F10 Biocare Opinions?

I've been looking up what many people use as their cleaning routine... I've found conflicting answers, such as GSE not being safe and just being a fad, Others hail about it and call it the best! Others, also say white vinegar and hot water is truly, the way to go. (With or without peroxide.)

Now, that's great and all -- if it works for you, it works for you. But I haven't seen a lot of people talking about F10 here? I've only seen that being seriously discussed on other forums. It seems that this place doesn't appreciate any chemical of any kind, even if it is vet grade. Looking on other forums, other seem to use it exclusively to clean all things parrot.

And when it does, there seems to be a lot of debate because it's not natural, but a chemical... I'm sort of confused as this seems to be a disinfectant that's relied on to clear PBFD that's been shed. (However, there is no real evidence. It is just what many vets rely on as such.) It's not a cleaner, though.

Any opinions? Any thoughts? Even though it's vet grade, is it something to be left to the professionals? (Even if sold to the public?) And I'm not doing this out of spite to prove someone wrong, I'm just asking out of sheer concern.

I use Avinol-3. My vet helped develop it. It's what he uses in his exclusively avian practice. It was developed to be able to wipe out "everything". Bacteria, fugus, all viruses (enveloped and non-enveloped). It's gentle on your skin too. I've heard that F-10 is the other "heavy hitter" of cleaners for the avian environment.

But for basic routine cleaning, it's not really necessary. It's not the cheapest stuff either. I do like how the Avinol cuts off stuck on poop better than anything I've ever used including "Poop Off". It's great to clean and disinfect toys too.

RavensGryf said:

I use Avinol-3. My vet helped develop it. It's what he uses in his exclusively avian practice. It was developed to be able to wipe out "everything". Bacteria, fugus, all viruses (enveloped and non-enveloped). It's gentle on your skin too. I've heard that F-10 is the other "heavy hitter" of cleaners for the avian environment.

But for basic routine cleaning, it's not really necessary. It's not the cheapest stuff either. I do like how the Avinol cuts off stuck on poop better than anything I've ever used including "Poop Off". It's great to clean and disinfect toys too.

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I've never heard of Avinol before, actually... Have you used F10? If so, can you compare the two? Is Avinol cheaper? I've never used either before, but F10 at the MSBS is actually 20-30 bucks. F10SDX is way more expensive, though.

I've also read that F10 is similar in how it gets that poop off slick! (Sorry for the rather, detailed description.)

I've never used F10. I buy the Avinol concentrate at my vet's retail store.

What is F10 and Avinol? I have never heard of it before. I use "Poop Off" on the floor of the cage and on the perches and branches, even the rougher perches. It gets it off it like 10 seconds. I let the solution sit for about a minute on tough spots just to let it really soak in and then I scrub it off and then I take a damp washcloth and wipe everything down. I have used it with the birds in the cage before, they usually go high up top while I clean, but as far as I know it has never hurt them, and the bottle says it is safe to use with birds in the cage because it's non toxic. (I hope I'm not being too gullible, but my turquoisine doesn't come out unless he flys out on his own or if I chase him and grab him. I got him when he was a 1 year old adult and he was never handled before.)

F10 is fantastic, and is used in most facilities where there are multiple birds. We mainly used it for food preparation areas, medical areas and the incubation area - it really isn't necessary for within the flight/aviary.
The price can be a disadvantage, especially if you're not getting a bulk discount.

As far as cleaning the cage - I don't believe it's necessary. Wash plastic/metal items in a sink/dishwasher with detergent, and scrub perches with a gentle cleanser and a bit of sunlight (you don't want to use anything too harsh, because it will get on your birds' feet).

Mekaisto said:

F10 is fantastic, and is used in most facilities where there are multiple birds. We mainly used it for food preparation areas, medical areas and the incubation area - it really isn't necessary for within the flight/aviary.
The price can be a disadvantage, especially if you're not getting a bulk discount.

As far as cleaning the cage - I don't believe it's necessary. Wash plastic/metal items in a sink/dishwasher with detergent, and scrub perches with a gentle cleanser and a bit of sunlight (you don't want to use anything too harsh, because it will get on your birds' feet).

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I guess so... Would it be better to just save it for a deep cleaning session?

