UGH! Treated sisal...

[StormyPica]

Previously, I had this really nice, untreated sisal from ACE Hardware. It had no chemical smell, and was quite rough and "frizzy", which are all good signs of untreated sisal. Anyhoo, I ran out, so I asked my dad to get me some more (forgetting to mention that most sisal is petroleum covered), and he got one that was very smooth (hard, almost) and smelled of gasoline. He got it because it said it was "all natural"... Why can't places just have "untreated sisal" right on the label, instead of claiming all sisals are 100% natural!?

Anyhow, we're getting some untreated sisal today! But my hands smell of gasoline...

 

[LeeC]

@𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆, this is an interesting explanation of the use of "cordage oil" in "natural-rope" production. I care about this, too. I live an ultra-low-toxin life, and I strive to offer the parrots here the same.

Manila Rope Smell

Why does my manila rope have an odor? The production of Manila rope in The Philippines involves the addition of cordage oil to the fibers in preparation for being twisted into rope. This high viscosity mineral oil is very light. However, the lighter the oil, the more the oil smells, yet the...

www.knotandrope.com

Humor me, please, but petroleum is natural, right? It occurs naturally in the earth. It becomes unnatural when refined, simply separating crude oil into constituents means each resulting product is unnatural, derived from a natural source. By that same logic, the white sugar, from sugar cane is unnatural, too. Plenty of "natural" things are toxic to parrots--so, relying on "natural" has limited value. I understand the inclination, as I was raised by a mom who preferred to buy "all natural" food products. But, to be clear for fellow parrot keepers: Buyer beware.

 

[StormyPica]

Humor me, please, but petroleum is natural, right? It occurs naturally in the earth. It becomes unnatural when refined, simply separating crude oil into constituents means each resulting product is unnatural, derived from a natural source. By that same logic, the white sugar, from sugar cane is unnatural, too. Plenty of "natural" things are toxic to parrots--so, relying on "natural" has limited value. I understand the inclination, as I was raised by a mom who preferred to buy "all natural" food products. But, to be clear for fellow parrot keepers: Buyer beware.

100% agree. Onions are natural, right? Doesn't mean they're good for our birds, in fact, they're toxic. Same with petroleum... it's natural, so why can't we eat it? Because it's bad for us, and even worse for our birds!

 

[HeatherG]

I’ve gotten natural sisal twine that smelled like gas or oil when I took the plastic off. I washed a length of it with dawn dish detergent and hang-dried it. Then I rolled it up again.

I use the washed stuff only for my birds. For example that’s what I’ve wrapped Willow’s perching basket handle with. And I have pinecones with it too. Just make the loops too small to put head through.

 

[LeeC]

100% agree. Onions are natural, right? Doesn't mean they're good for our birds, in fact, they're toxic. Same with petroleum... it's natural, so why can't we eat it? Because it's bad for us, and even worse for our birds!

Toxicity can be more about the dose, too, though. This is often the case with pharmaceuticals, but even with nutraceuticals--and "safe" foods. We are approximate 70% water, and we can only go about 3 days without it.

Water Toxicity - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf

 

[LeeC]

I’ve gotten natural sisal twine that smelled like gas or oil when I took the plastic off. I washed a length of it with dawn dish detergent and hang-dried it. Then I rolled it up again.

I use the washed stuff only for my birds. For example that’s what I’ve wrapped Willow’s perching basket handle with. And I have pinecones with it too. Just make the loops too small to put head through.

Washing it with soap should be superior to trying to let the smell "air out". The fibers absorb some oil though, so I doubt we can get rid of all of it.

I bought natural-rope nets for my parrots, washed them, let them air out, then provided them to the parrots.

[Edit] Cotton (rope) can be bad due to the small fiber size, but it's also a really "dirty" crop if not organic. Being softer fibers, it requires no cordage oil, but it has plenty of pesticides, fungicides, etc. that are deep in it from when grown.

[Edit] Hypervitaminosis is a great example of too much of a good thing.

 

[HeatherG]

I hope that the surfactant action of soap removes most of the oil. You can always rinse and repeat. If you “air” something out, oil is going to stay behind.