Scooba?
Anyone here know the ingredients of the Clorox wash recommended for use with a Scooba (floor-washing robot made by the same company as the Roomba)? They say that vinegar is an alternative that can be used, but I'm reluctant to have the whole house stinking of vinegar since I've read that too much vinegar can irritate birds' lungs. The Scooba's on sale at Woot today, and I'd kinda like one, but I'm hesitant b/c of the cleaners. I emailed them to see if they'll answer me, but even if they do it'll probably be after the Woot sale is done.
ETA: iRobot did actually reply with the MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) for the Clorox (since they do not do animal testing). If anyone wants to see a copy I'm sure you can request it yourself, or I'd be glad to email it to you. The two ingredients that require an MSDS are "Alkyl polyglucoside" and "Tetrapotassium EDTA". I do not know what these two are and would not use the Clorox until I do know what they are, however based upon rumorofrain's comments on using vinegar in hers, I think I shall buy one for myself.
ETA2: So consulted with a chemistry major (marquiswildbill), since I'm "just" an astronomer - to us there's only there elements, Hydrogen, Helium, and Everythingelseium. ;) It turns out that the Clorox cleaner may actually be safer than a vinegar mix, since neither of the two ingredients I mentioned above are volatile (i.e., they won't evaporate into the air) while vinegar is. Plus they're both plant-based.
marquiswildbill's longer analysis, shared with permission. Comments in [brackets] are mine.
Alkyl polyglucoside other than it is a sugar based surfactant (probably nonionic) and it shouldn't be volatile [that is, it shouldn't evaporate] so it shouldn't be a problem for Kappa. ... EDTA is a commonly used water softener as the tetra sodium salt. I know the sodium salt is non-toxic and it is non-volatile. Unless birds are very sensitive to potassium [I don't think that they are] it is safe. Even then Kappa would have to drink the stuff for it to be a concern. I think vinegar would actually be more harmful as acetic acid is volatile and breathing acid vapors is not healthy
...
The articles I found about alkyl polyglucosides all focused on toxicity from consumption or skin contact, and they seem quite safe up to levels of consumption of 1,000mg/kg/day in animal [usually mammal, not bird] models. They are non-ionic surfactants commonly used in soaps and detergents, you probably already have some in your laundry detergent and dishwasher soap. Because they can be made from sugars and vegetable oils they have gained a lot of popularity as renweable detergents. A lauryl-glucose monomer would have a molecular mass over 350/subunit which is heavy enough that it is likely to decompose before vaporizing. And the EDTA salt is virtually omnipresent as the sodium salt, and also will not contribute to the vapor pressure of the solution [that is, won't make it more likely to evaporate]. So unless Kappa takes a bath in the stuff she'll be fine (even then she would be pretty safe as long as you get her out before she drowns). [Though I wouldn't recommend this, as your bird might drink some of the chemical, and we don't know the levels of toxicity in birds.]
ETA: iRobot did actually reply with the MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) for the Clorox (since they do not do animal testing). If anyone wants to see a copy I'm sure you can request it yourself, or I'd be glad to email it to you. The two ingredients that require an MSDS are "Alkyl polyglucoside" and "Tetrapotassium EDTA". I do not know what these two are and would not use the Clorox until I do know what they are, however based upon rumorofrain's comments on using vinegar in hers, I think I shall buy one for myself.
ETA2: So consulted with a chemistry major (marquiswildbill), since I'm "just" an astronomer - to us there's only there elements, Hydrogen, Helium, and Everythingelseium. ;) It turns out that the Clorox cleaner may actually be safer than a vinegar mix, since neither of the two ingredients I mentioned above are volatile (i.e., they won't evaporate into the air) while vinegar is. Plus they're both plant-based.
marquiswildbill's longer analysis, shared with permission. Comments in [brackets] are mine.
Alkyl polyglucoside other than it is a sugar based surfactant (probably nonionic) and it shouldn't be volatile [that is, it shouldn't evaporate] so it shouldn't be a problem for Kappa. ... EDTA is a commonly used water softener as the tetra sodium salt. I know the sodium salt is non-toxic and it is non-volatile. Unless birds are very sensitive to potassium [I don't think that they are] it is safe. Even then Kappa would have to drink the stuff for it to be a concern. I think vinegar would actually be more harmful as acetic acid is volatile and breathing acid vapors is not healthy
...
The articles I found about alkyl polyglucosides all focused on toxicity from consumption or skin contact, and they seem quite safe up to levels of consumption of 1,000mg/kg/day in animal [usually mammal, not bird] models. They are non-ionic surfactants commonly used in soaps and detergents, you probably already have some in your laundry detergent and dishwasher soap. Because they can be made from sugars and vegetable oils they have gained a lot of popularity as renweable detergents. A lauryl-glucose monomer would have a molecular mass over 350/subunit which is heavy enough that it is likely to decompose before vaporizing. And the EDTA salt is virtually omnipresent as the sodium salt, and also will not contribute to the vapor pressure of the solution [that is, won't make it more likely to evaporate]. So unless Kappa takes a bath in the stuff she'll be fine (even then she would be pretty safe as long as you get her out before she drowns). [Though I wouldn't recommend this, as your bird might drink some of the chemical, and we don't know the levels of toxicity in birds.]