Steam Cleaner Woes

[katie_fleming]

Oh wow! I cannot let Jasper see this!! LOL

He's got his big birdie playgym but I should add more to it.....his looks rather bare compared to that LOL

 

[Birdman666]

Oh wow! I cannot let Jasper see this!! LOL

He's got his big birdie playgym but I should add more to it.....his looks rather bare compared to that LOL

Hate to break it to you, but that's the little one...

Sally's lived out on that thing for about ten years. She rarely even goes back to her cage to eat... once in awhile. (It's connected to her cage by a cargo net these days.)

There's my coffee table in the living room, which, by the way, has expanded since this was taken...





Yeah, that's four large birds on that thing alone, with room to spare...

And then there's the big un:



That one dwarfs the double macaw cage in size. The entire flock plays on it, simultanously, and has room to get out of each others' way.

I think I've had as many as fifteen on the last one of these I made... I had 11 birds plus visitors at the time.

PLUS Maggie's portable, of course...



And the big oak tree in front of the house:



Yeah... playstands I've got...

The only one that wasn't homemade was Maggie's portable.

I've got how to tutorials up for the big un and the coffee table if anyone's interested, though I have dramatically improved the design of the coffee table recently.

 

[katie_fleming]

Oh my gosh LOL can Jasper come for a play date?!

That's insane, your birds are very lucky!

 

[flyingron]

Forutnately my cage is right inside the garage door, so I just push it out there and turn the hose off full strength to blow most of the crud off and then with the steam cleaner and a little nylon scrub brush I attack what's left.

 

[katie_fleming]

Steam cleaner - so frustrated

So I'm 1.5 hours into cleaning Jasper's cage today and I'm taking a break for a minute because I'm so frustrated.

I didn't put any attachments on today, and it's like the stream is still too small. I put the larger attachment on (for steaming clothes I think) and it spread it better.

I've had to refill the machine 3 times so far, and even my old method of scrubbing the entire cage by hand with water/vinegar never left me this sweaty and tired.

Don't know what I'm doing wrong or if this steamer just isn't powerful enough, but I'm frustrated and still have to clean the grate and soak the perches. The bottom grate is way too dirty to spray on a towel (on the carpet) so doing it in the bathtub anyway so have that mess after too.

Tired, grumpy, and having to re-shower Katie



Please help, not sure how it's worse this week lol

 

[OOwl]

Wow, not sure. All I know is I used to have an inexpensive steam cleaner and felt the same exact way when I used it (it was a "shark," I think). It worked and got the cages sparkling clean but I felt and looked like your description. In time, just looking at the thing made me unhappy. Years later, when I replaced it, I got the industrial size one (McCulloch MC1385 model). It holds 64-oz of water and can go continuously for over two hours. The tips never clog and it's given just flawless service. I use it for everything from cleaning my oven to the cages to steam mopping the tile floor. Sorry for your bad experience, though.

 

[greytness]

We purchased a power washer for the outside hose. We drag our cages outside along with all the toys still in place and completely blast everything. Works great, and doesn't take very long. Then we wipe down everything with disinfectant and power spray it again.

Tried using steam cleaners before, but like you, it took waaaay too long. We have 9 cages to plow through, so the power washer made the most sense for us.

 

[2BadBadger]

Yep power washer first then steam.
Power gets poop and bits of then sanitize with the steam washer job done no scrubbing at all.
The steamer does not have enough power to lift tough lumps unless it's a large floor standing one.My father ran a Car Valet business so I washed many things!!
Spend a bit to get good ones of both or a bit more for an all in one but you will never have to scrub anything outdoors again from cages to cars to paving to bikes but not parrots or kids!

 

[plumsmum2005]

Re: Steam cleaner - so frustrated

So I'm 1.5 hours into cleaning Jasper's cage today and I'm taking a break for a minute because I'm so frustrated.

I didn't put any attachments on today, and it's like the stream is still too small. I put the larger attachment on (for steaming clothes I think) and it spread it better.

I've had to refill the machine 3 times so far, and even my old method of scrubbing the entire cage by hand with water/vinegar never left me this sweaty and tired.

Don't know what I'm doing wrong or if this steamer just isn't powerful enough, but I'm frustrated and still have to clean the grate and soak the perches. The bottom grate is way too dirty to spray on a towel (on the carpet) so doing it in the bathtub anyway so have that mess after too.

Tired, grumpy, and having to re-shower Katie



Please help, not sure how it's worse this week lol

Wow you are having a time of it lol Probably been mentioned before BUT do you have anything called Poop Off? (You sound like you could do with a sheet of decorators plastic for the grate). If so spray to soften the Poop and then cloth wipe it off, steam after to sanitize and make sure OK. Will Jasper mind cardboard and paper in the bottom of his cage? Mine will accept it without tearing it all to shreds, he likes to go rooting in it for any lost goodies. Just collect the paper together each morning, take out pots that need to be removed, replace etc and job done. When you deep clean the cage the steamer can be used to clean out those little nooks and crannies that are difficult to reach with a cloth and give you peace of mind that it is tip top clean and hygienic for him. Good luck

 

[Anansi]

I actually ordered the McCullough steamer that Oowl, Mark and someone else recommended, but I haven't tried it yet. (I'll post with a review soon as I do.)

