Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

Hi, Mitch and Catherine.

I love your blog.

Chock full of great info.

I read it every week.

I am getting a young cockatiel in about 5 weeks.

My question is about cleaners to use in my house around birds.

 

I use vinegar and water and baking soda for tabletop surfaces and hot soapy water with vinegar when I have done full cage cleanup every couple of weeks ..BUT.. I also have a cleaning service that comes in once every 2 weeks and I want to know about what are safe products to wash wood floors & wood furniture around birds?

 

A lot of commercial products are loaded with chemicals and strong odors.

 

I’ve seen a lot of people saying grapefruit seed extract but it’s $17 for 4 ounces..and doesn’t seem like it would go far.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Am I overworking about this?

 

Thanks! 

Elaine 

 

Dear Elaine

 

Thank you for your kind words, Mitch works very hard on the posts.

 

It would be easiest to just transfer the bird into a small carrier and take it out of the apartment for the day.

 

Or, have a small cage or carrier that you put the bird into and place it in a room that is not being cleaned for the day.

 

But otherwise, yes, check into the cleaning service about their use of cleaning products, ask if they are already cleaning other homes with birds.

 

There are safe products to use around birds.

 

You could even purchase them and provide them for your cleaning company to use.

 

We have done research and found some brands we think are most likely bird-safe floor cleaners available today.

Attitude Floor Surfaces, Tiles and Wood Cleaner

Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner

Biokleen Bac-Out Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner

Eco-Me Floor Cleaner

Earth Friendly Products Floor Cleaner

Naturally It’s Clean Floors

Ecover Natural Floor Soap

Simple Green Naturals Floor Care

 

Overall, unless your bird is ill, or you are cleaning up a used birdcage and the previous resident may have been ill, you don’t need heavy-duty cleaning products.

 

A simple fully safe enzyme product called Poop-Off will work most of the time to loosen dirt, poop and dried-on food and you can be completely comfortable with its use.

 

For virus/disinfection then Mango Pet Focus is a great product.

 

Cleaner & Sanitizer RTU 32 oz Mango Pet Focus

 

It also comes in a concentrate which will make 32 gallons of cleaner.

 

Cleaner & Sanitizer Concentrate 32 oz Mango Pet Focus

 

Vinegar and water is okay, but really has no cleaning properties and please don’t overheat it (boil) as it can be toxic at that point to breath.

 

Thank you

Catherine Tobsing