Apartment living

[Kackington]

Hi, I made my first post on this forum the other day, but I really didn't get any replies. I probably should have just asked my questions instead of going on and on about my situation. So in this post I'll just ask a few quick questions instead. Anyway, I'm moving from a home to an apartment, so I'm concerned about keeping my bird's airspace clean. So for anyone living in an apartment with birds--

What kind of air purifier would you recommend?

Does anyone have an indoor plant to help the air, and if so what kind of plants do you have?

What do you do if your neighbor's are doing something like cooking that causes your apartment to smell? Does an air purifier help this?

What kinds of cleaning supplies do you use? Dishwasher detergent? Laundry detergent?

Also, I'm concerned about the water quality. Would you guys recommend using a water filter? Does it really help the water quality?

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I do not live in an apartment, so I'm not sure about how you deal with neighbors, but I will try to answer some of your questions.

I like my Austin air purifier.

I like houseplants. I have palms, ferns, spider plants dracaenas. I know you can do an internet search on what types of plants help to purify air the best. ( of course make sure they are bird safe!)

I use a lot of vinegar for cleaning. I don't worry too much about my laundry because it's not near my birds at all. Companies like Seventh Generation, Method, etc. make eco friendly products. I use EWG's website to search for safe products.

I have done extensive research on water filters. I have a water filter even though I have really good water where I live. I am mostly concerned with eliminating parasites and bacteria. (Even though they are not common where I live either, but that is a long story for another thread!) For this reason I got a Waterlogic Hybrid. Whatever filter you get, make sure it is NSF certified to remove whatever chemicals, bacteria, etc. you want it to remove. I would say the Brita type filters aren't very good. They don't remove much, but they might make your water taste better.

 

[Kackington]

Hey Deanna, thanks for the reply. I've seen that Austin is one of the better purifiers. I've had a cockatiel before, so I know how dusty it gets haha. And I was thinking about getting a spider plant, they seem pretty low maintenance and I've seen it on all of the bird safe lists I've gone through. I didn't know that about water filters, so I definitely appreciate the input! Again, thanks for your help!! I really do appreciate it.

 

[Hankmacaw]

I have a Winix air purifier and it does a good job.

No indoor plants - I can grow almost anything outside, but if I bring it into my house I kill it. Besides my windows are open almost all of the time.

I use Dawn as a detergent and I hate the phony stinky smells they put in laundry detergents and dryer sheets, so I look for no scented products. I recommend that you purchase F-10 to clean and disinfect anything to do with your bird (F10 Bird & Reptile Cleaning Disinfectant - 200 ml It is by far the best disinfectant on the market and it is totally non-caustic. Most of on this forum use it.

For your bird, I recommend you use nothing other than bottled spring water. After fighting the water wars 13/14 years ago I have never used anything else and have not had one bit of problems. At $0.88 per gallon not a bad insurance policy.

For outside smells coming in, shut all of the windows and doors and turn the air conditioner on.

 

[Kackington]

Thanks for the advice, Mary Lynn! I actually stayed at this apartment last year while my parents painted a few rooms (my friend stayed at the apartment before I did) and during that month I used nothing but bottled water for my bird Bento. I even washed his fruits and veggies with bottled water, just because my friend said she didn't trust the water. Do you clean things like your birds dishes or cages with bottled water?

 

[Hankmacaw]

I wash the dishes with regular water and Dawn detergent, then rinse very well and spray with a mixture of 1:500 F-10 to water. I keep a spray bottle of the F-10 mixture on my counter all of the time.

I roll Jasper's cage outside onto the patio and power wash it and let dry and sit in the sun for an hour or so. When I bring the cage back into her room, I spray it and the whole room (cleaned, of course) with F-10 at a 1:500 dilution. I use a pump up garden sprayer to spray with.

You can also soak the veggies for chop in F-10 - and remember you don't need to rinse it ever like you have to with so many disinfectants.

 

[Begone]

And I was thinking about getting a spider plant, they seem pretty low maintenance and I've seen it on all of the bird safe lists I've gone through.

Yes they are safe and also the best plants that purify air. But get several, one is not enough.

What kinds of cleaning supplies do you use? Dishwasher detergent? Laundry detergent?

I only use products that are perfume, paraben and silicone free. And I never use softener, or other "poison things".
For cleaning I use natural things like pine soap bar, apple vinegar and bicarbonate.
And a steamer is also something that is better then to use a lot of disinfection.

 

[Kackington]

I wash the dishes with regular water and Dawn detergent, then rinse very well and spray with a mixture of 1:500 F-10 to water. I keep a spray bottle of the F-10 mixture on my counter all of the time.

I roll Jasper's cage outside onto the patio and power wash it and let dry and sit in the sun for an hour or so. When I bring the cage back into her room, I spray it and the whole room (cleaned, of course) with F-10 at a 1:500 dilution. I use a pump up garden sprayer to spray with.

You can also soak the veggies for chop in F-10 - and remember you don't need to rinse it ever like you have to with so many disinfectants.

Ah, okay. Thank you so much for your input! I'm super lucky to have clean water in my current home, so I've never really had to really think of alternatives before now. I really do appreciate it!

Yes they are safe and also the best plants that purify air. But get several, one is not enough.

Oh, good point, I probably would have only gotten one! Haha.

