How To Clean A Fabric Pop Up Play Pen

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Nibbles&Cookie

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Hi

We’ve had our pigs Nibbles and Cookie for two months now. They lasted a week outside before I felt too guilty and brought them inside. I bought them an indoor cage and a friend gave me her foldable run. I was transferring them from one to the other morning and night but they were fighting loads in the cage (which I now realise was waaaaay too small). So I made an executive decision and they now live permanently in the play pen. We love them, and they tear about their space squeaking with glee. They have a fleece cosy bed, a tunnel, I’ve made them a hay dispenser and I’ve moved onto fleece bedding backed with mattress protectors, which I made. Erm I’ve spent waaaaaaaay more money and time than I said I would on these pigs. Oops.

I just went to clean them out and the bottom of the play pen (supposedly waterproof) STINKS of urine. It smells like ammonia. I cleaned it as best I could with the clean and safe disinfectant. It smells on the under side of the base though which suggests liquid has seeped.

We live in rented accommodation and my landlord will not be happy if we ruin the carpet. Also I’m really sensitive to smell and this is the sort of thing that drives me crazy! I change the fleece bedding every 3 days as it is.

I really don’t want to have to buy another pen, but I need to get this smell out. I think the pigs are burrowing down the edge of the fleece bedding to pee as the smell seems to be concentrated in one area. Any thoughts? Hosing the whole thing down is no good as it would need to dry before I put them in it. Really want to avoid another enclosure purhase. Thanks in advance.
 
hi,i unattach the base and pop it in the washing machine at 40 degree wash.i put puppypads down,with a fleece liner on top.it prevents the base getting soaked with urine.
 
eileen said:
hi,i unattach the base and pop it in the washing machine at 40 degree wash.i put puppypads down,with a fleece liner on top.it prevents the base getting soaked with urine.
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Good idea if the base zips off. Some of them unfortunately don’t. I hope you find a solution soon. I agree the puppy pads in the base are a great idea.
 
eileen said:
hi,i unattach the base and pop it in the washing machine at 40 degree wash.i put puppypads down,with a fleece liner on top.it prevents the base getting soaked with urine.
Click to expand...
Great thanks for this. I wasn’t sure if they could be machine washed. Fortunately ours is detachable. Though if I do machine wash it, I have to wait for it to dry the pigs don’t have alternative accommodation whilst that happens (the old cage is too small, they start nipping each other the moment I put them in it. So I guess my only option then to buy a second pen and wash one/use one rotate?

Will look into puppy pads though I was keen to have washable fabrics to stop landfill.
 
Nibbles&Cookie said:
Great thanks for this. I wasn’t sure if they could be machine washed. Fortunately ours is detachable. Though if I do machine wash it, I have to wait for it to dry the pigs don’t have alternative accommodation whilst that happens (the old cage is too small, they start nipping each other the moment I put them in it. So I guess my only option then to buy a second pen and wash one/use one rotate?

Will look into puppy pads though I was keen to have washable fabrics to stop landfill.
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I know some people use incontinance bed pads. You can buy them on e bay. Or you could put a plastic shower curtain down under the liners so it’s a kind of waterproof later.
 
it dries within 1/2 an hour.you can get washable puppypads from amazon.i just have too many piggies to keep up with washing ! b and m do 100 puppypads for 12.99pence.i find these very absorbent,but these are disposable.
 
If the base won’t fit in the washing machine, you could try soaking it in white vinegar. Vinegar helps to break down the urine and also gets ride of the smell. I know this works on plastic and cortex, but I’ve never tried it on materiel, so maybe try doing a little test patch first to make sure it doesn’t damage the base before you do all of it.

The best way to prevent it happening again to to put a super absorbent layer underneath you fleece. I used to use towels but they weren’t very good and I’d be constantly changing them. Many people use puppy training pads or mattress protectors. These things have a waterproof backing that prevents urine from leaking through and onto the surface beneath.
 
Cuddles With Cavies said:
If the base won’t fit in the washing machine, you could try soaking it in white vinegar. Vinegar helps to break down the urine and also gets ride of the smell. I know this works on plastic and cortex, but I’ve never tried it on materiel, so maybe try doing a little test patch first to make sure it doesn’t damage the base before you do all of it.

The best way to prevent it happening again to to put a super absorbent layer underneath you fleece. I used to use towels but they weren’t very good and I’d be constantly changing them. Many people use puppy training pads or mattress protectors. These things have a waterproof backing that prevents urine from leaking through and onto the surface beneath.
Click to expand...
The vinegar did the trick! Awful smell now gone. Thank you.
 
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