Safe Ways to Keep Room Smelling Good?

[MollyGreenCheeks]

I ran across this at Bed Bath and Beyond this weekend. I purchased the Pearl Packs for the car just to see how strong it is and I can't smell it after the second day in addition to the car smells fresh. It's supposedly safe for birds and for the environment. I think I may try one made for the home too.

Odor Elimination Products Get Rid of Smells - FreshWaveWorks.com

 

[Devann]

I've been wondering about the scentsy warmers, I havent used mine since Vino arrived but from what i've read people do use them around birds and they claim theyre safe because there's no wick, the scented wax is warmed by a lightbulb in the base. Not sure if anyone has any experience with these or knows for sure if they're safe or not???

 

[BoomBoom]

Great info, thanks, Debs. I haven't offered the lemon slice (I boiled them all by then) but I have given tomatoes to Boomer on occassion. Come to think of it, I've read somewhere that citrus and tomatoes are not recommended as part of a regular bird diet. It slipped my mind. I would definitely offer these rarely then.

Molly, great find. I'll read up on it.

As for the wax warmers, sorry I don't know enough about them to comment. I've read a thread in this forum where one or two people said it was safe, but that's about it...

 

[Alisana]

[...]

I'd be careful about offering lemons too often (citrus in general). I do offer it occasionally, but raw tomato is considered too acidic to feed regularly, and lemon is very acidic as well.

On the tomato note - NEVER offer the leaves/stalks - always strip them if you offer tomato. The leaves and stalks of tomato are toxic - they're in the same family as deadly night shade.

If I do offer tomato, I always slice the top off just to be on the safe side.

For me, tomato is a rare food item (maybe once a month)

 

[happycat]

Im wondering the same thing, especially since my mom always uses cleaning things.

Can you use natural candles? If a bird is in a room, can you use cleaning things anywhere else?

 

[Alisana]

Im wondering the same thing, especially since my mom always uses cleaning things.

Can you use natural candles? If a bird is in a room, can you use cleaning things anywhere else?

Be wary of any candle that says "natural" - some parts MIGHT be natural, whereas others are. I've heard Soy and Bees Wax candles being OK, but I've never burnt candles around my birds anyway - so can't comment on that.

And regards to cleaning products... Depends on a number of factors.
How big is your house?
Is it well ventilated?
Will your bird share the same airspace as the cleaning product? (be wary of air ducts that may pull air from other parts of the house and bring them into your bird room[1])
Is the cleaning product bird safe?
If it isn't a specific bird safe product, what is it - how strong is it, what chemical base, etc
Is it vapour/air based or liquid?
Is residue harmful?
etc

If I need to do a high amount of cleaning, the birds go outside for the whole day around the back of the house. (Granted, they have a dedicated outdoor cage, so this isn't an issue for us)

[1] I lost a bunch of crystal shrimp at my university office when they decided to paint upstairs - the fumes carried through the air duct system -_-

 

[DebsFlock]

"Natural" as a product label is meaningless, it is completely unregulated. Even if you totally trust the manufacturer you need to know what their definition of the term is.

Aside from which, there is no guarantee that some natural is safe. Pine-based cleaning products seem to be one of the more problematic types and the aromatic compound is of natural origin. As I pointed out earlier, even vinegar is sufficient concentration can be very irritating. I like the commonsense approach Alisana posted.

I also saw the FreshWaveWorks video running at BB&B and they are making claims it is "safe for pets, even sensitive birds". Does anyone know if they have done actual controlled testing to verify that? I was thinking of contacting the company to find out. This is again a case where the claim is unregulated.

 

[Alisana]

[...]
I also saw the FreshWaveWorks video running at BB&B and they are making claims it is "safe for pets, even sensitive birds". Does anyone know if they have done actual controlled testing to verify that? I was thinking of contacting the company to find out. This is again a case where the claim is unregulated.

If you ask them, see if they can send you their findings. If they're doing it by the book, it should be peer-reviewed (has anyone else confirmed their study?), be under correct lab conditions (what scenarios are they using? are they repeat scenarios? environmental factors?) and have a medium to large sample size (basically more than 3 or 4).

Some companies do "white" papers where they only test it in one or two situations and they get results like "100% safe!" Annoying.

 

[DebsFlock]

Some companies do "white" papers where they only test it in one or two situations and they get results like "100% safe!" Annoying.

Very. I'm a scientist by training, so I hear you loud and clear.

Update. I have sent them an email, will let you know if I get any kind of interesting response.

