When do you clean your cage(s)?

[Fuzzy]

I clean my cages last thing at night when the birds have finished eating their evening meal. However this is at least a 3 hour job (including bed time routine) and means we get to bed very late. I'm getting increasingly stressed about it. I was wondering when everyone usually cleans out their cage(s). What time do you start? Do you have a life apart from cleaning? Any tips you can give me? Help!

 

[owlsthetic]

I find what works for me is to do small spot cleans multiple times throughout the day.

I use a wet towel to quickly wipe down the cage bars and grates for any dust or dry poop and I usually change the papers twice a day (once afternoon and once before bedtime). When cleaning I also use my hand vaccum for the hard to reach corners of the cages which really helps. I have found that the small spot cleanings maintains everything pretty well. I also don't feed any fresh food in their cages, I only offer fresh out of the cage as I find it really messy and hard to clean (especially since they get in hard to clean corners, etc). It usually takes me 15 min or so for the spot clean, 10 min to clean their trays and change papers and after their cages are clean I then put them in their cages for bed and do a quick vacuum and wipe down of the play area and floors.

I also do a deep clean once a month (during the long weekend of the month since it is a bigger task), where I clean all their perches, grates and trays and move the chase to clean the whole space thoroughly.

 

[Shezbug]

I clean and refresh everything in the morning after the huge yuck morning poop is done.

 

[MiniMacaw]

I like cleaning all the cages/aviaries first thing in the morning so they start the day with fresh everything. I do have to refresh water and food bowls through out the day but the floors and cages are done in the mornings. I wouldn’t have the energy to do it all at night. When I put them to bed I tell them good job doing maximum destruction lol and the messes will wait for me til morning while we all sleep. It’s the only way I’ve been able to happily do the cleaning and not make it such a chore that I’m resentful. The macaws especially are so happy in the mornings that it’s no chore at all to clean up their aviaries while they’re chattering away and eating breakfast. It’s become a happy time for me.

And it wasn’t always that way. I used to be so paranoid about cleaning I’d clean three times a day (especially when Bowser was new and sick or when I first brought Seamus home). That was helping no one. So I put the ocd away as much as I can and just let them be their messy selves whenever they want with a clean slate every morning.

 

[Mizzely]

I do it a little bit at a time and as I can. Example: I'll spray down a cage and let it sit while I work on their breakfast, then scrub down while they are eating. I'll change papers while I'm waiting for the oven to heat up for human dinner. I sweep after the kids are in bed.

And some days, a quick wipe down and paper change is all that happens. I'm only one person, I've got a lot going on, and if the floor is crunchy for a day or two, I'm not going to fret Life's too short.

 

[April]

I'd do a general wipe down through out the day but if it was a day that veggies happened(only on my days off since I'm gone at work far to long to safely leave fresh food out) then after he'd had his fill id give the cage a full on scrub and paper change so there would be no chance of smelling or veggie bits getting stuck to the bars and turning into cement(lol).

If no veggies were involved that day then after he finished his pellet dinner I'd do a general wipe down change the papers and vacuum the entire room so that way there would be no dust and debris there overnight and then he'd wake up in a clean cage ready to start the day.

 

[sunnysmom]

During the week, in the mornings, I just do a quick wipe down. Then either Saturday morning or Sunday morning I do a thorough cleaning.

 

[Clueless]

I do it a little bit at a time and as I can.

I'm only one person, I've got a lot going on, and if the floor is crunchy for a day or two, I'm not going to fret Life's too short.

I wasn't going to respond until I saw this and the response from @sunnysmom

Life happens in my world and I'm one person. Hubby does NOT participate in Secret's world except to sweep floor when wood destruction is happening and annoying him.

I don't make it to cleaning the cage on an every day basis because I work long hours.... but I do make sure food and water and medicine is given daily. Fresh veggies is given during out of the cage time so the only mess in the cage is poo and wood chips. In my humble opinion, it's okay (I use cage liners that keep liquid from soaking through) to not change those liners on a daily basis.

