GSE or Apple Cider Viengar

[BarkleyLoves]

I was giving some suggestions on what to use to clean Pepper's rope swing, and I can't find the thread for some reason. Where exactly do I buy Grape Seed Extract and is there a specific brand? I went to the grocery and I couldn't find it anywhere and no one seemed to know what I was talking about.

Sorry for the so many posts. Just trying to keep my babies' cages clean.

 

[brianlinkles]

GSE is found at the health food store. This is what I use to clean my cage & toys along with a steamer. I really like it! Get a big spray bottle and mix it up, I make it quite strong because I am a germaphobe! I was steaming the cage today and was wondering how else to get this boing (rope) cleaner. I spray with gse & then steam the poop off. Hopefully this is good! I would love to hear what others do!

 

[WharfRat]

So using Jack Daniels ain't good enough?!?!? LMAO!!!
(No, I would never waste JD on cleaning )

I use white vinegar on all my stuff, a scrub brush and H20.

 

[henpecked]

I think i could find something better to do with the Jack.

 

[DebsFlock]

When's cocktail hour!

GSE is Grapefruit Seed Extract. Grape Seed Extract is a source of antioxidents, so you might also find it.

Personally, I run my rope perches through the washing machine with All Free & Clear. It's virtually impossible to disinfect porous things like wood and rope with a disinfectant anyway.

Neither GSE nor Vinegar is a "disinfectant" but they may have some germicidal properties. I would never use them if disease was known to be present. They may or may not do much more than soap and water. GSE without preservatives is unproven to do anything, the stuff that was effective in trials was preserved and it is possible the preservatives were what was effective since followups with the all natural stuff failed to reproduce the effect.

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

When's cocktail hour!

GSE is Grapefruit Seed Extract. Grape Seed Extract is a source of antioxidents, so you might also find it.

Personally, I run my rope perches through the washing machine with All Free & Clear. It's virtually impossible to disinfect porous things like wood and rope with a disinfectant anyway.

Neither GSE nor Vinegar is a "disinfectant" but they may have some germicidal properties. I would never use them if disease was known to be present. They may or may not do much more than soap and water. GSE without preservatives is unproven to do anything, the stuff that was effective in trials was preserved and it is possible the preservatives were what was effective since followups with the all natural stuff failed to reproduce the effect.

Tru-dat! You can also find grapefruit seed extract at Super Supplements.

 

[brianlinkles]

I think this topic of gse is very confusing. In the Parrots for Dummies book, a book I have seen referred to as many parrot owners bible they talk ALOT about the use of gse. It is stated that it is even more effective than surgical soap in killing germs. I am not sure about the rules of quoting from other publications so I am just going to mention that this is the cleaner of choice in this book. There seems to be lots of contradicting evidence on this topic.

 

[DebsFlock]

I think this topic of gse is very confusing. In the Parrots for Dummies book, a book I have seen referred to as many parrot owners bible they talk ALOT about the use of gse. It is stated that it is even more effective than surgical soap in killing germs. I am not sure about the rules of quoting from other publications so I am just going to mention that this is the cleaner of choice in this book. There seems to be lots of contradicting evidence on this topic.

I am not a fan of that book. I bought it and gave it away almost immediately. "Birds for Dummies" is co-authored by a vet and is a lot more grounded IMO. The author of "Parrots for Dummies" is a very experienced owner and trainer of parrots, but is not a biologist or vet. IMO she states as fact many things which are opinion and for which there is little evidence. It was hard in the book to sort out those things which were strictly opinion from those where there was evidence, as references were rarely cited. That kind of writing in a nonfiction work makes me insane. But I know people like it... I'm just not one of them. If it is the only book in your library, you might want to get something like Gallerstein's "Complete Pet Bird Owner's Handbook".

In the case of GSE, the evidence is contradictory and that's the point. I stated it earlier, but maybe it bears repeating... We don't know if it has any effectiveness at all. The early studies with it were very promising. However, those tests were carried out using GSE that contained preservatives. Subsequent tests using GSE that did not contain preservatives did not show a significant effect. Why is unknown, but speculation that the preservatives were actually the effective ingredient seems somewhat logical, although that has not been tested.

I use GSE with preservatives in making sprouts, but I'd never rely on it in any kind of critical situation. OTOH, it's not clear to me that trying to make our birds environments hospital-sanitary is the right answer anyway.

I guess I'd also like to point out that there is no such thing as a completely safe substance that is also a very effective disinfectant. It's sort of inherently contradictory. Germs are, after all, biological matter and anything that kills them destroys or disrupts biological matter. Granted that a mild acid like acetic acid in vinegar is not likely to kill cells in the digestive tract, which is also acidic -- but nor is it going to kill bacteria adapted to an acidic environment.

Use of these things in non-critical situations is something I'd consider myself in the vein of "probably won't hurt, has some possibility to help" and I did experiment with cider vinegar in the drinking water, but don't really like salad-scented birds. If I had an outbreak of some disease, however, you'd better believe I'd have the commercial grade kennel disinfectant out!

 

[IcyWolf]

I get my GSE from the health food store. It's about ten dollars for a small bottle but a little goes a LONG WAY. I use it for cleaning, soaking sprouts, and I have even used it as a water additive for birds that are suspect of bacterial infections in the crop. We use the nutribiotic brand Hope that helps.