Washing concerns

[Olive_piggies]

hey guys! Wasn’t sure where to post this problem so sorry. I’ve had Guinea pigs for the past couple months, and I use fleece bedding mixed with paper bedding. Every week, I take a collection of dirty fleece and shake it out in my backyard until the only thing left is pee-stained fleece with their hairs on it (which are impossible to brush off). I then put it into two separate pillowcases and wash it. The tiny bits of hay and hair stay on the fleece usually. I then put it in the dryer with a tennis ball and the hair and hay get knocked out. Now, my mom is a clean freak and we are worried that when putting it in pillowcases, It is too clumped to clean and then the dirty hay and hair are put through the clean dryer which drys clean clothes. It also smells no matter the amount of vinegar I use. I run a load of blankets afterwards to make sure it’s clean. If anyone has any suggestions that would be appreciated- this is just the latest thing my mom has brought up about my Guinea pigs.

 

[Betsy]

Here is our guide to all things fleece

A Detailed Guide For Fleece Bedding

I use fleece bedding. I don't use paper bedding on top I just use mountains of hay.. Underneath the fleece I have washable puppy pads that I have cut to fit the space my piggies are in. I have a silicone brush that gets the worst of the hair off the fleece. I put the fleece, puppy pads and hideys in two pet wash bags and pop them in the washing machine using non bio washing liquid at 60 degrees C. I let the fleece dry naturally either over a clothes airer if the weather is bad (usually takes around 24 hours) or outside on the line. I never have a problem with it smelling.

 

[RedLoredAmazon]

What laundry detergent are you using? Vinegar alone will not clean it. I have found the All Free Clear Odor Relief detergent works pretty well for washing piggy fleece laundry. I found that air drying the fleece works pretty good for me too. The dryer just brings out stink in the fleece for some reason but air drying seems to not bring it out.

 

[Lorcan]

I don't have a dryer, but I wouldn't dry the fleece in mine if I did. It dries relatively quickly draped over a door or the back of the sofa (I live alone, I can get away with that) and really only needs a couple of hours before it's safe to give back to the Goblins. And I've never used vinegar - I wash on low (30°C), with some non-bio liquid detergent and half a cap of laundry cleanser in the softener drawer.