RainbowRose said:

What is F10 and Avinol? I have never heard of it before. I use "Poop Off" on the floor of the cage and on the perches and branches, even the rougher perches. It gets it off it like 10 seconds. I let the solution sit for about a minute on tough spots just to let it really soak in and then I scrub it off and then I take a damp washcloth and wipe everything down. I have used it with the birds in the cage before, they usually go high up top while I clean, but as far as I know it has never hurt them, and the bottle says it is safe to use with birds in the cage because it's non toxic. (I hope I'm not being too gullible, but my turquoisine doesn't come out unless he flys out on his own or if I chase him and grab him. I got him when he was a 1 year old adult and he was never handled before.)

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Poop Off isn't a disinfectant, I believe. It just takes pop off. F10 and Avinol are vet grade disinfectants for birds, and are safe to use around them.

June2012 said:

RainbowRose said:

What is F10 and Avinol? I have never heard of it before. I use "Poop Off" on the floor of the cage and on the perches and branches, even the rougher perches. It gets it off it like 10 seconds. I let the solution sit for about a minute on tough spots just to let it really soak in and then I scrub it off and then I take a damp washcloth and wipe everything down. I have used it with the birds in the cage before, they usually go high up top while I clean, but as far as I know it has never hurt them, and the bottle says it is safe to use with birds in the cage because it's non toxic. (I hope I'm not being too gullible, but my turquoisine doesn't come out unless he flys out on his own or if I chase him and grab him. I got him when he was a 1 year old adult and he was never handled before.)

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Poop Off isn't a disinfectant, I believe. It just takes pop off. F10 and Avinol are vet grade disinfectants for birds, and are safe to use around them.

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Oh!!! That's awesome! I will definitely be looking into that!

June2012 said:

I guess so... Would it be better to just save it for a deep cleaning session?

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If you feel that you need to thoroughly clean your bird's aviary/cage - the only downside to using it is the cost.

Like you mentioned, it's a vet-grade disinfectant - it kills everything: viruses, bacteria, fungus, you name it.
But in most household situations that's a bit of overkill. Your birds, unless they're old, young or sick, will have a natural immunity to small concentrations of pathogens. Especially if you're cleaning/replacing their toys and other equipment regularly.

My general rule is - F10 for items that have been in contact with sick birds (apart from PBFD, which F10 doesn't kill) or items that are being used amongst birds, such as a bird moving into a new cage.

If you have a lot of birds, or old/young/sick birds I'd recommend using F10 frequently, but otherwise not.

In the end it's up to you and your budget of course

Mekaisto said:

June2012 said:

I guess so... Would it be better to just save it for a deep cleaning session?

Click to expand...

If you feel that you need to thoroughly clean your bird's aviary/cage - the only downside to using it is the cost.

Like you mentioned, it's a vet-grade disinfectant - it kills everything: viruses, bacteria, fungus, you name it.
But in most household situations that's a bit of overkill. Your birds, unless they're old, young or sick, will have a natural immunity to small concentrations of pathogens. Especially if you're cleaning/replacing their toys and other equipment regularly.

My general rule is - F10 for items that have been in contact with sick birds (apart from PBFD, which F10 doesn't kill) or items that are being used amongst birds, such as a bird moving into a new cage.

If you have a lot of birds, or old/young/sick birds I'd recommend using F10 frequently, but otherwise not.

In the end it's up to you and your budget of course

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Oh.... [emoji28] Thanks for that advice, I'll be sure to use it in the future! When I need to, of course.

I use a steam cleaner... When it comes to the appropriate time in my cleaning cycle, I will role the cage outside and use a bleach solution for a thorough clean..but I'm happy with the steam cleaner.

Solo said:

I use a steam cleaner... When it comes to the appropriate time in my cleaning cycle, I will role the cage outside and use a bleach solution for a thorough clean..but I'm happy with the steam cleaner.

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I'm looking into that too. And how often do you steam your cage?

I'm a bit OCD, and steam clean it once a week..from what I've read its a bit excessive, and most ppl only do it every month or even quarterly. I'm going to bleach quarterly and steam clean weekly. The cage I got with her also had a colony of roaches in it, so this could be a reason why I clean so much ( it was disgusting).

Solo said:

. The cage I got with her also had a colony of roaches in it, so this could be a reason why I clean so much ( it was disgusting).

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[emoji15] That would make anyone go a little over the top on cleaning!

Solo said:

I'm a bit OCD, and steam clean it once a week..from what I've read its a bit excessive, and most ppl only do it every month or even quarterly. I'm going to bleach quarterly and steam clean weekly. The cage I got with her also had a colony of roaches in it, so this could be a reason why I clean so much ( it was disgusting).

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I think that would make anyone clean as much as you do! And it's not bad at all, IMO. It's just something I don't see myself doing in the future.