# cleaning the water dish



## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

Hey everyone, this is actually my first post on the site so I hope it goes okay. I was wondering how people clean their birds water dishes and if there is a preference of plastic vs metal. Also, I was wondering if having a perch in front of it was needed (I mean like the built in kind of the plastic ones). I know with dog dishes (I work at a pet store) metal is preferable because it is less likely to hold bacteria and is easier to clean, so I figure it is the same with bird dishes. I'm also hesitant to use chemicals for fear of not washing them all off and harming my birds. I typically clean the cages and accesories in scalding water in my shower and scrub droppings and such off with sponges and paper towels, no soap though, just really hot water. I know this probably isn't best but I have been too paranoid to use cleaners. Reccomendations would be awesome! Thank you guys and I really like the site. Just realized this was much more than a water dish question... Come to think of it, my last question is: would it be okay to dishwash metal dishes?


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## Birdie21 (May 24, 2008)

Welcome Llama86, you will learn more then you can imagine on TC. I sure did and am still learning. Are the metal dishes stainless steel? If so the dishwasher would be excellent. From my days of showing dogs, I think that is the ones you are talking about. You still may want to rinse them well even after the dishwasher. I know there are others here that will help out more. I use the plastic dishes that came with my cage and wash them with dish soap and use a Qtip in the corners, then rinse them thoroughly. Everyone likes pictures here, btw. Enjoy your time here. Everyone is great.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

I wash all the dishes normally in hot soapy water like you would your dishes then I wipe them around with a spot of vinegar. To clean the cage I use Bicarbonate of Soda made into a paste with a drop of water, that is a natural cleaning product that kills germs and smells and is sooooooo cheap!! It might be called Baking Soda, Baking Powder or just Bicarb where you come from, I'm not sure.

Oh and welcome to TC, I'm sure you will love it here. Don't worry if you have loads of questions, nobody is born with the knowledge, we all have to learn. So if you need to ask, it's not silly.


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## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

Thank you guys for the answers and the welcome. Nice to know I could just dishwash the stainless steel. Where I am we have both baking soda and baking powder and to be honest I'm not sure which is which, but I'll check their ingrediants the next time I'm in the store.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I find SS dishes easier to keep clean, but i have both because i haven't had the funds to replace all my plastic ones yet.  I either use hot water or mild washing up detergent followed by a good rinse with hot water, i use my fingers to "scrub" while they're under running water, i find i can feel when all the grit is gone that way.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

Baking soda if its Arm and Hammer comes in a Orange Box 

Baking Powder usally comes in a container with a plastic Lid 

i use stainless still dishes, i wash them daily with just hot water, and when then twice a week i fill my sink up with hot soapy water and wash them , rinse them well 

You can also use Apple Cider Vinegar to wash them (along with all bird related items)

if i have a lot of things to wash, dishes/toys/perchs I use Poop off instead of soap 

Poop off is a cleaner made to clean birds things and it gets the poop off better and faster 

or at least it seems to do it for me


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## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

Thank you for the responses. How do you clean with the apple cider vinegar?


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

You just dilute it with water. You can put it in a spray bottle or just onto a cloth. I like to run a dishwasher load with bird stuff only and put in apple cider vinegar instead of soap. It works great and it cleans the dishwasher of hard water deposits too.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

i just pour some in my sink while i'm filling it up with water (just like i would with dish soap) , or if i'm cleaning cages (when i used apple cider vinegar to clean cages i no longer use it for the cages) i have a big plastic mixing bowl I'd pour some in fill it with water grab a dish rag and towel and go scrub cages 

But now I use Poop off for all of that So i only use the Apple Cider Vinegar in their drinking water about 3 times a week


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## Birdie21 (May 24, 2008)

Where do you find "Poop Off"? I've never heard of it before. But then there are a lot of things I never heard of.  I am in Illinois.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

Birdie21 said:


> Where do you find "Poop Off"? I've never heard of it before. But then there are a lot of things I never heard of.  I am in Illinois.


I got mine at my local pet smart 












http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2755095


Then i went to a bird fair in June and bought a big jug of it and just kept my bottle and refill it when its empty


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I wash the bird dishes the same way I wash the human dishes - usually in the dishwasher, but occasionally by hand using hot water and ordinary dish soap.


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## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

I got some poop off wipes and they work great on really dirty perches!


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