Air freshener?

[Meagan83]

My bird room smells like, well, birds. I keep the cages cleaned once a week and use pine and corn cobb in the bottom of the cages. I think it might be dander that gets in the air and makes it smell? I vacuum but that does not help either. Any suggestions? I know many air fresheners are harmful to birds. What about potpourri? Like the scented chips of flowers and pine cone? Would that be okay

[L in Ontario]

I use only newspaper in my birdroom - lots of it and my birdroom rarely ever smells. I too clean it once a week. I never use any kind of air fresheners, sprays or candles in the house.

[CandoAviary]

My rooms develope a smell when I have a lot of nest (these can get pretty yucky.) There is not a whole lot you can do about it. I open windows and air out...though most are airy anyway. You could put an air purifyer in. Some say the type that neutralizes the ozones can be harmful to birds. I don't know if they do or not. But filtering the air, especially with a charcoal filter may help.

[Meagan83]

Some say the type that neutralizes the ozones can be harmful to birds.

Do you mean like the "Ionic Breeze"? I had thought about getting one... They can harm the birds possibly?
Ive tried airing it out by opening the windows, but this is obviously only effective while the windows are open. I live in KY so the weather has already started to cool off and I don't want it to be too cool for them.

[CandoAviary]

Yes, back when I bred canaries these type of air purifyers were relatively new on the market. I had purchased an ionizer and a collector for my living room. It worked great so I was considering it for the bird room. Canary breeders (canarytales) said DON"T do it. Lots of different opinions out there. I figure I would be safe than sorry so I used a regular air filter.... just to be safe.

Anyone out there know more about this?

[CandoAviary]

Found this site..read the part about those type filters...halfway down the page.
http://www.multiscope.com/hotspot/bird_ ... s_lung.htm

[Meagan83]

Wow I read that article and I am shocked. My mother AND sis have one and it says that they can even be harmful to humans!!! I'm sending them the article also. Thanks for the link!!! Okay, so no ozone producing machines then. But I cannot afford the purifiers that the site recommended, youch,,,costly!!! I'm feeling a bit discouraged.

[CandoAviary]

Yeah, lots of scary stuff out there. Back when I googled it I found tons of stuff....mostly negative about these ionizers.
Also Fumes from newly turned on heaters, cookwear and the such can have bad effect on birds also. Once the coating is burned off then they are relatively safe.

[FeatherHarp]

Meagan83.....maybe setting a box or two of baking soda in the bird room would help the smell. It is good for absorbing odors in the fridge and other areas....it just might work in your bird area!

[cindy]

Hi, when I first got my birds (parrotlets and Gray) I talked to our Avian Vet (DVM., ABVP Avian Specialist) and read a lot...anything telflone coated is harmful to birds. Their lungs are very sensitive and certain chemicals can irrate and burn the linings of their lungs unlike ours. Certain glues, sprays are toxic.

As far as air freshner sprays, potpourri or candles, they are a no to, even those cute little gel air freshners that look like stained glass.

Any heaters coated in telfon are not good either, ceramic coated coils are better. My cookware is cast iron or non coated.

The corn cob bedding if wet can mold if there is a lot of humidity. I stopped using it when after 4 days I noticed mold growing in an area that always got wet especially if the birds bathed. That can smell also. I use aspen chips under grates.

[Meagan83]

Hmm, I might try the baking soda and see what happens. I don't use any air fresheners though, I know that the little fids are very sensitive. I wish there was a pet friendly scented litter or something that had a natural safe fragrance. I wonder if something like dried lavender would be safe

[cindy]

Oh I forgot, my mother uses Baking soda or charcol (powdered) that is made for absorbing and neutralizing odors.

[Finch Fry]

On a weekly basis, i clean the cages, while doing this, I open up the window, screen in, and put a large fan in. Over the course of the 2 hours it takes to clean the bird room, the room is refreshed.

I would highly recommend baking soda in a corner of the room as well. That stuff is pretty good. I use it in my fridge and freezer.

[ac12]

"Air freshener" just adds stuff to the air to mask the odors. You really want to remove the odor causing particles from the air...if you can.

I use a HEPA air filter that I picked up at CostCo. It was NOT the EXPENSIVE HEPA filter, I think it was about $70. Look for the new ones with the lifetime washable filter. The replacement disposable HEPA filter media can cost as much as a new HEPA air filter.

As long as the air is contained, like in a small room, it should work OK. The problem is situations like mine, the birds are in one corner of a BIG room (family room + kitchen). In that situation the air filter won't do as good of a job.

What I found is a smell trigger is water. When they bath, they splash water into the cage, and get their poop wet, and then things start to smell. Once it dries out, the smell reduced a LOT.

[Finch Fry]

What I found is a smell trigger is water. When they bath, they splash water into the cage, and get their poop wet, and then things start to smell. Once it dries out, the smell reduced a LOT.

So then solution here is to not give your finches ANY water. Problem solved!!!