Messes..or "There's food EVERYWHERE!!!"

1. Your bird CANNOT be "potty trained". Your bird does need time every day out of his cage, but he cannot be trained to poop only in his cage. It's cruel and way out of line for you to even try. Besides, budgies and cockatiels are small birds, and have pretty small poops...and on top of that, they don't stain, so there's nothing to really worry about. Most of the time it'll wash off with just plain water. Your bird will probably show "signs" that he's about ready to go, and if you can pick up on those, you can quickly move him to his cage or over the garbage can, but that's not really "potty training", that's more YOU being trained. :)
   
   
2. Birds are messy. That about sums it up. They'll throw food, tip over water, shred papers, poop on everything(they go every 15-20 minutes on average), and they seem to LOVE making messes. They don't make messes to upset you, it's just part of their natural instinct.
   Invest in a good hand held vacuum cleaner, or at least a carpet sweeper. You'll need it. You can help minimize the mess by using seed skirts around the cages. They're not very attractive to look at, but they help keep the seeds and mess off your floors.
   Having a bird is like having a perpetual 2 year old, and the messes that go along with it. :)
   Bottom line is if you're not willing to clean up the messes your bird WILL make while he's in or out of his cage(and believe me, they're masters of messes), you're not ready to own a bird. Period.
   
   
3. The best cage cleaner I've found costs less than $5 for a big bottle: Apple Cider Vinegar. I mix half vinegar with half warm water in a spray bottle, spray it on the cage parts or perches that need cleaning, let sit for 5 minutes, and any droppings simply wipe off. I rinse with a pure water spray and a wipedown with a towel.
   The best part about this: It disinfects withOUT harsh chemicals, and it is safe to keep the bird in the room while you are cleaning. This doesn't hold true for things like bleach.
   Poop-Off also works well, but it can be expensive, and the smell irritates my eyes and makes me sneeze.