Cleaning a cage as large as a cockatoos can be a big pain in the butt. And ensuring that you get it truly spic and span is seemingly impossible. But don't fear! We've created a step by step plan to getting the cleanest cockatoo cage you've ever seen. Follow these steps once a month and you'll have one of the positively cleanest cockatoo cages in the neighborhood (if not the world!).
Photo credit to the UK Cockatoo Sanctuary & Rescue.
Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!
Photo credit to the UK Cockatoo Sanctuary & Rescue.
Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!
Remove Your Feathered Child: Put your cockatoo somewhere safe, where you can easily supervise it while you clean the cage. A play stand is the ideal area. But even a travel cage is appropriate to avoid your cockatoo wandering out of sight while you're cleaning.
Remove Food Dishes: First of all, remove the food and water dishes. Throw away all food and water. And then set them in a bowl of very hot water. This will decontaminate them and help get any grime or hard particles off of them.
Remove All Plastic Objects: Secondly remove all plastic objects (toys, ladders, swings, etc). Place them in a bowl of very warm water (not boiling, but bathtub temperature). This will sanitize them and, just as with the bowls, help get them clean.
Remove All Wooden/Chewable Objects: Now remove anything wooden or chewable. Because these items are porous they cannot be soaked in water. Instead rap them in warm damp wash clothes. This will help loosen up stuck-on particles without absorbing into the objects.
Remove Bottom: Remove the bottom of the cage. Throw away the paper and discard of any of the droppings. Set the bottom back into the cage.
Clean Bars, Bottom, and Top: Now, take a very hot cloth, and scrub down the bars of the cage. Start at the top and work your way down. A brand new kitchen scrubber also works well for getting stuck droppings and food particles off of the sides. Once the bars have been completely cleaned, quickly wipe them down with a paper towel to dry them off.
Clean Dishes: Now return to your food and water dishes. Because they have been soaking, all stuck-on things should be easy to remove. Take a wet cloth and scrub them down. Then dry them off with a paper towel and return them to the cage.
Clean Plastic Objects: Do the same thing with the plastic objects as you did with your dishes. Scrub them free of stuck-on particles and then dry them completely before returning them to the cage.
Wipe Down Wooden/Chewable Objects: First, inspect all of your chewable items. Any that have been well-chewed can be thrown away and replaced with new ones. Take the rest of the items and wipe them free of debris. Make sure to scrub off all droppings. If you need to, you can take some soft sandpaper and file down hard stuck-on particles. The rest should be easily removed with a damp cloth. Wipe your objects dry, and then set them aside for 20 minutes to allow them to fully air out and dry before returning them to the cage.
Redecorate: Now you can redecorate! Add new toys, ladders, and perches to replace ones that you have discarded. Reorganize the cage. And then let your cockatoo check out it's new home!
