Bird Safe Household Cleaners?

[rosembers]

Hi! I'm looking for input regarding household cleaners that are bird-safe. I know the traditional cleaners you'd find in the store are toxic, and have researched natural cleaners which has directed me to using vinegar. There's so much about vinegar (white vinegar, cider vinegar, etc.) plus I've read that if vinegar gets heated it can release harmful toxins that can be fatal to birds. HELP! I don't know what to use safely. Does anyone have any advice or experience? If so, please be SPECIFIC to what you use and how you use it. And I'm talking toilets, sinks, floors, whatever! THANK YOU!

Also, any advice on carpet cleaning with parrots? We purchased a Rug Doctor Pet Cleaner before we got our Green Cheek Conure, but now that we have her I don't feel comfortable using it...Thanks!

 

[Mimsy01]

I mostly use plain old white vinegar for cleaning. I use apple cider once in awhile to spray onto animal bowls and such after they are cleaned and don't rinse. For things like wooden cutting boards and other things that hold a lot of bacteria I spray with vinegar and then spray with a diluted peroxide mix and then rinse. That kills like 99% of all germs. and is safe even if you were to accidentally ingest some. I do that to seeds I am going to sprout as well.

Things like bathrooms, cages and such I will once in a blue moon use a light bleach solution away from the birds and then rinse thoroughly.

sometimes I use natures miracle when I just want something with a smell I kinda like to clean carpets, furniture and cages.

Lots of folks here use steamers as well, which I haven't gotten yet, but it's on my list.

 

[Aquila]

I use white vinegar for most things, besides Poop Off, diluted bleach soak for any new toys or toys that have gotten pooped on, or anything else "new" before it goes in the cage. Rinsed thoroughly afterwards, and this might sound odd, but I also have a dechlorinator for my fish tank that I've used on any soft toys like ropes after bleaching to neutralize any chlorine that might have been absorbed. Everything gets dried thoroughly.

You can put vinegar in most carpet cleaners, I know I do with my spotbot, but I've also used a tiny bit of laundry detergent in it as well (dreft) but there are plenty of all natural laundry detergents as well.

And a steamer is on my shopping list for sure!

 

[Doublete]

I have two spray bottles for cleaning. Mango pet focus and a vinegar dilution. I use concentrated pet focus in my mop bucket too.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

To be honest, I still use all my household cleansers. I just don't clean with them while my birds around. If I have to clean the oven or use some other type of harmful cleaner, I wait til they are in bed (they both sleep in the other room at the other end of the apartment).

But, aside from vinegar and baking soda you can also use Dawn. It is what they use to clean birds caught in oil spills and it is also what my vet has suggested I wash the birds cages with.

The vet also told me I can use bleach (1/10) diluted with water for disinfectant purposes followed by a THOROUGH wash and rinse with Dawn.

 

[rosembers]

Great ideas - thank you everyone! Once in a blue moon I still use bleach lightly in the bathroom and I put the birds in the opposite end of the house and keep the bathroom door closed and window open, fan on, and put a towel at the door crack until it's completely aired out. I'll start using white vinegar more too!

 

[seshat97]

To be honest, I still use all my household cleansers. I just don't clean with them while my birds around. If I have to clean the oven or use some other type of harmful cleaner, I wait til they are in bed (they both sleep in the other room at the other end of the apartment).

But, aside from vinegar and baking soda you can also use Dawn. It is what they use to clean birds caught in oil spills and it is also what my vet has suggested I wash the birds cages with.

The vet also told me I can use bleach (1/10) diluted with water for disinfectant purposes followed by a THOROUGH wash and rinse with Dawn.

Hello...browsing through the forum and I came upon your response. I lost my green cheeked conure a week ago when I used the self cleaning function of my oven. It wasn't even that dirty and I did not detect any fumes or smoke during the cycle. My avian vet did a necropsy on my bird and confirmed it was the oven that killed her. I had used the self cleaning function of the oven before and it never had any ill effect on my bird. Not sure what happened this time but just some friendly advice learn from my mistake.

 

[Sandy19]

To be honest, I still use all my household cleansers. I just don't clean with them while my birds around. If I have to clean the oven or use some other type of harmful cleaner, I wait til they are in bed (they both sleep in the other room at the other end of the apartment).

But, aside from vinegar and baking soda you can also use Dawn. It is what they use to clean birds caught in oil spills and it is also what my vet has suggested I wash the birds cages with.

The vet also told me I can use bleach (1/10) diluted with water for disinfectant purposes followed by a THOROUGH wash and rinse with Dawn.

Yeah I use all the same cleaners I've always used too. I just put the bird on the porch or in another room when I clean. I've never really used harsh cleaners anyway because I'm concerned about my family's health too, but occasionally the shower calls for a little bleach.

I also clean her toys and cage with hot soapy Dawn water and then rinse and dry. I clean it daily so it's not that bad where I feel the need to soak everything in bleach. I think that's overkill.

 

[BoomBoom]

Hello...browsing through the forum and I came upon your response. I lost my green cheeked conure a week ago when I used the self cleaning function of my oven. It wasn't even that dirty and I did not detect any fumes or smoke during the cycle. My avian vet did a necropsy on my bird and confirmed it was the oven that killed her. I had used the self cleaning function of the oven before and it never had any ill effect on my bird. Not sure what happened this time but just some friendly advice learn from my mistake.

I'm sorry to hear this happened

Some ovens have teflon coating. When heated to high temperatures, they emit toxic fumes invisible to the naked eye. They are toxic to both birds AND humans, but because a bird's respiratory system is very delicate, they succumb to it faster and with grave consequences.

Non stick pans and similar implements also have teflon coating. I threw out all of mine and now use stainless steel only. Washing is not that hard. I just soak it a few minutes in warm water and dawn before scrubbing (I hand-wash).

 

[BoomBoom]

On the original post, I'll copy from a post I made on another thread just a few minutes ago. I use a solution of water + vinegar + a tbsp dawn soap for cages, perches, toys, kitchen top and sink. For the past 5 years, I clean the cages and perches everyday with this solution, no adverse side effetcs.

I use a bleach-based commercial cleaner (lysol) for the bathroom, kitchen floor making sure the birds are in another room and fans are blowing in/out of windows. Make sure to wait several hours before reintroducing the birds. As for wood polish, I don't use any so I can't comment on it's safety. Personally, because it leaves a lingering oily residue with chemicals and a strong smell, I stay away from it. Maybe there are safer alternatives.

 

[plumsmum2005]

PLEASE NOTE: HEATED vinegar emits toxic fumes similar to carbon dioxide. Bird owners have lost their pets by adding vinegar to their dishwashing cycle, or used it to clean coffee machines.

 

[Katu]

PLEASE NOTE: HEATED vinegar emits toxic fumes similar to carbon dioxide. Bird owners have lost their pets by adding vinegar to their dishwashing cycle, or used it to clean coffee machines.

Thank you! We do this once in a while with our dishwasher. I never would have known without your caution. Every day I learn something new here!