Am I cleaning the cage correctly?

[kiwiS]

Hi All!!!

I currently wipe down Kiwi's perches , and cage bars and grill daily with a paper towel dampened with vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Is this enough to sanitize? The vinegar leaves a strong fume (but dissipates quickly) will this hurt Kiwi's lungs?

I found this online
F10 Biocare Disinfectant - New Low Pricing USA|Birds|Reptiles

Apparently vets use it to disinfect everything. Anyone use this product? I'm thinking of getting some but I didn't want to use it if it will potentially harm Kiwi in the long run.

Anyone have additional tips on keeping the cage clean and sanitized in between the big clean-outs?

Thank you !!

 

[SoCalWendy]

Sounds good to me. Hydrogen peroxide kills everything. You could just use vinegar and warm water. I like the peroxide idea.

 

[Luke252]

Sounds good, I am not sure if you have this available over there but here in Australia we have a product called AviCare. Its a hospital grade disinfectant extremely tough on Avian specific germs, but very safe for birds. It also smells pretty good.

 

[WeimerHeimer]

I personally you Avi Clean: AviClean no rinse cage and aviary cleaner.

But the 'Ol Vinegar and Peroxide work great too. Many of bird friends use that old stand by.

Not sure how you do it, but here is the easiest way my friends tell me.
- Have ONE spray bottle full of White Vinegar.
- Have a SEPARATE non-clear bottle full of Peroxide.
-Spray the soiled area with Vinegar, then spray the same area with Peroxide, wait a few seconds, wipe clean.
- REMEMBER that the bottle the holds the Peroxide MUST BE dark in color, NOT clear. Otherwise, the Peroxide will degrade and lose its potency if subjected to day light.

 

[Echo]

I use a bucket with white vinegar and water.

 

[MarciaLove]

I wash my cages weekly with water and vinegar

 

[GinaF]

Cage cleaning is always the biggest chore around my house. There are several things I found that make it a little easier.

1) get a steamer! Steamers not only break loose the super glue of all poops but the heat they produce kills bacteria. This was a monthly "super clean" to really get the cages their absolute best. I always added a few drops of GSE in my steamer just for added benefit. GSE has the same disinfecting properties as bleach but it's odorless, colorless and safe for parrots. 1 drop per 2 oz is all it takes.

2) A very thin layer of coconut oil on the bottom grate keeps poop from sticking. I just mist a paper towel and wipe it on. Then every day come through with a nylon cleaning brush and knock everything off. Coconut oil is also safe for parrots AND healthy. If you use this method, you'll have to be conducive to regular cage cleaning (weekly), but it does make it A LOT easier. My cage gets a wipe down every other day. It also works great on seed catchers but because it's slippery, don't use it on perches or play stands. Resort to your steamer for that.

3) For regular cleaning, I just use GSE (Grapefruit seed extract) in a spray bottle and a clean towel.

 

[JDlugosz]

I have to point out that GSE is snakeoil. Lab prepared extract shows no particular anti-microbial properties and weak anti-fungal properties. Commercial GSE cleaning product is loaded with Phermerol "as a preservative" but in concentrations that indicate dishonesty. Even so, "a few drops" is not an effective dose.

I've posted more at length on the subject before.

 

[GinaF]

I have to point out that GSE is snakeoil. Lab prepared extract shows no particular anti-microbial properties and weak anti-fungal properties. Commercial GSE cleaning product is loaded with Phermerol "as a preservative" but in concentrations that indicate dishonesty. Even so, "a few drops" is not an effective dose.

I've posted more at length on the subject before.

I'd be interested in reading this. I've used Nutribiotic liquid GSE for years. I've even injested it myself to stave off a cold since I'm prone to bronchitis and it works miracles for me. My vet even recommended it, so if our nfo is out of date, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[WeimerHeimer]

1) get a steamer! Steamers not only break loose the super glue of all poops but the heat they produce kills bacteria. This was a monthly "super clean" to really get the cages their absolute best.

What make/model of steam cleaner do you have/recommend?

 

[brianlinkles]

I use about 25-30 drops of gse in a normal spray bottle. I have been using for years, I also have read quite a bit about its efficacy. I have sworn by it, I am wondering why you say it doesn't work? I have upped the amount that I use a great deal from the what the bottle recommends but that is basically because I am a worrier.

 

[GinaF]

1) get a steamer! Steamers not only break loose the super glue of all poops but the heat they produce kills bacteria. This was a monthly "super clean" to really get the cages their absolute best.

What make/model of steam cleaner do you have/recommend?

The one I have is made by Shark/Euro Pro and it's a canister type. They don't make my exact one anymore and have since replaced it with this one:

Welcome to Shark® | Official Site


This one is great if you're looking to just do cages and not your whole house and is quite a bit cheaper on Amazon.

Welcome to Shark® | Official Site

I've had it for about 6 years and I use it several times a week. So it's really lived up to the cost! I can clean and sanitize nearly everything in my home.

At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, you might ask why a steamer?

Heat kills bacteria. When you want to sterilize something, you heat it up, or boil it on the stove. The human body does the exact same thing, albeit, at a much lower temperature and it takes a slightly longer period of time, as the bacteria in the body dies off slowly (this is why treating a low grade fever makes you sick longer). Most bacteria cannot survive temperatures above 160F. Steamers maintain a constant temperature of 200-250F. I've actually tested mine on several occasions with a candy thermometer and it's consistently been 270-275F.

