How to clean and disfinfect a cage with the birds IN it?

[Elenacam]

Hi there, I have this concern. The vet found some bird mites in my birds. I have been treating them, but I worry about the eggs that the mites might have laid in the cage. I know I have to clean and disinfect the cages but don't know how to do so, with what, that is. I would like to use some disinfectant, but I fear the fumes or the smell of it could harm the birds. How can I clean a cage while the birds are in it, so that I kill any mite or egg of mite in there?
Thanks for any help!

[Squawksx3]

Would it be possible to take the birds out to disinfect the cages?.

[Magnum]

I take my birds out and put them on their playstands. I remove the slide out trays & grates (play top ones too), and wash them in my laundry room (away from the birds) with antibacterial soap, spray them with bleach water, then rinse them with fresh water. I wipe down the cages with the bleach water, then re-wipe them with fresh water several times to remove the residue.

I clean their cages every week, but I only have two.......so it goes pretty fast. Sometimes I replace the lining more often in their trays.......just depends on how much fresh food gets tossed or accidentally dropped.....;)

Their feeding dishes are washed in the morning, and in the evening. I have extra bowls to rotate them just in case I get in a bind and don't have the time to wash and rinse. Leaving a residue by accident is my biggest worry, so that is why I have back-ups ready.

[Elenacam]

Good tips, thanks! I just don't know where to put my birds while I do that! mine do not have perches or anything (they are budgies) and they are not used yet to be "outside" of the cage... they kind of freak out while out.
Also, how long do I have to wait before putting them into the cage again? the bleach tends to leave a "fume", so to speak, even if dissolved in water, for a while. When does it stop being dangerous for the birds?
Hugs!

[Von L]

Hey all,

I have a question about cleaning too. I have been using unsented baby wipes for quick spot clean-ups. Does anyone else do this? Is it okay? I guess I shouldn't assume that just because they are safe for a baby's bottom, that they are safe for my baby, huh?

Yvonne

[Elenacam]

I wonder the same, I've done that a couple of times!

[dlaura]

I had always hear that you should use one part bleach and 3 parts water to the cleaning solution used to clean their cage. Then rinse well before drying and returning birds to cage. It has worked well for us.

[Magnum]

I had always hear that you should use one part bleach and 3 parts water to the cleaning solution used to clean their cage. Then rinse well before drying and returning birds to cage. It has worked well for us.
That is what I use too. Rinsing well is primarily for the safety of the birds, but also gets the residue off that can slowly eat away at the cage surface.

On the baby wipes: I have not researched it, but I would contact my avian vet to get their opinion.;)