Teflon?

[Teluhlasmom]

I have aquestion about teflon and non stick coating. I have heard about the danger and I want my baby girl to be safe. My husband and I use a foreman grill a lot, and several of our pots and pans are non stick, I do plan on replacing all of them, unfortunalty that isn't in the budget, today! Anyway, Teluhlas cage isn't in the kitchen and whenever I am cooking I keep her in her cage in the other room, is this far enough away from danger, or can she still get hurt?

[BMustee]

Make sure to not over heat your pans...the fumes can go all over the house. They are oderless and colorless so you don't really know how far it has gone.

[judygram]

Do not use the teflon pans or any cookware with that in it and that includes the Foreman grill, we just had a new member post that they lost their grey to one of those appliances. It is not far enough away to be just in the next room, do what you have to but it is not worth the life of your grey please.

[BMustee]

I don't risk it and have banned the use of teflon in my house

[Tari]

Yep none here. Even if you think you well never over heat one the exposer over time can also kill your parrots.

[Ronda477]

Personally we still use it, I have had our Quaker for 9 years and the vet had told us as long as we had good grade pans and they weren't getting over the heat range of 500 degrees or left on a burner with nothing in them they would be fine. It's a personal opinion I think, some have had bad experiences with them which do lead to death unfortunately. I know I will get some slack off of this. But we still use it, we are just careful not to burn anything or heat at high degrees. We do use our fan that is over the stove as well, just for a safety.

[BMustee]

No slack hereB) . All of use know the risks and I know that all of use would never do something that we KNOW would hurt our birds...like, leave them in the Sun for hours on end to bake like chickens. I myself have all 11 birds in my bedroom and yes, I have used fabreaze around them...well, elmo goes in the bathroom for a little bit after I spray, but the finches are still around it. I just use as little as I can and open a window...some people I'm sure would not do that because of the possible risks.

[Makena]

We got rid of ALL our teflon right away. IMHO it isn't worth the risk. I would never forgive myself if I accidentally let a pan overheat. I did it the other day with a SS pan. I was boiling meat and wasn't paying attention and all the water evaporated out of the pot and the meat burned horribly on the bottom. I have never done that before, and was thanking my lucky stars that it wasn't teflon. I could be typing a very different post right now.

 

You can say you will be careful and it will never happen to you... yadda yadda. It only takes one slip, one mistake, one phone call that interrupts you, one tv show that sucks you in, etc.

 

I am not directing this at anyone or trying to start and argument. I agree with BMustee, we know the risks and don't want to intentionally hurt our birds. Teflon poisoning is never intentional. It's a slip up that in the end can take the life of our babies.

 

I AM PROUD TO SAY I HAVE A TEFLON FREE HOUSEHOLD

[lovemyGreys]

Here is a previous thread on Teflon...

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/bird-food/32353-teflon-coated-cookware.html#34727

[Tari]

The fact that teflon kills is not a personal opion but a fact. But you know what acceptable risk you are willing to take with your birds.

I for one try to keep my risk down but making as many smart choices as possible. No teflon is one of them.

[Ronda477]

Well I know it's not a personal opinion on if it will hurt them or not, it is however a personal opinion on if you believe it will hurt them or not and if you want it in your own home. I for one have had probably the worst scare out of anyone on this board with a pan over heating when I was not home none the less because of a cat jumping up on the stove and hitting the ignite button and turning the gas on the stove which then burned the pan. I came home to all fire alarms going off and a smoke filled house! My quaker to my surprise was still alive. After everything I had read I thought for sure she would be gone. The only thing from actually starting a true fire was the lid on the skillet was still on it. But you can ask 50 different people the same question I and I think we would give all kinds of answers.

 

This was written by a DVM-

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=15&cat=18&articleid=2874

 

If you are going to get rid of your teflon than you can't say that without going all the way and getting rid of all the other things that have teflon in them. Such as:Non-stick pots, pans, and other cookware

Stain repellants

Space heaters and heat lamp covers

Non-stick irons and ironing board covers

Hair dryers

Non-stick oven drip pans and broiler pans

Non-stick griddles, woks, waffle makers, electric skillets, tortilla presses

Non-stick hot air corn poppers, coffee makers, bread makers

Non-stick slow cookers, roasters, pizza pans

Ceramic cooking stoves, coffee makers, carpet & furniture that has stain resistant protection on it

 