However, I mention the type because, from what I've read in the reviews, the type and power of the steamer makes a big difference. It may be, Katie, that the one you got just doesn't generate the necessary steam and power to just melt the poop off as was described in earlier posts.

But as I said, I'll be able to speak with a whole lot more conviction once I actually try mine. I'll let you know.

 

[katie_fleming]

Thanks for your replies

Yeah, I think this one just isn't powerful enough. It has a good stream, but it's so frustrating to use. I might have to switch back to my old method and maybe just use the steam cleaner in the hard to reach spots

Jasper would definitely chew up cardboard if I put it on top of the grate. Yes, I use Poop Off but the idea was to eliminate having to use it if I purchased a steam cleaner. Unfortunately I can't afford a $200 cleaner (and especially not after spending $70 on this one).

Maybe next weekend I can try my old method + steam cleaner and see what happens.

 

[plumsmum2005]

"Jasper would definitely chew up cardboard if I put it on top of the grate"
Mine did for a while and then got used to it and only rips some of the paper on top to let me know he's hungry. My friend had your problems with cleaning her LPC cage and has changed to cardboard/paper with success on the most part, he goes mining underneath now and again. She has arthritis so was struggling to clean the cage sufficiently. Could you take the steamer back as not fit for purpose?

 

[katie_fleming]

If I clean the grate the old way (poop off + water/vinegar + scrubbing) it's not so bad. But underneath it was where I had neglected to clean for awhile. He also likes to walk on the grate now and then which is why I'm a bit hesitant, he'd be walking in poop more-so :/

I don't know if I can return the steamer since I used it. And because it came from the US having to pay for shipping back wouldn't be worth it. The unit is only worth $25 US but it was the shipping ($25) and exchange rate that boosted it up so high. It would cost the same as my refund price so not worthwhile.

I'll try my old method + spot cleaning I guess for now, maybe some other time I can invest in a better one.

 

[Minimaker]

I got on amazon.com and looked through them and read reviews. The highest rated one in my price range was the Steamfast model: SteamFast Canister Steam Cleaner-SF-275 - The Home Depot
which I purchased through home depot because we have a card there from doing our house remodel. I figured if I was going to get one it might as well do my hardwood floors as well. I got it in a couple days ago and I think I really like it (having only used it once). It takes a minute or two to get big clumps of poop off. Sailor ends up pooping on a lower perch she hardly every uses that's below her atom toy and there was a solid clump of poop there from the two days since I cleaned her enclosure. It took a minute of steaming it but it got the whole thing off without a single scrub. I did the bottom of her enclosure around the base of the pvc pipe perch bases and it cleaned everything that would have been awful to get off. Overall I'm very pleased with it. It's not a hands free cleaner by any means, but it does get a lot off without me having to scrub so much. I use an ice cream bucket and and nylon scrub brush to do the spots it couldn't get through.

Perhaps it's just that you need a more powerful unit? I think several members here went with the bigger floor models and they might have a more powerful steam jet. Maybe you could sell the cleaner on ebay or another selling site and save up for a bigger model? Say you used it one time and it didn't work for the purpose you needed it for and it's basically brand new.

 

[plumsmum2005]

I'll try my old method + spot cleaning I guess for now, maybe some other time I can invest in a better one.

Hi Katie, just a thought!!! Do you have a wallpaper stripper or can you borrow one? They give out heaps of steam - we use it to defrost the freezer - cuts the time in half.

 

[OOwl]

What about selling the steamer locally to someone who needs it for basic house-cleaning? Like on the equivalent of Craig's List. I feel bad that we talked you into how great steam cleaning cages is for us and you had such a different experience. I really think your chosen steamer is making it more difficult for you. I remember the days of using one that was more trouble than help.

 

[katie_fleming]

Hi Katie, just a thought!!! Do you have a wallpaper stripper or can you borrow one? They give out heaps of steam - we use it to defrost the freezer - cuts the time in half.

Unfortunately not, but thanks for the idea

What about selling the steamer locally to someone who needs it for basic house-cleaning? Like on the equivalent of Craig's List. I feel bad that we talked you into how great steam cleaning cages is for us and you had such a different experience. I really think your chosen steamer is making it more difficult for you. I remember the days of using one that was more trouble than help.

Don't feel bad, no one tried this one before so you wouldn't have known I can try to sell it on Craig's List, or maybe put an ad up in the laundry room. But maybe I'll just hang onto it until I can afford a good one, that way I can still spot clean where it's hard to reach. I had $1,000 worth of vet bills the past month and a half when Jasper caught another infection so the bank account needs to recover first lol.