Have budgies? Then you need a nasal douche
10.9.2025
Translation: Eva Francis
Pictures: Anika Schulz
Since four cockatiels have moved in with me, my dust problem has expanded from my furniture to myself.
Why’s that? The dust these little birds create by playing and rousing (shaking out thAeir feathers) spreads around the room and lands directly in my nose. And that’s pretty ... yuck. But let’s start at the beginning.
When I only had two cockatiels, Rio and Cookie, the problem wasn’t as bad. A thin layer of dust on the dining table – that was it. But since bird lady Pebbles and youngster Finni have joined the gang, I’ve been experiencing never-before-seen dimensions of dust.
If I’ve spent a lot of time with my birds, I wake up the next morning and have to do a few good coughs to clear my mucousy throat and dry nose. At first, I didn’t understand where this new habit came from – then I realised it had to do with my pets. Cockatiels have powder down. These tiny feathers crumble into a fine dust, which I breathe in when I play with the birds.
Nasal douche to the rescue
So how to get rid of the dust in my airways? I go for home remedies: a nasal douche and nasal rinsing salt. I’ve been rinsing my nose with lukewarm salt water before going to bed for about two weeks now – and it helps! Sure, it’s neither fun nor tasty, but the coughing and mucus are almost gone. And as a nice little side effect, I get more air overall. I guess I’m rinsing all that Hamburg city dust out of my nose along with the feather dust.
Nose + Throat health
Quantity discount
CHF10.90 per piece for 2 units
Emser Nasal rinsing salt
20 Piece
Other dust-ridden cockatiel owners use technology and devices such as air purifiers with Hepa filters. The German consumer magazine «Stiftung Warentest», for instance, recommends this model for people with allergies:
And my co-worker and clean home expert Martin swears by these two devices:
His pro tip: «Air purifiers collect fine dust. To do this, they need sensors that detect when bird dust is in the air. So make sure to choose a device that’s powerful enough to cover the entire size of the room your pets live in.»
Other ways to reduce feather dust
- Wash curtains, pillowcases and blankets regularly.
- Mop floors and wipe furniture once a week.
- Air out the room as soon as all birds are back in their cage.
- Vacuum the sofa daily.
- Keep fewer cockatiels. Tricky if you love them as much as I do.
Do you use air filters because of your pets? Let me know in the comments!
Header image: Anika Schulz
Anika Schulz
Teamleader Editorial
Anika.Schulz@galaxus.deAs a child, I was socialised with Mario Kart on SNES before ending up in journalism after graduating from high school. As a team leader at Galaxus, I'm responsible for news. I'm also a trekkie and an engineer.
Pets
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
Health
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
Guide
Practical solutions for everyday problems with technology, household hacks and much more.
Show allThese articles might also interest you
8 comments
later