Cleaning products

[templelove]

What are you using to clean your countertops and floors?
New bird owner here to a beautiful green cheek. Going through the worry phase lol. I’ve fallen in love and don’t want to accidentally harm our new family member. It’s definitely a learning experience. So far I’ve tossed pans, lysol and banned hair sprays and perfumes in the house. I steam clean my tiled floors. Just curious what you use for countertops and hardwood floors. Oh and the toilet. I’ve been using white vinegar in the toilet, although I’m finding the vinegar smell lingers. Not a fan of it, any other options for the toilet?

 

[noodles123]

F10 SC (the yellow/ clean kind) 2 ml to 17oz water in a chemically resistant bottle <---this ratio can be increased or decreased depending on your needs, but I have found that it is best for killing germs without going into overkill mode. I also use 3% hydrogen peroxide straight --in a spray bottle (never mixed with the F10 though lol- and never on the bird's belongings!)

F10 is SUPER safe and very effective at sanitizing. The yellow/clear kind doesn't really cut grease, but it is no rinse (to kill germs, you do have to let it sit for a few minutes, and it is best if you remove poop etc ahead of time---or spray on, let soak, wipe off poop and spray again). There is a variety of f10 that has detergent added (it is greenish) but I don't like it because it requires rinsing.

Not sure about the wood floors, but my parents use Bona and while I don't use it around the bird, I have smelled it, and it seems fairly scentless...you might have to research that further though (in terms of avian safety). I have used F10 on my floors without issue, but MOST of them are composite wood (not true hard-wood...if you will).

Here is a picture of me with my bottle of F10 lol (200 ML)-- a little goes a LONG way, so it may seem expensive, but having done the math, it's actually WAY cheaper than buying standard cleaners (which are, sadly, unsafe for the bird)--and this stuff kills some SERIOUS germs...It can be used to sterilize surgical equipment and it is also used to nebulize birds and reptiles (ONLY BY VETERINARY EXPERTS W/PROPER EQUIPMENT) but, my point is, it is safe... I have gotten it all over myself at full strength and had no skin irritation...it doesn't have much of a smell when mixed up either. Noodles accidentally ate some oatmeal that had been soaked in the solution I described (17 oz water, 2 ml F10) and I FREAKED OUT...but she was okay-- no impact that I could see (this was many years ago). Please DO NOT allow your bird to come into contact with the wet cleaner-- this was just an example to show that it is pretty safe (at least when used properly).

I like F10 because it REALLY sanitizes (unlike vinegar)--yes, vinegar cleans, but it won't kill most viruses or bacteria. If you aren't worried about germs, white vinegar can work, but don't be fooled into thinking it will kill the really nasty stuff that we all fear (e.g., strep, covid, pdd, norovirus etc). F10 does a MUCH better job in the disinfecting department than any natural cleaner, and it is safe (when used as directed)--no lol, I am not a spokesperson for the company either haha!

[/IMG]

 

[Jen5200]

I have heard for hardwood that damp mopping with a mild dish soap and water solution actually works pretty well. I use dish soap and water on all of my countertops. I steam mop most of my floors (no hardwood in my house currently). In my toilet, I do use toilet cleaner - with the door closed and the fan on until all lingering smell of it clears (it’s opposite end of my house from the bird room). I use F10 on surfaces in the bird room (and elsewhere in the house) that need sanitizing.

 

[Farasad]

Vinegar is a good option if you have nothing else in the house. But I prefer to use F10 because it is as harmless as vinegar but more effective and kills germs and viruses

 

[vljenewein]

My wife uses Works toilet bowl cleaner and Works Tub and tile cleaner, but it is not that safe, but we have a lot of iron in our water. I DO NOT recommend Works. I have used dilute phosphoric acid in a spray bottle to remove the iron on cups and dishes. It removes it but it really rather innocuous. I can spray a cup holding it in bare hands and not worry about burning or irritation, just rinse hand with warm water. They add phosphoric acid to food stuff like Coke, and others.

I have used a product from my home made beer making that is a no rinse sanitizer. It has no smell and breweries use it to rinse vats and tanks before transfer and home beer makers use it to rinse bottles just before bottling as it requires no rinse. It is called Star San and I dilute it 6ml to 1 gallon of water, or 3 ml to 1/2 gallon of water. Best to use RO or distilled water. Goes a very long way for a 4 oz. bottle of Star San.

H2O2 aka Hydrogen Peroxide at 3% is a pretty safe cleaner as well, since it quickly breaks down loosing a Oxygen molecule to become H20 (water) in the end. For example, you could rinse a water dish or bathing dish with H2O2 and immediately fill with water and it would basically neutralize any residue of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) .

At the winery where I worked they bought a rather expensive machine called and Ozone generator/injector, that injects Ozone O3 into the water. It, too, is a no rinse sanitizer as they can immediately add wine to a tank that has been ozone rinsed. It is unstable and dissipates rather quickly.

BTW, there are also UV lights that kill nearly every known bacteria and virus that leave no residue as it works with light. Won't clean, but will sanitize.

In the end, the F10SCXD (I found on Amazon.com ) appears to be the one Vets and Avian experts and breeders use.

 

[JustDave07]

Hello there, buddy. If you're worried about your significant other, I recommend hiring a house cleaning service instead of getting on your nerves. Because I work a lot and don't have the strength or time to clean, I frequently use these services. If you order this service from reputable sources, I am confident that you will be unable to fathom living without it.

 

[ravvlet]

I love F10 SC also for sanitizing bird stuff, I was scared to use it at first as they ship it full-concentration and then you have to dilute it yourself, but it wasn’t too bad to do (I did it outdoors and away from the birds because it is QUITE strong) but now I have a handy spray bottle that I use to sanitize the cage and playstands monthly! I only use it outdoors because it still has a slight smell, even diluted.

Our parrot’s room is on the first floor of our house, so on that floor I only use vinegar, water, or a bleach solution. You can use a low concentration non-chlorine bleach solution on stuff that isn’t going to touch the bird, as long as the bird isn’t in the room or near it. On the second floor of our house, I open the windows and use a very dilute solution of water and Simple Green to clean countertops, floors, etc.

For bathrooms I use vinegar and baking soda to get off limescale/hard water build up. I also use this in the ceramic sinks in the bathroom and the kitchen. Make a paste with the baking soda and then spray vinegar on top of it and let it sit for 5-15 minutes, works like a charm and will leave your sinks lovely and white.

I highly recommend following Nancy Birtwhistle (a former Great British Bake Off winner) on social media as she’s made a brand for herself of eco-friendly cleaning products you can make from stuff you already have in your kitchen (she also has a book)! I love her stuff - I am sure not all of it is parrot safe but there is enough overlap between green-cleaning and parrot-safe cleaning that you’ll pick up lots of great tips.