What you use for bird safe house cleaning? + air freshener safe alternatives?

[ReNap]

I'm looking into what new cleaning products to get that are safe to use around the house with a parrot present. Mainly disinfectant and something to clean hardwood floors (my entire house is hard floors). I'm currently using the lemon pinesol for a lot of things Lemon Fresh | Pine-Sol® but I'm assuming that isn't going to be great for them

What safe products do you guys use for general cleaning and disinfecting in the house with your birds around?

I am getting rid of all air fresheners, candles, ect as well, but does anyone know if heating up some lemon juice on the stove or cinnamon in water on the stove is bad for birds as well? Looking for some safe alternative air fresheners if they are possible to find.

Thanks friendos!

 

[d_msparkles]

I don’t have an answer on the air fresheners, but our cleaning is as follows:
General cleaning - 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water (including cage cleaning)
Scrubbing (sinks & oven) - half of a lemon dipped in baking soda. Use like a scrubber & rinse in water!
Drains - I have always used cheap vodka to clean drains—no joke!
Fruits & veggies - 1 part apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water

 

[Lady Jane]

Holistic Approach to Freshening Air In Your Home | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[Hankmacaw]

A product called F10 is by far the best disinfectant on the market for birds and lizards and rat and every pet. Vinegar kills less than 1/2 of the organisms that F10 does. In fact vinegar does very little. F10 is no-caustic and non-toxic and does not need to be rinsed off. Most veterinarians use F10. It is also great to put in your carpet cleaner or hardwood floor cleaner.

You can buy it here; Bird Safe Cleaning| Non-Toxic Disinfectant| F10 - FREE Shipping It's the lowe duper fast shipping.st price I've seen and Gary is super duper fast shipping.

Yes, boiling oranges peel, lemon peel etc on the stove is fine.

 

[ReNap]

@d_msparkles i had never heard of using half a lemon with baking soda on it I’m gonna have to try that for stove and countertops, sounds like it would make everything smell pretty alright too!

@Lady Jane Oh cool there’s a bunch of different recipes even! Thanks

@Hankmacaw F10 is safe to use on the cage itself and cleaning toys if they need it too or is it something hats more for just safe using around the house not in direct contact with the bird? :0

 

[Hankmacaw]

F10 is safe for cage, toys, feed bowls, perches - everything having to do with your bird and many things that have nothing to do with your bird.

I have a friend who bathed her bird in F10 - in fact she bathed in it herself when her kid brought one of those nasties home from school with him. I have nebulized my bird with F10 when she had Aspergillosis. You can spray the bird at the same time you spray the cage, you don't need to rinse. Just use in the recommended dilutions - 5000ml water to 1 ml of F10 or for stronger disinfection 250ml/1ml.

 

[Hankmacaw]

That's 500ml not 5000ml

 

[Aviana]

I have been thinking of getting some F10. What about using essential oils for cleaning supplies? I use cheap vodka with an essential oil to freshen up closets, shoes, cabinets. I also use baking soda with essential oils or cinnamon as carpet deodorizer an hour or so before vacuuming. I do not use them near him, but he is often in an adjoining room. Should I stop?

 

[BrianB]

I've heard that some essential oils are really bad for birds. Some aren't that great for us either.

 

[Shezbug]

The half a lemon dipped in bi carb is the best oven cleaner ever! I have never liked the chemical oven cleaners (even when I did not have a bird) so I have used the half a lemon and bi carb for years in my oven and even the BBQ.......My kids actually did a little comparison test on the glass oven door with the lemon/bi carb and one of the chemical cleaners and the lemon worked better and did not stink the house out.

 

[Birdbabe]

I have a lot of oak cabinets in the kitchen, I use Murphy's oil soap for them, then use a plain mineral oil to hydrate the wood. The whole house is tile. That gets mopped with hot water and a few drops of Dawn. The sinks, toilets, tubs get cleaned with baking soda. The oven and stovetop get a teeny bit of lemon or orange juice with baking soda..all the while this goes on fans, or AC running in the heat and windows doors open in the cold.

 

[Wasabisaurus]

I was looking at this thread again to get some ideas for freshening the basement.

F10, of course!

Bob Vila’s site says to cut and put an onion in the basement after a rain.
It just makes the basement smell like onion. I tried it.

I should have done it when husband was away. He is sensitive to strong smells.

I guess I will use blue Dawn.

 

[Dostc426]

For cleaning rooms in the home I make a scrub paste from baking soda and unscented Castille soap! I'll use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect, but only in the bathroom and the kitchen sink. For my parrots cage I use diluted white vinegar and hot water!

 

[metalstitcher]

I use blue dawn for cleaning and I have Kirkland wipes I use on the counters and floor for cleaning. When it comes to the cage cleaning I use Avi-Clean which is a spray and it works very well.

I use a room spray made by Caldrea and only in my bedroom. The rest of the time we have windows and the screen door open if it's nice enough outside.

 

[tka]

I use F10. You can buy little bottles of concentrate which you can then make into a solution in a spray bottle.

I would not use essential oils in the same house as a bird, much like teflon and cigarette smoke. Their respiratory systems are so effective and sensitive that what we think is a nice smell could be damaging to them.

 

[webchirp]

A product called F10 is by far the best disinfectant on the market for birds and lizards and rat and every pet. Vinegar kills less than 1/2 of the organisms that F10 does. In fact vinegar does very little. F10 is no-caustic and non-toxic and does not need to be rinsed off. Most veterinarians use F10. It is also great to put in your carpet cleaner or hardwood floor cleaner.

You can buy it here; Bird Safe Cleaning| Non-Toxic Disinfectant| F10 - FREE Shipping It's the lowe duper fast shipping.st price I've seen and Gary is super duper fast shipping.

Yes, boiling oranges peel, lemon peel etc on the stove is fine.

I LOVE f10. I also put it in my floor mate and clean all the floors. Other people have used and swear by Theives oil mix. But I don't really care for the smell. I hate the smell of vinegar but if you mix it with dawn, the smell is really cut down.