 

[brianlinkles]

Debsflock, I'm curious now about the grapefruit seed extract. In the research that I did it stated that the mixture that I have been using is even more of an antibacterial than even surgical soap. I have been using this on toys, perches cages etc. for over a year. Now I'm worried that it doesn't work. I thought I really did alot of research on this product. I would be interested in learning what you have found out. Now I'm wondering if I'm just going around spraying what is basically just water on everything. I put about 30 drops of this into a sprayer!

 

[DebsFlock]

The following is an excerpt from Wikipedia. Wikipedia is worthy of treating with caution, but this entry appears well documented and supported.

Efficacy

Anecdotal claims for an antimicrobial effect are based on a few abstract scientific experiments which show some antimicrobial activity for commercial grapefruit seed extracts and an ethanol grapefruit seed extract but not a natural GSE.[17][18][19] The preliminary studies for the antimicrobial effect state that the Citricidal commercial brand of GSE was used for testing.[17][18] There is considerable scientific evidence that the anti-microbial activity associated with grapefruit seed extract is attributable to the contamination or adulteration of commercial GSE preparations with synthetic antimicrobials or preservatives.[2] According to the 2001 GSE study, branded commercial GSE preparations were contaminated with synthetic benzethonium chloride that was implausible to be made from grapefruit seeds.[5] Some of the marketers claimed that their product does not contain benzethonium chloride and the error was due to the similarity in molecular weight of the quaternary ammonium compound which was formed through a proprietary manufacturing process.[5] It is inconceivable that the preservative benzethonium chloride is formed during any extraction and/or processing of grapefruit seeds and pulp.[5] Researchers conclusively demonstrated the presence of benzethonium chloride in commercial GSE using various analytical methods including HPLC, one- and two-dimensional NMR, PIXE analysis, and electrospray ionization MS.[5] Another in vitro study claimed GSE had antibacterial properties.[19] As with the branded in vitro test[17][18] this extract was contaminated.[5] The ethanolic grapefruit seed and pulp extract tested was prepared or contaminated with ethanol, a chemical solvent used in the extraction process.[19] Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is effective in inhibiting bacteria.[20]

Independent studies have shown that commercial preparations contain the compound benzalkonium chloride, which is a synthetic antimicrobial commonly used in disinfectants and cleaning products, the related compound benzethonium chloride, the antibiotic triclosan, or the preservative methylparaben.[1][6][21] Some samples were shown to contain up to 22% benzalkonium chloride by weight, despite the known allergenicity[22] and toxicity[23] of the compound at higher doses.[6] These chemicals were not present in grapefruit seed extracts prepared in the laboratory, and GSE preparations without the contaminants were found to possess no detectable antimicrobial effect.[1] Although citrus seed extract is sold in health food markets,[6] there is no good evidence for any natural antimicrobial activity.[1][7]

A study that examined the antiviral properties of GSE found that GSE had no efficacy as a disinfectant for feline calicivirus and feline parvovirus.[24] Grapefruit seed extract has been advocated to be a powerful antimicrobial with proven activity against bacteria and fungi. However, independent studies have shown the efficacy of grapefruit seed extract as an antimicrobial is not demonstrated. Although citrus seed extract is claimed to be a highly effective plant-based preservative by some natural personal care manufacturers, studies asserted that the universal antimicrobial benefits associated with GSE are merely from the presence of synthetic preservatives. Natural GSE has no antimicrobial properties.[1][2] Newer studies found many commercial grapefruit seed extracts contaminated with synthetic preservatives.[8][9][10] In a 2007 study the main synthetic antimicrobial agent identified in commercial GSE samples was benzethonium chloride.[8] In a 2008 study synthetic disinfectants such as benzethonium or benzalkonium chloride were identified in most of the commercial GSE products.[9] In a 2008 study suspected counterfeit products were determined to contain benzethonium chloride in grapefruit seed extract samples.[10]

 

[thermodynamic]

In the summer, I like to boil lemon and orange rinds to give the house a fresh, natural fragrance. In the winter, cinnamon sticks and orange rinds will perfume your home with a cozy aroma. It is also a great way to clean and refresh a garbage disposal if you have one.

Thanks!

That seems a far more logical approach than buying artificial chemical scents that, if they harm birds, probably means such chemicals don't do us many favors either...

And it'll encourage me to eat more fruits as well...

 

[Adinafloyd]

This is a q&a from the Scentsy website

Question

Tina Schmidtlein
3/15/2012 Would really like to know if Scentsy will hurt my birds.

Reply

Tara Andrus
3/15/2012 Hi Tina, many of our customers use Scentsy products with no adverse effect on their indoor birds. However, Scentsy cannot guarantee that our products are safe for use around all birds. Indoor birds can be very delicate.