 

[Icey]

It seems that's all I do all day, is clean up after my royal highnesses.
Vacuum usually 2 times
Sweep floor 4 or 5 times
Wipe down Dolly's cage 1 or 2 times (depending on what she eats.)
Frankie's cage just the one time. He's away from hìs cage most of the day.
Deep cleaning cages usually get done on Tuesdays. I try to stick to a schedule.
Cleaning poop....all day lol

 

[Spearmint]

Typically I try to spot clean daily, just the bigger food pieces that haven't fallen through the grid. I clean the paper in the tray of the cage weekly, wipe down food on the bars every 2-3 weeks, and fully rinse the cage with hose, scrubbing, etc, about 2-3 months.

 

[Fuzzy]

Thank you for all the wonderful replies! I am surprised (and happy) to see so many clean in the mornings. Someone recently suggested I do that, but in my rigidity, I didn't know how to make that happen. You've all got me thinking that it is possible. You may laugh, but I am so stuck in my almost obsessive routine. All I know is I'm going to die of lack of sleep if I don't change things. I am hugely appreciative of your help! Hmmmmm, mornings and spot cleaning! I'm going to try to change. (Thank goodness I don't have Macaws! )

 

[SumitaSinh]

I do it a little bit at a time and as I can. Example: I'll spray down a cage and let it sit while I work on their breakfast, then scrub down while they are eating. I'll change papers while I'm waiting for the oven to heat up for human dinner. I sweep after the kids are in bed.

And some days, a quick wipe down and paper change is all that happens. I'm only one person, I've got a lot going on, and if the floor is crunchy for a day or two, I'm not going to fret Life's too short.

Same here....but a deep cleaning is done every Sunday. My hubby is obsessed about cleaning, so every mess on floor is scrubbed immediately ( by him, not me ofcourse)

 

[Mizzely]

Same here....but a deep cleaning is done every Sunday. My hubby is obsessed about cleaning, so every mess on floor is scrubbed immediately ( by him, not me ofcourse)

I wish my husband was a bit obsessed with cleaning

 

[SumitaSinh]

I wish my husband was a bit obsessed with cleaning

Don't... it'll make your life hell

 

[Clueless]

I wish my husband was a bit obsessed with cleaning

I agree with another poster that you don't want that.

In my case? It just proves God has a sense of humor.

 

[Nikomania]

I do a thorough cleaning on weekends and tidy, sweep and wipe up here and there during the week. With 10 cages I simply can't do a thorough job on a daily basis.

 

[SumitaSinh]

I do a thorough cleaning on weekends and tidy, sweep and wipe up here and there during the week. With 10 cages I simply can't do a thorough job on a daily basis.

Ten cages!! Wow! Please show us photo of your flock.

 

[Nikomania]

Ten cages!! Wow! Please show us photo of your flock.

Once upon a time I had 13 cages, so now having 10 is a breeze.

 

[Fuzzy]

Once upon a time I had 13 cages, so now having 10 is a breeze.

OMG!!! And here I am flagging with 4! Yes, would LOVE to see a pic of your flock and cage set up too!

 

[WillowQ]

Dang. I wish that I was this into cleaning. I stack papers in the cage tray so I can just lift off a layer or two of paper and call it done. I scrape the cage grate when needed and soak and bake perches when needed. My guys don’t generally poop their perches so that’s not a problem. Toys and dishes get taken down and cleaned as needed. Food dishes get cleaned with every use. I hate vacuuming and don’t do it enough. My joke is that I’m starting the next generation of the rainforest understory.

But I have a friend who has ocd and obsessive spartanism. She has to give things into the keeping of other people if she wants to know that they’ll not be thrown away (ex: important papers or photos.). when my place is even slightly messy, she cannot come over. It makes her too anxious.

I wish she and I could compromise on our issues and then we’d be normal. I have been having migraines every day and my apartment is a mess. I need to get it cleaned in a week or two and I’m a bit worried about that.