Those cheerful, beautiful feathered beings are slobs! Without constant cleaning, your habitat will become a den of dropped feathers, spilled seeds, crushed pellets, tossed-out cage liner and partially eaten fruits and vegetables. Here are ten tips that can make daily life with companion birds a bit easier.
1. Invest in a hand-vac. If you can afford it, pick up one of those small portable hand-vacuum cleaners. They make quick clean-up a breeze and will save you hours in intensive vacuuming. By allowing you to immediately grab up dry bird messes, not only will the bird room look better, but your whole house will feel cleaner. If you can't afford a hand-vac, a small whisk broom works great, too.
2. Wipe up spills immediately. Birds love to play in their water and will joyfully splash everything within reach. Keep a roll of absorbent paper towels near the bird cage to swipe up water or wet food messes, as well to clean up those constant droppings.
3. Keep a stack of clean newspapers or the cage liner of your choice handy. It's much easier to clean the cage in a hurry when you don't have to scramble around looking for something to use to line the tray. I keep neatly stacked newspapers under one of the cage stands for quick access.
4. Place a clear vinyl runner beneath cages to keep carpets or flooring clean. You can buy clear vinyl material in most department or flooring stores. Vinyl desk mats work great, too. If you want something colorful, vinyl shower curtains come in a variety of pretty patterns. Not only do these materials keep your floor splatter-free, but they also are easy to clean and can be cut to the size you need.
5. Keep a spray bottle of water near the cage. Quickly spritz messes to make cleaning easier. Harder, dried-on messes can be sprayed with a mild solution of vinegar and water. Spray, let sit for a few minutes, then wipe away. Just don't spray the bird with the vinegar/water solution.
6. Mind where you position food cups. By placing food cups lower in the cage, you can minimize the amounts of seeds, pellets or other foods that wind up on the floor. Just be careful not to place the cups where the bird can drop messes into them.
7. Use cage skirts. Many companies make cage skirts. These are usually constructed of fabric or plastic and attach around the lower part of the cage with elastic or Velcro. If your bird likes to chew, make sure it can't reach the skirt.
8. Deep-clean cages in the shower. For more intensive cage cleaning, first remove the bird and all wooden perches, toys, leather or wood items and all traces of cage liner. Then place the cage in the shower and scrub it all over with a brush and bleach water. Turn the shower on full force and let hot water run over the cage until all traces of bleach are gone. Let air dry, replace the accessories, and watch your bird enjoy a nice, clean cage.
9. Don't put cages too close to walls. If you must place the cage extremely close to a wall, cover the wall with clear acrylic sheets or contact paper. If you can't do that, make sure the wall is finished in water-resistant paint. Cleaning up splatters is much easier with a durable, washable wall.
10. Face the fact that birds are messy! There's no way to force a bird to be neat--they are free spirits. As long as you understand that and are willing to do a little simple day-to-day cleaning, you and your bird will have a much happier relationship. And a cleaner home!
