Air freshners

[JoanneinNC]

Okay..this is a silly question. But I really want to ask it!

I have done a lot of reading on hazards to parrots. I understand (and do not use) air freshners. But because of my situation, I will sometimes have guests visiting. They travel from 30 minutes to ten hours to visit...and I want them to be comfortable in my home..and using the restroom. So how do you refresh your restroom without the air freshner sprays, candles, plug ins, etc. Anyone have any ideas for those few times when guests are here? Thanks

Joanne :0)

[Valo's Moirana]

thought about potpourri? that would sure work for a restroom and if you ensure that there's not artificial (ie chemical) enhancement it should be safe for birds.

[cpryslek]

you can use essential oils. the best ones to use is young living or natures sunshine. y.l has one that is called purifacation. it has orange,grapefriut,and a few other e.o. you can put a few drops of the e.o in a mister w/ distilled/purified water and spray it. or they also have a dissfuser that you can use. the reason i said young living and natures sunshine products is that they are of the purest e.o. i took reflexology and my insturctor is very knowlegdeable about the purety as she has once worked for many years as a perfume chemist(for a well known perfume comp). i can't remember what the right terms/words are. and e.o are safe to use at anytime. as they are the only thing that breaks thru the brain blood barrier. if any of you want a good cleansing massage ask for a rain drop therapy. make sure they use top quality e.o as there are many out there that dilute theirs down so they are not quite effective.

[cfulhage]

Everybody always suggests this, so you think I would remember the exact details, but I can't. Something about boiling cinnamon sticks or orange peels. 100% safe for our fids and smells deee-licious!

[birdyland]

I've always been of the understanding that inhailed e.o. are BAD FOR BIRDS..... please advise?

From: http://www.birdhotline.com/comment.htm
Scents from candles, pine room sprays, room deodorizers can be deadly. No potpourri, please. Instead, use herbal potpourris you prepare yourself. Bowls of lavender flowers, dried basil leaves, lemon verbena, cinnamon sticks with dried orange peels, all make great scent potpourris that won't poison your bird. Don't use an essential oil diffuser either.

From: http://www.liparrotsociety.org/dangerous.htm
According to an article in the Indoor Air Quality Review, problems associated with scented candles may result from the minute particulate matter dispersed by the candles. Essential oils and chemicals are added to these candles to create the scents. These are dispersed into the air as the candles burn. The inhaled particles are small enough to pass through the human body's 'filter system' (lungs) and become lodged in the tissues. Grey marks, called 'ghosting' may appear on interior walls when scented candles are used.

From: http://www.parrotparrot.com/articles/aa032799.htm
Other hazards include scented aerosol sprays and other spray chemicals, essential oils, scented candles, and anything using pine scenting.

From http://www.birds-online.de/againstwi...ing/safety.htm
Candles, scented oils (essential oils), air refreshers with fragrances: Burning candles are very dangerous because the hot wax and the flame can cause burns and also most dyes and fragrances are poisonous. The vapours of scented oils and other fragrances can cauterize the tongue, fauces, crop, stomach and respiratory system.

From: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/aromatherapy/90085 "When Essential Oils and Pets Don’t Mix"
Another way animals have been killed is when they consume incense that has high concentrations of essential oils.

[tielfan]

Light a match! :)

[Alyce Johnson]

I have a natural orange spray for use in the bathroom. And I leave a window open so the room gets some outside air. Also, I keep the bathroom door firmly closed at all times.

That's considered "good Feng Shui" to keep your bathroom door closed anyway (and to put a large mirror on the outside of the door to make the bathroom "disappear"). I "remind" guests by asking them to close the door and explaining that the room has outside ventilation, and I don't want to lose household heat out the window in there.

I'd like to get one of those heaters/ventilator fans that you put horizontally in the window. The room has no heater and no built in fans anywhere. But so far I haven't found one I could afford and felt would be safe near the shower. So...I make do with an open window.

[cpryslek]

here are the websites for young living and natures sunshine products.www.youngliving.com and www.naturessunshine.com. for more info on e.o's. the diffuser that y.l sells does not heat the oil up but releases a mist. and the other diffusers use a wick style that evaporates into the air. i use e.o all the time. and it hasn't effected the birds. e.o doesn't linger inthe air for a long time. what they do is kills off the batria in the air that causes the smells. e.o's are anti mircobal, anti fungal. they are of plant essence.

[Tashk]

I am a extreme user of Young Living oils, and I have sucessfully healed one of my birds with them - the bird was given to me with tumors on each of his wings, and I would put the oils directly onto him, in time the tumors came out of his skin and fell off! I also put them on any of my birds when they are looking under the weather. I TRUELY do not believe that they are any harm to birds... As long as they are in thier purest form, with out additives.

[felisdomesticus]

Originally Posted by Valo's Moirana

thought about potpourri? that would sure work for a restroom and if you ensure that there's not artificial (ie chemical) enhancement it should be safe for birds.

Just because something is natural or "not artificial"--that doesn't mean it's safe. Anthrax is natural, E. coli is natural, chlorine gas is natural and they all can kill you.

Essential oils can kill your birds.