How to Clean Bird Perches
Pet birds spend much of their time standing, walking, and climbing on perches. Since bird perches are almost always made of wood, they can harbor bacteria that a surface cleaning will not eliminate. This is especially true when using natural perches with the bark intact, although these are superior to dowel perches in every other way. Perches should be cleaned thoroughly every week, and disinfected or discarded every month to prevent infections in your bird's feet.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Stiff brush
- Enzymatic cleaner
- Water
- Gloves (latex or synthetic)
- Protective goggles
- Mop bucket
- Chlorine bleach
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1
Spray down the entire perch with an enzymatic cleaner such as Poop-off. Make sure to saturate the entire perch, including the mounting hardware. Wait a few minutes for the solution to loosen droppings and food debris.
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2
Scrub the perch using a stiff brush, while holding it under running water. Continue scrubbing until the perch is completely clean. Take special care to thoroughly scrub any cracks, holes, chewed areas, or other imperfections in the wood.
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3
If you will be disinfecting the perch, continue to Step 4. Otherwise, allow the perch to dry completely (preferably in the sun) before remounting it in the bird's cage.
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4
To disinfect the perch, you will need to make a bleach solution. Wear gloves and eye protection when handling this mixture and be sure to work in a well-ventilated area, ideally outdoors. Mix one part chlorine bleach to nine parts water in a clean mop bucket. Submerge the perch in the solution and leave it in for 10 minutes.
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5
Remove the perch from the solution, and rinse very thoroughly under cold running water. Allow the perch to air dry completely, preferably outdoors in the sunlight, before reinstalling it in the bird's cage.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If available, other disinfectants such as Nolvasan can be used in place of the bleach solution.
Manzanita perches are significantly easier to clean than those made of softer wood.
If you don't want to buy an enzymatic cleaner, you can use dish detergent (for hand-washing dishes) instead. You will need to scrub more but the perches will be just as clean.
Chlorine bleach can cause serious damage to your skin and eyes. Always wear gloves and eye protection when handling it. If the solution contacts your skin, rinse under cold running water and call a Poison Control Center.
