Bird safe laundry detergent?

[Sparkles!]

So we recently purchased a different cage for Winston Churchill. I wanted a bigger one on wheels so we could roll his lazy tush to a bigger window, all in the name of supporting his favorite hobby aka: screaming at the pigeons outside.

The cage is shaped differently from his old one, and this puts him in very close proximity to the curtains on his window. Because he is only in front of the window during the day, we cannot take our curtains down. We do have them “up” so he flings less poo on them, but they do still get bombed and he could reach them with his beak if he really chose
. And moving him to a different window isn’t an option. Bigger cage is great, but it won’t fit any other place.
I’m worried about laundry detergent for these curtains he is close to. Is there a 100% bird safe detergent? We use Tide free and clear for the family, but I emailed the company and they said to keep away from children and pets and eyeballs...(well, pretty much anyways). I have been hand washing them weekly in just plain water due to not getting a “safe” answer from Tide.

Does anyone have a bird safe laundry detergent? I worry about fumes even after drying as well as any chemical residue that doesn’t wash out. I know that Tide has “optical brighteners” in it.

 

[Mizzely]

This is going to be more information than you want

Detergent isn't made to stay on clothes. It is made to attach to dirt and then rinse away and take the dirt with it. The detergent itself is not safe for the birds, but clothes washed in it are.

I primarily use All Free & Clear as my toddler has eczema and reacts to a lot of detergents. One thing about it though is that it contains a coconut oil based ingredient that is specifically included to stay on the clothes and coat the fabric to reduce skin reactions. Great for skin, bad for things you need too be absorbent. So, for towels, cloth diapers, etc, I use Tide Free & Gentle.

With cloth diapers especially, if you get detergent build up because of it not rinsing correctly, then it causes issues with absorption. Tide is well loved in the cloth diaper community because it is a powerful cleaner... That rinses away.

The tl;dr version: Wash in the Tide Free & Clear and do an extra rinse if you are worried that's what I would do!

 

[Sparkles!]

Mizzely, you’re awesome.
When I emailed Tide, and got that canned answer of “use caution” it made me pause.
Thanks!!!

 

[Blueberry]

I think anything that has a powerful Oder should be avoided. But I may be just over cautious. I double rinse everything and wash my bird things with vinegar (cage cover).

 

[Kassiani]

Yep, I just use Free and Clear of whatever brand I can find and have had no problems. I used them before birds, because I'm allergic to most fragrances

 

[erineliot]

I see this thread is older, but I saw someone mentioned running vinegar through the wash and wanted to offer some caution that’s previously been relayed to me. (Disclaimer: I have not experienced this myself, and I’m no scientist.) However, I’ve read a few times that apparently heating vinegar can be fatal for birds! I was astonished because I’ve always been told it’s the safest thing to clean cages with, and I do. However, apparently people have lost their birds specifically to heated vinegar from cleaning coffee machines and dish washers. Absolutely tragic, but wanted to provide that tip in case it’s true.