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Household products that may contain PTFE

McLaughlane

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Ventura, CA
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Katie
I have a set of nonstick pots and pans that have actually gotten the stamp of approval from my avian vet. I told him about our living situation (my fiance's apartment, where the birds are and where I will be when this semester is up): a 750 square foot, one bedroom apartment, and told him what brand we have: Caphalon. He told me he uses Caphalon himself and hasn't had a problem. They don't start releasing fumes until they reach 500 degrees, and that isn't going to happen on the stove, and they aren't made to be put in the oven, so that has not been an issue. I was hesitant to use the things with Manfred in the apartment (this was before Lina), but I trust Dr Cecil, and made dinner with the pots, and Manfred was happy as a clam the entire time.

Still, I am neurotic about it and leave all the windows open and keep the fids away from the kitchen. (And if I am buying products for the oven, or stovetop products that are not caphalon, I inspect them very closely and have been limiting myself to stainless steel or enamel.) My mom thinks I am absolutely nuts and thinks the stories of non-stick related deaths are exaggerated. I don't intend to prove her wrong, so she can go on thinking I'm crazy!:faint:
 

Goatess

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Joined
11/30/11
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Has anyone heard anything about Williams-Sonoma's Goldtouch® ceramic-reinforced nonstick coating? I was wondering if this would be safe, since it's not Teflon. (I published a question about this somewhere on the boards, but can't find it again, LOL!)
 

DebbyD

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Deb J Duff
They don't start releasing fumes until they reach 500 degrees, and that isn't going to happen on the stove
425 - 500 degrees is what's used for deep fat frying, so he's not entirely right on the stove top temps..... just saying, so if you do that on the top of your stove with any of your pans... be careful...you very well could and would be reaching those temps. It's good you open windows and air out tho :) being cautious is always a good thing.
 

DebbyD

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Deb J Duff
While my son was living here with me, I kept all my birds in my room, and my windows open most of the time. He burned a lot of things when he cooked. I knew he was going soon lol... gone now. Old pots n pans are too.... stainless and glass is replacing the old stuff and the birds and I have inhabited the house now :)
 

Welshanne

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Lost my post and no idea why, this makes me so mad.
Again then, a lady on FB lost four of her five large parrots in minutes from having them in the vicinity of the vapours of white vinegar whilst heating it up to clean something or other. She saved the last parrot by removing it quickly to another clean area. They breathed in the poisonous vapours and were dead.
Lots of her friends also parrot lovers knew nothing of this danger and neither did her Vet so passing it on for people to be aware and not fall into the same trap.:(
 

waterfaller1

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People have used white vinegar for decades around their birds, in all kinds of ways, including heated and boiling. I just don't buy it.
 

WendysJungle

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Marysville, WA
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Wendy
I wonder if it was the pan she was heating it with? Or maybe she was running it through a coffee maker to descale and there were Teflon parts? I agree with Carole, I have known people for years to use white vinegar to safely clean around birds, this sounds very odd.
 

Crackseed

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Waianae, HI
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Seth
Thank you for all the helpful information in here - it raised a point I was not aware of - that being stoves themselves could be a potential danger. I will need to look up my sister's stove unit and see if I can find info about it. My fid won't be in the kitchen but he will be downstairs about 30 feet away so best to be super safe!

Also good to know it's probably just safe to NOT give them anything cooked in a teflon item - my mom gives us food all the time and as I know fids LOVE to claim whatever you have when they can, I'll have to make sure none of that gets to mine >.>
 

waterfaller1

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Seth, it isn't the food cooked in the teflon pan, it is the act of cooking in the pan that is the issue. When the pan is heated it emits fumes which can kill all birds in the house within minutes, no matter where in the house they are. There are also other products like hairdryers,fryers,indoor grills, etc. that can cause the same problem. Stoves are safe, as long as they aren't brand new{they need to be off-gassed} or as long as you do not use the self-cleaning feature.
 
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Crackseed

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Seth
I know about the teflon gas from cookware, etc. - it was more a wonder/concern about allowing them to eat food that might have been cooked IN a teflon item as I said since my parents use it and often bring over meals for me to have. Just was trying to figure out if that's safe for them to have or if I should play it safe and just keep it to myself.
 

Nvanhar

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Vermont
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Nicole
In preparing for my Timneh to come home in a few weeks, I have weeded out all the pots and pans that I own with Teflon :)rofl: Just this past fall I bought a set that I LOVED but just won't take any chances so am replacing everything). I am a chronic burner/over-heater when I cook and I know it would just be a matter of time until something bad happened. What I am more concerned about is the "other" stuff in my house which may have Teflon that I'm not aware of...is a Keurig machine at all dangerous? I use both a hairdryer and a curling iron in the morning - I would bet money they both have Teflon but can't be sure. What did you all do about hair products? I can't imagine having my bird in the bathroom when I'm getting ready anyway given the smells/fumes from hairspray/etc. If I just keep bird downstairs and my bathroom door closed will that be enough? Man, I don't think BABY-proofing my house was this hard!
 

PrincessLilly

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11/19/13
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sheila
Thank you! Tonite I made a frozen meal that came in throw away aliminum :( my baby coulda died
This place is great info!!
I too have to toss my stuff
 

ILoveBirds77

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Spokane, Wa
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Hope
What about computers containing teflon??
computers have that stuff? Me and my boyfriend each have a comp0uter in our small apartment, and my boyfriend is gonna buy a new computer, and also buy me a laptop. and what about 4g phones, r those ok?
 

macawpower58

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I've also been told not to use the self cleaning option on ovens.

I had a friend who lost her Grey and several canaries. It does happen. With her it was a roaster she'd been using for years. A cold thanksgiving, oven blasting all day, they closed all the windows and minutes later her birds fell dead to the cage bottoms. Her canaries first, followed by her Gray. She was devastated.

 

lamagdalena

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I've also been told not to use the self cleaning option on ovens.

I had a friend who lost her Grey and several canaries. It does happen. With her it was a roaster she'd been using for years. A cold thanksgiving, oven blasting all day, they closed all the windows and minutes later her birds fell dead to the cage bottoms. Her canaries first, followed by her Gray. She was devastated.
that is heart breaking :( what is a roaster?
 

rocky'smom

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^^^^ a large pan used to roast something like chicken, turkey, beef, pork, lamb, basically any type of meat & vegatables in. like roasted beef.
 
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