General Using scented candles around guinea pigs...............

It's not only irritating to the guinea pigs, it's irritating to you as well. You're breathing chemicals that are totally unregulated and totally untested for their effects on human health. Some are known carcinogens. Google something like "dangers of scented candles" (without the quotes) and then decide for yourself whether they're fit for man or beast. I wouldn't have one in my house.

bpatters said:

It's not only irritating to the guinea pigs, it's irritating to you as well. You're breathing chemicals that are totally unregulated and totally untested for their effects on human health. Some are known carcinogens. Google something like "dangers of scented candles" (without the quotes) and then decide for yourself whether they're fit for man or beast. I wouldn't have one in my house.

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Thank you bpatters i always appreciate you clear concise and to the point information. Actually its funny that i guess i am always more worried about everyone around me especially the piggies that i often forget to think about my own well being, which often gets thrown to the way side.

coconutty78 said:

Thank you bpatters i always appreciate you clear concise and to the point information. Actually its funny that i guess i am always more worried about everyone around me especially the piggies that i often forget to think about my own well being, which often gets thrown to the way side.

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My nieces used to burn scented candles in their bedrooms. It left a dark,waxy film on their ceiling. Just imagine what it would do to your lungs.

Guinea_lover327 said:

What about if you use one of those air fresher that plugg into the wall and you have their cage near that air fresher is that harmful

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Yes, you dont wont your pigs to breathe in anything with fragrance or smoke etc. They are sensitive

Guinea_lover327 said:

What about if you use one of those air fresher that plugg into the wall and you have their cage near that air fresher is that harmful

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if you need to get rid of any smells I recommend using air purifiers. Many users have great success with them.

Try using a few of drops of essential oil in a spray bottle full of water. Makes a chemical free Febreze, you get to choose the scent and how strong to make it =); would not spray where it could get on/in the pigs though.

@Guinea_lover327, yes, those air fresheners are just as bad as candles. They are not recommended for man or beast.

@kananaka, essential oils ARE chemicals. The fact that they're natural doesn't mean that they're not chemicals, or that they're not harmful. However, things that you spray aren't generally as bad as things that are heated and vaporize into the air (candles and air fresheners). But I still wouldn't spray them anywhere that anything living can inhale them.

I have two double decker cages in my dining room so I'm anal about keeping my cages clean. I wouldn't recommend using anything to mask an odor. Thorough cage cleaning with vinegar and water will keep the cage odor free. If there's a smell, the cage or bedding is soiled and needs to be cleaned.

bpatters said:

@Guinea_lover327 , yes, those air fresheners are just as bad as candles. They are not recommended for man or beast.

@kananaka , essential oils ARE chemicals. The fact that they're natural doesn't mean that they're not chemicals, or that they're not harmful. However, things that you spray aren't generally as bad as things that are heated and vaporize into the air (candles and air fresheners). But I still wouldn't spray them anywhere that anything living can inhale them.

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You would consider them chemicals? Humm I wouldn't but I do understand what you mean. My point is you can get many derived from fruit or herb that a pig could eat and drastically reduce the chance of harm to animals. And again do not spray near the animals or up in the air to blow on them...

But they are chemicals. They have chemical names, compositions, and structures, and could be synthesized in a lab if anyone had an interest in doing so. And the fact that they're derived from nature doesn't automatically make them safe. If you're so inclined, you can eat almonds without the KCN removed and see how you like cyanide poisoning -- perfectly natural, and perfectly deadly. (Just kidding about eating them, of course!)

The point I'm trying to make is that natural isn't automatically safe. There are plenty of natural things that will make you very sick or even kill you if you ingest and/or inhale enough of them. And every one of them is a chemical compound. And I'm not making this up -- I started my working life as an organic chemist.

bpatters said:

But they are chemicals. They have chemical names, compositions, and structures, and could be synthesized in a lab if anyone had an interest in doing so.

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Do you know what dihydrogen monoxide is? It can kill you if you consume too much of it, it's in all soda brands, and it is found in most canned foods. (This is a joke, of course.)

We have an Oreck air purifier, and I swear by it. It's a little pricey but so well worth it. I can always tell the difference in air quality if we turn it off for some reason. I have to be really careful about what I use because I have a bird and their little lungs are even more sensitive than piggies.

Guinea_lover327 said:

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Is this safe for the guinea pigs it's a air purifier and the cheapest one I could find that my parents would pay for

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like it plugs into a cigarette lighter in a car.

Guinea_lover327 said:

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Is this safe for the guinea pigs it's a air purifier and the cheapest one I could find that my parents would pay for

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This is for cars, it doesn't plug into a wall.

If it plugs into the wall and heats any kind of compound, or sprays any kind of compound into the air, it's not safe for you OR the pig(s).

If what you're trying to do is mask the odor from the cage, then you'll just have to keep the cage cleaner. If you're using fleece, that may mean more frequent changes, or a switch to another kind of bedding. But don't spray, heat, or otherwise distribute deodorizers around the room, or you may wind up with a sick pig.

@Guinea_lover327 the 1st one you linked is a replacement part. the 2nd one I've personally used and it didn't do that great of a job removing odors.

Honestly, any purifier that is small isn't going to remove odors very well.