Safer Cleaning Choices (maybe?)

[birdhouse]

I just saw this. I haven't had time to research any of the products, yet. So anyone who has a chance, please chime in with some feedback.

 

Many of the products looked like they might be have some potential as safer cleaning solutions.

 

 

 

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/634/the-best-cleaning-products/

[Talon]

I have the second one, the anti-germ spray. It has a strong foul smell, don't like it....

 

I use nothing but 11.5 alkaline water for cleaning, or 2.5 acidic water for disinfecting. Can't get any safer than that. I have a countertop machine that makes it.

[Zoom]

I just had my windows professionally cleaned, inside and out, yesterday. I was concerned about the potential for toxic fumes, so the window washer gave me a packet of the stuff he uses so I could research it first. It's called the Unger Pill. You dissolve the pill in water. It's odorless, fumeless, green and non-toxic. Based on my research (material handling data sheets and several other sources) I believe it is safe for birds. (I was convinced enough that I gave him the go-ahead. But just to be on the safe side, I took the birds outside while he was working inside, and brought them back in immediately after.)

[Trinkapuppy]

I have always and will always use Virkon S for disinfection, and white vinegar for odor neutralization and general cleaning. That and my power washer.

 

Virkon S is a powerful disinfectant, without being toxic. It's fairly inexpensive, and you can make up just small amounts at a time. It is one of the few things that will kill pretty much all of the major diseases out there more or less on contact. PBFD, chlamydia psittacosis, salmonella,MRSA, and even human HIV and AIDS. It is used very often by veterinarians as well as hospitals. It will NOT penetrate through waste, however, so in order to sterilize, the surfaces must be clean. Thus why I use power washers/vinegar to clean it all off.

Generally, virkon is considered safe for birds--I wouldn't mist them in the face with it, but if it's not completely rinsed out of their cage, it's unlikely to cause a problem.

 

To give an idea on how harmless, overall, it is, my job (prior to becoming a stay at home mom) was at a pet wholesaler--we specialized in fish and rodents, and carried some reptiles. Never birds. I oversaw medication of the fish when they arrived, and discovered from one of our collectors that Virkon S used directly in the water with the fish was very effective in battling a number of EXTREMELY stubborn bacterial diseases that cropped up during the stress of shipping halfway across the world in small bags. We put enough in to turn the water pink, and the fish were some of the healthiest shipped fish available on the market.....Yeah, fish aren't birds, but they are VERY sensitive to toxins. A decent "canary in the coalmine" so to speak.

 

I use it off label for ringworm. I'm just super probe to getting it--if I LOOK at a cat that has it, I'll have two spots in under a week. I rub the powder directly onto it, and generally it's gone within 2-3 days.

 

NOT that I'm recommending it for either off label use--fish or fungus! .....these are simply experiences I've had with it......

 

If anyone has had any BAD experiences with virkon, I'm very interested in hearing it.