# Let's talk cleaners!



## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

Ok, so a little background:


I live in a house with two small boys, so there are always messes to clean up
I live in a house with a wife who loves, above all else, to bake...so there are always messes to clean up
I live in a house with four cats who don't always manage to make it to the litter box....so there are _always _messes to clean up


*Kitchen. *Since we are currently a bird-free home, we use this on all of our cooking/food prep/kitchen surfaces. Now, I would never use something like this to clean the cage; but is it still safe to use in the kitchen area when the bird is not in the room? Our home floor plan is very open, so the kitchen is not enclosed on two of its sides. There is direct line-of-sight to the living area where the bird would be housed.
If I need to replace this, are there any commercially available products that you recommend that would do the trick? I can get into apothecary mode and brew my own cleaners; but there are some things that I'm ok throwing money at to solve if they are safe. The new Nine Elements stuff got my attention, but I'm not sure if all of the ingredients are bird safe...?

*Cats.* In our basement I typically use Clorox bleach spray to clean up any messes and sanitize litter boxes between cleanings. The entire basement has epoxy floors, so cleanup is typically pretty easy. The basement is _not _behind a door, but it's obviously below our main living space. The bathroom in the basement where the litter is, is behind a door, but that's always left open (though we run the bathroom fan in there daily to help with ventilation).
Can I continue to use this kind of abrasive cleaner in the basement if the bird is no where near the area? The basement itself is about 900sqft and the smell of bleach doesn't come to the upper living area (by human standards, I know that a bird would be far more sensitive). If I cannot, can I use cage-safe disinfectants instead? Please provide suggestions 

*Odors.* We currently use scented candles in the main living space, especially during the winter months where ventilation is at a minimum. These are obvious non-starters with a bird, so I'm 100% open to replacing the method.
Since we still want "something" to freshen up the house a bit, it looks like an essential oil diffuser is the way to go? Something like this? Are all essential oils bird safe, or are there specific ones to be on the lookout for?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*1. Kitchen Since you have an open floor plan, you are going to need to be careful of chemicals 
Safe Cleaning Products

The 9 Elements looks like it may be a good choice. 

2. You might want to consider using F10 disinfectant to clean up the cat's litter boxes.
Disinfectants

3. **Safe Use of Medical Grade Essential Oils*


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

FaeryBee said:


> *1. Kitchen Since you have an open floor plan, you are going to need to be careful of chemicals
> Safe Cleaning Products
> 
> The 9 Elements looks like it may be a good choice.
> ...


thanks!

I wasn’t sure about the C12-16 Pareth, I’d never heard of that before.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I haven't either. I believe you will be using the cleaner in the kitchen and it should be far enough away from your Linnies that it will be OK.*


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

I agree, I use similar stuff in my kitchen (hello, baker/chef over here too  ) and it's been fine with Mallorn in a nearby room (our floorplan is also relatively open). Seems like you've got some good ideas! We use essential oil diffusers as well, and around the holidays, oranges with cloves in them and sachets of cinnamon and cloves are also great choices!


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

StarlingWings said:


> I agree, I use similar stuff in my kitchen (hello, baker/chef over here too  ) and it's been fine with Mallorn in a nearby room (our floorplan is also relatively open). Seems like you've got some good ideas! We use essential oil diffusers as well, and around the holidays, oranges with cloves in them and sachets of cinnamon and cloves are also great choices!


Which product do you use in your kitchen?

Yeah, come the holidays, this place is going to smell like the inside of Santa’s Study..


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Well, what we end up getting usually depends on if it's on sale, etc. We've used Mrs. Meyer's all purpose kitchen cleaner, which is all natural, and similar products as well (we stick to eco-friendly, "natural" products). If we're out of kitchen cleaner we just use dish soap mixed with vinegar  As needed we use a little Comet powder in the sink only to scrub the stuff out of it, but only rinse it with cold water so the fumes don't go everywhere, and we don't use it anywhere else.


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

StarlingWings said:


> Well, what we end up getting usually depends on if it's on sale, etc. We've used Mrs. Meyer's all purpose kitchen cleaner, which is all natural, and similar products as well (we stick to eco-friendly, "natural" products). If we're out of kitchen cleaner we just use dish soap mixed with vinegar  As needed we use a little Comet powder in the sink only to scrub the stuff out of it, but only rinse it with cold water so the fumes don't go everywhere, and we don't use it anywhere else.


I forgot about Mrs. Meyer..


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

srirachaseahawk said:


> I forgot about Mrs. Meyer..


It’s ok, I won’t tell her 😉 🤫


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