I only use products that are perfume, paraben and silicone free. And I never use softener, or other "poison things".
For cleaning I use natural things like pine soap bar, apple vinegar and bicarbonate.
And a steamer is also something that is better then to use a lot of disinfection.

Yeah, I'd hate using things that have a strong smell, maybe I should look into using steam. Thanks for the input, JT!

 

[Clueless]

I have a rabbit air. I love that air purifier.

I also have a blueair.

 

[Kackington]

I have a rabbit air. I love that air purifier.

I also have a blueair.

Oh, yeah! Rabbit Air was the other name that I saw pop up when I was doing my research. I'm a student, and I was hoping to get one for Bento's room and for the living room as well... so I was looking at Honeywell since that's more in my price range.

 

[FlockofFive]

Hi, I made my first post on this forum the other day, but I really didn't get any replies. I probably should have just asked my questions instead of going on and on about my situation. So in this post I'll just ask a few quick questions instead. Anyway, I'm moving from a home to an apartment, so I'm concerned about keeping my bird's airspace clean. So for anyone living in an apartment with birds--

What kind of air purifier would you recommend?

Does anyone have an indoor plant to help the air, and if so what kind of plants do you have?

What do you do if your neighbor's are doing something like cooking that causes your apartment to smell? Does an air purifier help this?

What kinds of cleaning supplies do you use? Dishwasher detergent? Laundry detergent?

Also, I'm concerned about the water quality. Would you guys recommend using a water filter? Does it really help the water quality?

For the air purifier: use a well-rated one and place it outside of the bird room (but close to it) as the breezes produced can be harmful for your babies. HEPA filter is better, the brand we use is Honeywell. Make sure its capacity fits the size of your room/home as well.

Air purifier does not protect against harmful fumes produced by cooking, etc . The best you can do is have your birds situated in a well ventilated room as far away from your neighbor as possible. It needs to be in a room with windows - large ones, so you can open it as soon as you sense any smoke coming in. Be ready to tell your neighbors about your birds and worst comes to worst, you may need to move.

We always rinse the bowls one extra time if we use the dishwasher. Most of the time we clean it by hand using palm olive, and rinse it multiple times.

Water quality depends on where you live and you will have to check with your local authorities about that. Generally, if it is healthy for human consumption it is healthy for the birds as well. If unsure, always use a filter - better be safe than sorry!

Hope this helps

 

[Kackington]

For the air purifier: use a well-rated one and place it outside of the bird room (but close to it) as the breezes produced can be harmful for your babies. HEPA filter is better, the brand we use is Honeywell. Make sure its capacity fits the size of your room/home as well.

Air purifier does not protect against harmful fumes produced by cooking, etc . The best you can do is have your birds situated in a well ventilated room as far away from your neighbor as possible. It needs to be in a room with windows - large ones, so you can open it as soon as you sense any smoke coming in. Be ready to tell your neighbors about your birds and worst comes to worst, you may need to move.

We always rinse the bowls one extra time if we use the dishwasher. Most of the time we clean it by hand using palm olive, and rinse it multiple times.

Water quality depends on where you live and you will have to check with your local authorities about that. Generally, if it is healthy for human consumption it is healthy for the birds as well. If unsure, always use a filter - better be safe than sorry!

Hope this helps

Yeah, I actually had planned on getting a Honeywell HPA300! Do you know the model number for yours? Bento's room isn't very big but I thought I would get one that covers more space just in case.
I've stayed at this apartment in the past since my friend lives there, so she's told me about how the water quality isn't always great...here at home the water has always been fine. I think I'll be looking into a filter, even if it's just for cleaning dishes and such. Thanks for the help, FlockofFive!

 

[finchly]

I have 2 of the HPA204. i really like them and they are a good "whiite noise" for the bird room.

 

[Kackington]

I have 2 of the HPA204. i really like them and they are a good "whiite noise" for the bird room.

Oh yeah, I figured that it would make for a great white noise that I don't have for my current bird room! Thanks for the reply, Tanya.

 

[FlockofFive]

Yeah, I actually had planned on getting a Honeywell HPA300! Do you know the model number for yours? Bento's room isn't very big but I thought I would get one that covers more space just in case.
I've stayed at this apartment in the past since my friend lives there, so she's told me about how the water quality isn't always great...here at home the water has always been fine. I think I'll be looking into a filter, even if it's just for cleaning dishes and such. Thanks for the help, FlockofFive!

No problem at all! Always happy to help. Our model is Honeywell HPA300 so exactly the same one you are thinking of

 

[greys4u]

I have a steamer and use that to clean her cage, some of her toys and also the boing.

 

[Kackington]

No problem at all! Always happy to help. Our model is Honeywell HPA300 so exactly the same one you are thinking of

Awesome! I'm glad to hear that's a good model.

I have a steamer and use that to clean her cage, some of her toys and also the boing.

I didn't think to clean the cage with steam-- I suppose that would be a good way to avoid chemicals!

Thanks again guys for all the replies. I appreciate it.

 

[faislaq]

For your bird, I recommend you use nothing other than bottled spring water.

We keep a Brita pitcher on the counter for the birds, but I usually just drink tap water myself. lol

 

[camelotshadow]

Hi, I made my first post on this forum the other day, but I really didn't get any replies

You "really didn't get any replies" but I recall I took the time to give you what I thought was some helpful information.

Hope you find what you are looking for....