According to bird veterinarians, breeders, and resellers, any scented product can cause illness or fatalities in birds. Dr. Marla Lichtenberger, DVM, stated in an article posted on The Bird Clinic - Bird Vet Dr. Larry Nemetz Avian Vet Orange CA Pet Birds "...airborne agents can create a critical respiratory event; aerosols, burning candles, incense, cleaning agents, or smoke (tobacco or any other source)." I hope this helps!

 

[DebsFlock]

The handout on toxins from Nemetz' website is pretty good, but the statement is not nearly as strong as paraphrased above. It is "Fragrances found in candles and many hand lotions have also caused death in birds as well as plug-in fresheners and frebreze®." Such a determination is usually via taking history from the owner, and I think it is really quite difficult to get an accurate idea of what really happened. My MILs bird died suddenly with respiratory symptoms and she had been incredibly careful about everything. We never did figure out what might have happened and an autopsy was inconclusive. Had someone sauntered in with a bottle of Febreze immediately beforehand I'm sure we would have been sure that was the cause but as it is there was no smoking gun. Correlations don't prove causality.

Everything in this realm is anecdote and hearsay pretty much. The most conservative route would be stop using anything but plain water to clean your house.

I worry a lot more when there is work being done on the house... or new furniture coming in... some fabric treatments are also implicated and it is very hard to know if they are present or not. I think household scents get a particularly bad "rap" because they are perceived as being frivolous.

 

[BoomBoom]

This is good reading. There's a lot of truth in that last quoted statement. It just makes me more paranoid about everything now though. :30:

Also, a quick update...

I decided to stick with a low strength distilled white vinegar solution for now. I'll be careful to rinse and dry so as not to irritate Boomer. I decided to stick with it more after seeing 3 or more spiders the size of an apple pit crawling about the roomon separate occasions. I have this fear that one would get to Boomer and bite him. Omg that would be one of my worst fears. I read on the vacuum of the internet that the scent of vinegar is a natural deterrent to spiders.

On keeping the apartment smelling fresh, I decided to add more plants and maybe even flowering plants. Need to research what is sàfe and can be kept indoors. Orchids maybe? I tried boiling lemons, and while it smelled great, it only lasted while the water was warm. I want a more permanent solution I guess. I would still boil on occassion though, just because it smells great.

Thanks for all the responses. It's good reading! Very informative.

 

[Jackiebuckdaily]

So question about this. If I put cologne or use an air freshener in the bathroom only or in another room, is that okay? I know that smells travel, but can it actually reach the bird room to become harmful?

 

[Jackiebuckdaily]

Also, if I brew coffee, is that harmful to my Amazons? Smell wise... I know that coffee is best to eat.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I didn't get rid of my scented candles. I just don't burn them when the babies are around. I still use air freshener, but I use all that stuff at night after Skittles is asleep. Skittles sleeps in the bedroom, where the door is closed. The bedroom is at the opposite side of the apartment, so I just burn candles or use cleaners out here when he's asleep. I keep the window open at night too, then close it before I go to bed so it can return to 'room temp'. That way it 'circulates' the air.

With winter coming, you could try using a simmering pot. That's what I use. Just put 'natural' things in there. Like cinnamon or pine needles, or citrus juice.

PS, one more thing - if you use 'baby safe' fabric softener (liquid) then try drying your clothes indoors. I do that and my apartment smells like clean linen for several days. Just make sure Boomer doesn't chew on the clothesline. Skittles seems to be partial to 'dry clothes' and doesn't care for wet ones, which helps.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

One more thing - I have VERY sensitive allergies. Anything overpowering bothers me immensely and my asthma so it actually is beneficial to having a bird. If I am hypersensitive to things, I'm likely along the same lines as the normal environment of a bird. Fortunately, I'm not allergic to Skittles. Peaches, my cockatiel, does make me sneeze but it's nothing I can't deal with.

 

[BoomBoom]

Oh wow, this 2012 thread was necro'd from the dead haha! Thanks for the tips. I might try boiling orange peels again. I wish there was a more permanent way to naturally / safely fragrance the room though. Boiling rinds stop working when you turn off the stove. Honestly I still haven't found a solution, 3 years later. Are there good smelling plants I can use? Not flowering types because those are seasonal. I'm talking about regular greens.

As to the questions above, I try not to spray cologne in the apartment because the scent really lingers. I have a small apartment so people with bigger homes can probably pull it off. I spray it in the car instead. As for coffee, I don't drink any so I can't comment on the effect it has on birds. I know it's harmful to ingest but I don't see the aroma being a hazard unless they are trapped in the same room with no ventilation.