Not only are steamers great for removing stuck on poop and sanitizing cages, but also awesome at freshening carpets, beds and just about anything else you can think of. I've found it especially useful during cold and flu season, as it kills the virus and prevents the spread of it within my family. The best part is you can sanitize within 10 seconds and the surface is dry vs the 15-30 minutes during the wet/dry process. And NO chemicals. So it cuts your cleaning time significantly.

Last year, I was the only one who had gotten the flu (nevermind the fact that it nearly killed me). No one else in my family had gotten sick. Same with stomach virus. My son was the only one who came down with it.

They also work very well at cleaning your microwave, oven and the grout lines in your shower that tend to harbor mold and mildew. And no scrubbing. Just steam and wipe down with a dry cloth. If you buy the one with the mop attachment, it does a great job at freshening your carpets and getting rid of pet smells.

I'll never go back to using chemical cleaners and a mop again. And the money I've saved has paid for 10 steamers.

 

[JDlugosz]

I have to point out that GSE is snakeoil. Lab prepared extract shows no particular anti-microbial properties and weak anti-fungal properties. Commercial GSE cleaning product is loaded with Phermerol "as a preservative" but in concentrations that indicate dishonesty. Even so, "a few drops" is not an effective dose.

I've posted more at length on the subject before.

I'd be interested in reading this. I've used Nutribiotic liquid GSE for years. I've even injested it myself to stave off a cold since I'm prone to bronchitis and it works miracles for me. My vet even recommended it, so if our nfo is out of date, I'd love to hear about it.

Definitely look into it. Especially since the one sold as "dietary suppliment" should not contain the Phermerol since that is not approved for oral use!

Start with the Wikipedia article and follow up References to determine the reliability and authority of the claims. Also, consider that the claims of effectiveness+dosage are absurd (a few drops are better than bleach?), so must be exaggerated at the very least.

My nephew did an experiment in grade school where he cultured bacteria from mouth swaps of himself and his dog, and concluded that the myth that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's is wrong. If a kid can do that, it should be possible for anyone to determine whether some cleaning preparation is anti-bacterial: just spray on the petri dish.

Testing whether seed extract is the active ingredient in the cleaning product is harder. How do you obtain it without "contamination" or prepare it yourself? Manufacturers are backpedaling and saying that anti-microbial compound is “formed through a proprietary manufacturing process” so how is that "natural"? And you would not get it is you just pressed the seeds yourself.

—John

 

[JDlugosz]

I use about 25-30 drops of gse in a normal spray bottle. I have been using for years, I also have read quite a bit about its efficacy. I have sworn by it, I am wondering why you say it doesn't work? I have upped the amount that I use a great deal from the what the bottle recommends but that is basically because I am a worrier.

Let's see… how big is a drop? I've seen them as small as 20 to a milliliter, and as large as 5 or so. How big is the spray bottle? Let's say it's 2ml of product in 32 oz = 950ml of water. If the cleaning product's active ingredient is really 20% benzalkonium chloride, and not worrying about weight vs volume, that's 0.4ml / 950ml or 420ppm. The FDA specifies that the safe and effective concentrations for benzethonium chloride are 1000 to 2000 ppm in first aid products.

Does "cleaning" need a lower dose than "first aid"? Does the surface even need it at all?

Some people are against benzethonium chloride, period: A Better Way To Clean » Blog Archive » Benzalkonium Chloride ? Unsafe in Any Product

In any case, I would not want to give my business to a company that misrepresents the contents of a product, doesn't include accurate labeling of possibly allergy-causing chemicals that it does contain, and is ineffective when used as labeled!

—John

 

[JDlugosz]

Heat kills bacteria. When you want to sterilize something, you heat it up, or boil it on the stove. … I've actually tested mine on several occasions with a candy thermometer and it's consistently been 270-275F.

Actually steam is much hotter than that. That is how an autoclave—what they use for medical tools—works. That is why steam scalding you can cause such a severe burn. When steam condenses on a surface it releases many times as much energy as it takes to heat water to its boiling point.

The human body does the exact same thing, albeit, at a much lower temperature and it takes a slightly longer period of time, as the bacteria in the body dies off slowly (this is why treating a low grade fever makes you sick longer)

No, a fever does not kill bacteria through heat any more than it kills your own cells and "good" bacteria that live in you. The body's fever reaction has to do with optimizing the immune response. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever#Usefulness for a short summary.

 

[GinaF]

John.

Obviously you're having trouble interpreting what I typed, so allow me to articulate a little better precisely what I've done and what I'm talking about. This way, we're both on the same page.

I SAID:
I've actually tested mine on several occasions with a candy thermometer and it's consistently been 270-275F.

Now for some reason that I can't understand, you like to pick everything apart and tear it all down into a technical format. So allow me to explain....

I measured the amount of heat coming out of the nozzle from a canister steamer. Said nozzle is attached to a long hose, long enough to allow one to attach yet another device and mop a floor. Now we all learned in science class back in the 6th grade that the further away you get from the primary heat source, the more 'energy' (to clarify - heat) steam loses. This would be why the closer you hold your hand to the end of the nozzle, the hotter the substance feels. Get too close and you're going to suffer serious burns.

My main point lies in the fact that I did clearly state that most bacteria cannot survive temperatures above 160F and the level of steam coming out of most common household steamers are AT LEAST 200-250F. So I have to wonder what the little dig you decided to get in was intended to do, if not contributing to the thread?

I can see we're just going to the bestest of friends around here *kisses*

 

[kiwiS]

Thanks for all the advice guys - I really like the idea of the steamer..I think I'm going to get one..i've been wanting to steam out my couch anyway..it's getting kinda grody! 0.0

I use GSE too, but only to clean their food dishes, I'll try use it on the cage as well!