I do believe that if you have a $1,000 set of cookware it is not as harmful as the cheap non stick that you buy at Walmart and such. The cheaper versions actually peel off. That isn't good for ourselves much less our birds. Other hazards include feeding bad things that aren't really healthy to our birds, or people that smoke. Is that not harmful? Anything we do in our lives for the most part is harmful, if it's to us or our birds. None of us lead a completely safe life. We don't smoke, we don't eat a bunch of junk nor do we feed our birds a bunch of fruits for the sugar content, but we do however cook and never unsupervised with non stick cookware. The dangers come from not cooking with oil or butter. And the main danger from over heating them. But for one, we always use butter or oil. And than again if you look deep enough oil if you have a fryer gets pretty hot, did you know that the fumes hot oil puts off can kill a bird? There are just soo many things out there that are bad for not only us, but for our birds, and that is where I say it is a personal opinion to have in your life these items if you chose.

 

And honestly if you are not around to watch the food you are cooking than you shouldn't be cooking at that moment anyways. We never leave the kitchen when cooking. The stove burning something is a huge hazards not just to a birds health if it is teflon, but personally I have children and the thought of the house going up because I wasn't watching a pan would be much worse than anything I could imagine. So I can say it will never happen to me on that part, and as far as the skillet going up again we have 100% taken care of that problem and remove all items from stove and all knobs before leaving the house. It's just a rule for us now because of what happened. We are truly lucky we even had a home to come home to much less our animals still being alive. I certainly do not want to start anything with anyone, I like everyone on here as a family member, but I do think depending on how you cook and how good of a grade of pan you are cooking in makes a huge difference.

 

That this is strictly my OPINION and that is all, take it with a grain of salt. All in all we want what is good for our birds, but don't lead perfect lives. And I won't pretend that I do. Because I do good things and I also take risks with everything I do including raising my children. Life is one big risk there is no book for it.

 

Post edited by: Ronda477, at: 2008/02/20 03:44<br><br>Post edited by: Ronda477, at: 2008/02/20 17:03

[BMustee]

Amen Sister!!! Let the person that lives a life without any risk be the first to throw stones.

[Ronda477]

LOL Sorry, I am soo not against people that have it at all, I know it is a risk, but I am just saying there are a bunch of things out there that can harm our birds and yet ALL of us take risks with it, this one happens to be one of the things I take a risk on. I am sorry if I offended anyone, you all know me by now, but honestly I have never written a post like that before lol. So I hope there are no grudges.{Feel-good-00020114}

[Shamelessmuse]

I won't give any one flak for their choices, I will give them the facts, but no one can be forced to bend.

 

for me personally it not only comes down to not wanting to take that risk for my bird. But, also if it is harmful to a bird would it not be harmful to me? And after some of the things I have read, I am not convienced that some of that gross stuff wouldn't leach into my food either. I would rather just used my Stainless set. I did switch before Miss Greyce joined us after some research I had done. I had a brand new set at that - I sold it on Craiglist though. I also got a stainless iron and a non-teflon ceramic dryer - my hair seems to like it more anyway!

[Hannah_Rae]

I saw a report on 20/20 that said that people in my generation (born in the 80's or later) have been exposed to so much teflon that it will forever be in our blood. We can't get away from it. It's in our clothes, our carpets, and our cookware. :blink:

 

Thankfully, I believe it's only the gas form that has been proven to kill birds...I hope so anyway.

[Ronda477]

That was exactly my point Shamelessmuse, that there are soo many things that are harmful for us let alone our birds that we take a chance with every day.

 

Do you have a coffee maker? That has teflon on it

Do you have stain resistant furniture or carpets? That has teflon on it.

Do you have drip pans under your burners on the top of your stove, cause that gets hotter than the pan itself, That has teflon on it.

Do you use the broiler part of your oven? That has teflon on it.

Do you use a slow cooker? It has teflon in it.

