Be Careful with Citra-Solv, Orange TKO, and any other product tauting the use terpene or d-limonene of thinking that their advertisements of “all natural”, “nontoxic”, and “biodegradable” mean that they are completely safe. I have found many pet sites that rave about these cleaners that “are so safe you can use them on your pet”. I began using Citra-Solv to clean my bird’s cage when I came across a well known and trusted bird web site where the author claimed, “It is the only solvent safe for use on bird feathers, but it should be removed after it does its work.” But I have found that Citra-Solv and TKO-Orange, concentrated solvents made of these citrus byproducts, are mildly neurotoxic.
Citra-Solv contains Coconut diethanolamide (Mild skin and sever eye irritant. Reacts with nitrites to form highly potent carcinogenic nitrosamines. Nitrosamines have been shown to readily penetrate the skin.), Nonionic Surfactants (Eye irritant), Limonene fraction terpenes (Eye, skin and respiratory irritant. Mildly neurotoxic.).
Orange TKO An ad for Orange TKO in Birdalog states:
Orange TKO is a safe and effective bird cage cleaner and stain remover that is safe for your pets, plants, and the environment. Diluted for general cleaning you can use Orange TKO around you bird with complete confidence. In a concentrated form it is a fantastic stain remover. The citrus scent is derived from it’s natural ingredients, not harsh chemicals. TKO uses d Limonene to safely control mildew, odors, bacteria, and removed stains.
What they don’t mention is that d-limonene is an eye and skin irritant, sensitizer, neurotoxic, teratogenic, and there is suggestive evidence of carcinogency. D-limonene is used in some paints and pet flea control products. It is passed off as safe just like in the ad above yet can cause vomiting, nausea, salivation, muscle tremors, staggering, imbalance, and other symptoms of nervous system poisoning.
From http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/florida/terpclfs.html (Enviro Sense, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s web site)
Terpene cleaners are mildly neurotoxic. They are known to cause respiratory distress and/or irritation and that “pleasant citrus fragrance” can very quickly become nauseating. There is a controversy about the carcinogenicity of D-Limonene. One preliminary study linked D-limonene to testicular cancer in male rats.
From http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov
/OTHER TOXICITY INFORMATION/ Erythema multiforme major and disseminated intravascular coagulation developed in a dog 24 hours after exposure to a d-limonene-based insecticidal dip. Clinical signs included severe lethargy and weakness, ulceration of the oral mucosa, and erythematous serpiginous, annular, and arciform lesions on the head, trunk, and limbs. Clinicopathologic abnormalities included leukocytosis with neutrophilia, normocytic normochromic anemia, thrombocytopenia, prolongation of prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times, increased fibrin degradation products, hypoproteinemia, hyponatremia, hypochloremia, azotemia, high serum alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities, and high serum bilirubin concentration.
[Rosenbaum MR, Kerlin RL; J Am Vet Med Assoc 207 (10): 1315-9 (1995) ]**PEER REVIEWED** PubMed Abstract/OTHER TOXICITY INFORMATION/ There is a diverse group of hydrocarbons that induce a specific spectrum of nephropathic alterations. Examples include d-limonene, an aromatic hydrocarbon. Only male rats develop kidney alterations upon exposure. Other mammals such as female rats, mice, guinea pigs, dogs and monkeys evidently are refractory to kidney injury upon exposure. The male rat hydrocarbon nephropathy should not be predictive of a normal human renal response.
[Alden CL; Toxicol Pathol 14 (1): 109-11 (1986) ]**PEER REVIEWED*/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Subchronic or Prechronic Exposure/ d-Limonene administered to dogs at 1.2-3.6 mL/kg/day for 6 months caused frequent vomiting and nausea and decrease in body weight, blood sugar and cholesterol. No significant change was observed in organs except in the kidney.
[Tsuji M et al; Oyo Yakuri 9 (5): 775 (1975) ]**PEER REVIEWED**
If a product has a warning against using on some plastics or can cause the rubber gloves used while cleaning to deteriorate I don’t want anything to do with them. I mixed Citra-Solv according to the directions to clean my floors.The first time I used the cleaner: After I finished cleaning I took the gloves off, and the tips of some of the fingers came off. I dismissed it as a faulty pair of gloves.
The second time: I had finished part of my cleaning and left a new pair of gloves in the bucket and returned one hour later to find my gloves were deformed.
I highly recommend using something else to clean pet cages with and definitely don’t use Citra-Solv or TKO-Orange ON pets. If your pet has something sticky on their fur or feathers try using peanut butter to remove it! As for a good general cleaner refer to my Safer Cleaning Substitutes post.
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