Household Cleaners/Air Fresheners/Teflon

[lilchris_28]

My house is a dead bird waiting to happen. Obviously I'm making the necessary corrections before my bird comes. I am literally addicted to air fresheners, carpet powders, and plug in fresheners. I have rabbits, so I try to keep my apartment from smelling like a barn. What are some bird-safe alternatives that I can use that will still give me my smelly-good fix?

Also, all of my pots and pans are non-stick coated. I went to price stainless steel pots and pans yesterday and found some non stick that said PFOE-free. Is that what I'm trying to avoid?

 

[Jayyj]

As far as cleaners are concerned, this stuff is fantastic: Product. I get through a lot of it but it make short work of the little presents the bird leaves dotted about in her wake. It's a bit too pink to get away with on white fabrics, but otherwise great stuff.

As far as air fresheners are concerned, you could look at air purifiers, bird safe versions of which can be found on the same website that has the cleaner.

I've read up on 'green' and similar supposedly safe non stick cookware and jury seems to be out on how safe it really is. I'd just go stainless: it's not cheap but it's good stuff, safe for the bird and not difficult to clean. That's the route I went down.

 

[lilchris_28]

Do you know if that company ships to the US? What about bathroom/kitchen cleaners and stuff like that?

 

[Jayyj]

I'm sure they would, lovely people as they are, but there should be US companies selling something similar. I don't know first hand but My Safe Bird Store | Discounted Bird Products | BIRD FREE ENVIRONMENT| Free Shipping Available has a good reputation.

I use the product mentioned before in the kitchen, since she's often within range when i clean up after a mesl, and standard bathroom cleaners with her out of harm's way. If they're not in the room when you clean and you give it a little time for any smells to disperse I can't imagine there's any risk. I also use shampoo and soap when she's in the bathroom and out of reach of it but avoid anything with a smell to it.

 

[SilverSage]

As cleaners, I use one product and one product only:Sol-U-Guard, sold by Melaleuca. WARNING: NOT ALL PRODUCTS MADE BY THIS COMPANY ARE BIRD SAFE, AS MANY INCLUDE TEA-TREE OR "MELALEAUCA OIL!

That said, the Sol-U-Guard does not have that oil in it, and is powered by the spice Thyme. I use it on every surface in my house - no other cleaner is allowed! Why? Well I like the peace of mind knowing that if a kid (I dont have my own yet) walks in, grabs my cleaner, and drinks it, he will be fine. Or if my dog chews up the bottle, or if the residue stays on the counter or something, my birds and family will all be fine. Plus, it is VERY powerful, and works great on bird poo!

I forget what you have to look for, I know there are TWO things your pans need to be "free of" and please, dont be fooled by the myth that these pans are only toxic when overheated - they can kill at low temps.

As for air fresheners, look into what spices can be safely heated in a crock pot or scentsy lamp to give off a pleasant aroma. I know some can be safe for birds, and others not, but I can't find my list.

All that said, BRAVO! I wish more bird owners were like you, and fewer thought it was ok to skip these things because the birds life isnt worth as much as their convenience.

 

[strudel]

If you have a smell, a dish of white vinegar or a damp sponge in a dish can help.

I'd go for pot pourri or pomanders if you can't go "cold turkey" on your smellies.

 

[Phlox]

I use Mrs. Meyers Clean Day products, even air fresheners (they aren't aerosol). I looked up all the ingredients and they are all safe.

I make my own carpet sprinkle stuff with baking soda and essential oils (I usually use lavender and peppermint).

I have 2 dogs and 4 cats...so I need something and these work great.

 

[Kiwibird]

I will bite my tongue on my personal opinion on artificial smelly things, but I think if you like stronger scents, you may like "sweet orange" and "rose" essential oils. Both have similar aromas to room fresheners. You can also try sprinkling baking soda on the carpet, letting it sit for a while and vacuuming it up to deodorize the carpet (though it won't leave any smell behind).

I would personally avoid all "non-stick" surfaces. Some of the 'newer' coatings are still SO new there haven't been enough bird owners using them and having a bird die to actually know if they are safe or not. Ceramic and enamel is virtually non-stick and safe around birds. The truth is, stainless is not as "sticky" as everyone wants to claim if you use it correctly. Let the butter or oil heat up until it's "popping", THEN add your food. Never cook anything higher than a medium flame unless you're boiling water because unnecessarily high heat is the primary culprit in making stuff to stick to stainless. Cast iron is also safe, and if you get the basic kind, it's CHEAP (plus it will last forever and is good at conducting heat at even lower settings/flame on your stove). Once properly seasoned, it is virtually non-stick.

 

[lilchris_28]

@Silversage... Is the Sol-U-Guard the white cloudy stuff? My mom used to work for the Melaleuca company. That works great around the outside of your house around windows and doors to keep bugs out, especially lady bugs.

 

[SilverSage]

Hm, I wouldnt call it white or cloudy, but a lot of their products can be used in a lot of ways not on the label. My slo-u-guard comes in a green bottle with a tan label and then I dilute it according the the instructions.

With our recent move and new flock members, along with parrot-sitting an Eckie for the last several weeks, I found that there were a few too many "poo spots" on my nice furniture, and I used Sol-U-Guard on it, including one Eckie poo that had gone unnoticed until dry on my couch, and it must have been his morning poo because it was HUGE! Anyway, it took it right off, no spots!

 

[lilchris_28]

Ok, it was Sol U Mel that I was thinking of. I cleaned pretty much my whole apartment yesterday with vinegar. It smelled like Easter, but this morning the carpet was extremely soft in the areas I used it on. I'll probably break out the carpet cleaner and "shampoo" the carpet with vinegar. I thought it was funny the dogs chose another potty spot after I cleaned their other in vinegar. I also cleaned my tub, Keurig, microwave, stove top, refrigerator, and linoleum with it. Like I said.. Easter haha.

So are Clorox wipes for the kitchen counter safe as long as I rinse them off with water afterwards? What about the Clorox toilet wands since they don't have an odor to them at all? And potpourri is safe as long as he/she doesn't eat it?

PS... My baby was hatched yesterday

 

[strudel]

If you make potpourri yourself and only include things known to be ok, then it should be ok. With any commercial product, you'd need to find out what they've used on it.

 

[lilchris_28]

Can you be more specific? I'm not sure entirely what's "safe" and what isn't. And are you talking about moreso if he/she gets ahold of it, or just the perfumes it puts out (if they're not natural)?

 

[SilverSage]

I am concerned with potpourri, all the ones I have ever smelled were highly chemical, Strudel is there a "recipe" you could share? Also, Lilchris, just so you know beware of sol-u-mel (as opposed to sol-u-guard) because I believe it has melaleuca (tea tree) oil in it which is toxic to birds.

 

[strudel]

I am concerned with potpourri, all the ones I have ever smelled were highly chemical, Strudel is there a "recipe" you could share?

Unfortunately not, I am sensitive to all perfume so I tend to steer clear of "smellies". I'd just suggested it as something to look into. Pot pourri is a very old fashioned thing, it's basically dried plants, rose petals and stuff. Pomanders are just oranges stuck with cloves. People in the "olden days" made their own "perfume" before you could just buy it in shops. I have used pot pourri from an all natural herbal products company and it didn't set me off sneezing. The only real way of knowing exactly what's in it is to get it from some "hippy place" where they wouldn't go near chemicals, or make it yourself.

I"m not saying it's definitely safe, just that it's the only smelly I would look into.

 

[Picklemom]

Under no circumstances should you use Febreze or any products containing Febreze. That nasty stuff is deadly to birds.