 

My point is this, that unless you can live 100% naturally which is very hard to do, you haven't taken ALL the TEFLON out of your house. I can give facts too. Just by saying you got rid of a couple of things that have it do you know for sure that everything is out? No. There are a ton of things that I had no idea of even thinking of such as my carpet or my coffee maker that have it them. So just getting rid of a pan set or a curling iron isn't all of them. And therefor still putting your bird at risk. I know it is harmful, but like I stated above how many people smoke? Or have any kind of plug in air freshner or spray air freshner? Do you have a fireplace in your home? Do any of you wear perfumes or cologne? Because my point is just that, unless you get rid of absolutely everything you are not innocent and doing 100% good for your bird like everyone would like to say. So are you going to get rid of all of it? And live 100% naturally. Even mineral spirits are hazardous to our birds lol. So things that are natural too lol. Like I said anyone and everyone can say they want what is best for your bird, me included, but my point is unless you get rid of all of the above than you aren't perfect. And again I'm not claiming to be! Like I had said with allot of teflon the cheapers ones anyway, they have a spray coating on them which is very bad for you and anyone or anything else. Your better sets have a 1/2 inch of baked in teflon that only releases fumes at above 536 degrees of heat. So I think depending oh your set they are better than others. I just don't like when others think they are better than another cause of what they have gotten rid of and they aren't putting their bird in harms way. But can you say that you got rid of all the above that do the same thing? If you can, than I completely applaud you and anyone who can or chose to.

 

And please don't think this is completely towards one person, it's not at all, just no one is perfect and don't think we should act as if we are by getting rid of a couple of things.

 

Glad though that your hair likes the new iron lol, it looks good in the pic!

 

But won't write any more lol I got my point across, I am beating a dead subject now lol. Everyone will have their own opinion and yes facts are facts but you have to look at ALL of them not just one.

[Tari]

Im not throwing stones. I'm just said I made a good smart choice to not risk it. There are stuff we use and that just can't be avoided but when it can be avoided why risk it?

I lost 11 birds to this stuff and if I can stop one person from having to live threw that cause they thought they were perfect and would never have an accident then I don't mind stepping on someone's toes.(cause I was one of those people.)

You can read my story in the other post about losing my birds. It still makes me cry to talk about it so won't retype it here.

 

Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/02/20 22:54<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/02/20 23:17

[Shamelessmuse]

I don't have any of the above things with Teflon personally I don't drink coffee. I use stainless burner covers, ect...then again I have a stove that is older than me with no teflon anything. I don't use air freshner because I am allergic, I can't use bleach because it makes me sick...I don't have stain resistant carpet or furniture...I do have a carpet cleaner. I may be as sensitive as a bird I use natural essential oils for de-smelling any doggy smell.

 

Again, people are going to make the choice if they want to use it or not. I just saw too many birds die as a result of Teflon the 6 years I was a vet tech and like I said if it does that to a bird, what is it doing to me. It's just a risk that I am not willing to take when I really don't have to. No one is perfect and no - you can't 100% eliminate anything that is a threat. But, I can eliminate the ones that are easy to do. Teflon was an easy one, I love my fancy pants stainless pots (that were a total bargin).

[Ronda477]

I also see how posting opinions on here works. I guess I will no longer do so, being I actually get Karma taken away for posting. I was not saying by any means that is was wrong or right for taking teflon out of your home, No one I guess was seeing the point. That none of us are better than the other, but guess I'm 3 less Karma now than the rest. I will not offend anyone any longer. Sorry for posting. It was strictly an Opinion and sorry but everyone has one. And we shouldn't get punished for it.

[Tari]

OH well then you misunderstood our post. I didn't see anyone saying they where better then anyone.

And we must of misunderstood your post. It can happen we can't see faces or hear tones. So sometimes things get mess up.

The bottom line is we all love our birds and want to do what is best for them.

I so miss candles. lol It's the only change I have maded that I miss. But I have a screened in gazabo outside now and as long as I don't have a parrot with me I can burn some. WOOT. lol<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/02/21 00:54

[Shamelessmuse]

I also wasn't saying anyone was better than another. While I may not agree with you, you have your opinion and you have made some very valid points! I would never take karma away from you for doing so. So I am giving you a Karma back

 

Tari - I miss candles too!!

[Ronda477]

Girls so sorry for the mis understanding! Like I said I truly look at everyone on here as family, we all have our opinions and we will all (hopefully) get past any differences in opinions.

 

 

I sooo miss candles too! I used to burn and sell actually Partylite candles. I was told by the company that they are safe but than again they do put off a very good scent so who knows, but I did quit using them, guess we agree on one thing lol. Cheers girls!{Communicate-000200D5}

[judygram]

Discussion is good but like it was mentioned we cannot see facial expressions or hear the tone of the words written so misunderstandings occur but we can agree on one thing, teflon is a bird killer so we all do what we can to make our home safe for our birds.

 

Ronda I gave you some karma to bring you up to par with your posts:P