You'd better clean everything (the cage, plants which include fake ones, etc) once in a while. I clean my cages every two weeks. I take them outside and blast them with water. I don't use any chemicals (including soap) just because there may be some residue. For the live plants, I take them out of the cage, water them and wash them. I have 2 scheffleras for each cage, but I use one at a time. Every cleaning I switch the plant that way they get some sunlight for 2 weeks and grow properly. The fake plants and vines, I dip in very hot water to kill off any bacteria, and then just scrub them. Again, no chemicals.