Best way to clean Cholla

[janicedyh]

Dobey loves his cholla perch but I am thinking of throwing it away if I can't get the thing clean. I took it out yesterday, presoaked it, cleaned with poop off, vinegar and water and then F10. It still looks yucky. He is missing it tonight but I can't get over feeling its not clean enough. He came to me with it and I think it helps him feel secure. So, guys, help me get over this fixation of how the thing looks or tell me how to clean the thing. It is similar to this but is a huge fork. It is part of his night time routine to sit there for a while, clean his beak and settle in before he climbs to the top perch. Edit: PLEASE Admin fairy ...change that to "way"

 

[finchly]

Hi Janice, hate to say it but I toss and replace.

 

[Laylatoo]

I'd try a handheld steamer. I use mine for cleaning the cages, stand and perches. Works great!

 

[Jaguar]

Bottle brush?

 

[janicedyh]

He has bottle brush but loves his cholla. I do have a steamer, will try it before tossing.

Hi Janice, hate to say it but I toss and replace.

Do you know a good place online to get them. It needs to be fairly large

 

[DQTimnehs]

He has bottle brush but loves his cholla.

I think @Jaguar meant to try using a bottle brush to clean the perch.

 

[Mizzely]

I'd probably soak 50/50 vinegar and water for a few minutes and then scrub with a new toothbrush

 

[Newbie GCC]

I keep scrub brushes. The little brush that came with my Keurig is great for small areas. Bristles are stiff enough to clean the pits and cracks and it can be thrown in the dishwasher to clean/sterilize it. Let the branch soak a bit in f10 or 50/50 vinegar solution to soften things up.
If the mess is inside the hollow middle, I think a bottle brush is a great idea.

 

[janicedyh]

I think @Jaguar meant to try using a bottle brush to clean the perch.

Thanks ....my brain was on types of perches : )
I tried soaking and scrubbing with a toothbrush but it still looks nasty to me. Probably just stained from the berries he eats

 

[janicedyh]

Where is the best place online to buy them?

 

[allie136]

Can they get sick from a dirty perch? I have one that I can never clean every bit off too

 

[janicedyh]

Yes, they can get sick from a dirty perch. I use poopoff, vinegar and water and scrub with F10 to make sure they are sanitized. The cholla perches present issues because of the little nooks and holes in them. I have done about everything possible to clean them and my issue now is just trying to look past the stains which are no harm to him...I'm just OCD about things like that

 

[Distaff]

I would put it in a hot oven.

 

[Lady Jane]

My little birds would get a toe caught in the holes. By the way try t the dishwasher if you have one.

 

[finchly]

Where is the best place online to buy them?

Amazon?

I don't use the dishwasher for bird items, since there are some illnesses that we can catch from them.

 

[janicedyh]

I checked Amazon and only saw small ones.

 

[Mizzely]

I would check ebay. There is an oddly good market for wood on their for perches, aquariums, etc. One drawback is you might not find one with hardward, so you'd have to add that yourself (maybe just using the hardware on your current perch for that).