How do you guys wash your fleece blanket?

[Zhi Heng]

Hi, I have been using fleece as my guinea pig bedding for 2 years. However, it's been a such a pain everytime i have to wash as I have hand-wash it and rinse it with water many times and squeeze the dirty water out of fleece over and over again before the water is clear n clean enough to wash in the washing machine (as I feel its extremely unhygienic to just throw the 1week worth of pee fleece into the washing machine as the washing machine is used to wash my family clothes). I spend over an hour every week just rinsing the cloth alone. Even so my parents always find it very unhygienic even after i rinse it with water. However, as I am going university soon and will be very busy and becuz I'm the sole caretaker of my guinea pigs, I personally its too much to handle and it's extremely unhygienic for me to hand wash them where my hands get soaked in thick pee+ water. As such, I'm thinking of alternatives like paper bedding, however my cage is 1.5m x 0.9m and I'm thinking if that will be extremely costly? How much do you think it will cost weekly? Other alternatives include buying a new washing machine specifically for my guinea pig though money and space is kind of an issue. I've also been reading alot on training my guinea pigs to be potty train, though I don't think my guinea pig will be receptive to it. Chubby, my younger guinea pig mostly only under his house naturally, I cant determine if that's potty train or just that cause he spent most of his time under the house... Ideally it will save so much work n trouble for me if they were both potty train and only and pee at a specific area of the cage. However, for now, given the situation, it seems like the best i can do is just make chubby's house his potty area and like what standard guide for potty training is to put a potty tray lined with newspaper and perhaps some bedding. However, I have never tried this as I always felt that it will reduce chubby comfort level as his potty place (his house) is basically where he spend most of his time at and sleep, n fleece is more comfortable than newspaper or paper bedding so it doesn't really make sense for the place he spend most of his time at to be the least comfortable area in the whole cage. It's kind of a tricky situation. Wonder if anyone have any advice to share ?

 

[artcasper]

Ok there is a whole thread on here about washing and using fleece so defo check that out! Invest in a Horse Washbag from Amazon... this means you can put your fleece in this bag and wash it in the washing machine at 60 degrees... the bag keeps any stray hay bits inside the bag ! Couldn't live without mine.. pigs will poo all over I am.afraid..mine used to do most in their hay tray where they ate.. but now I have 3 they do it all over lol

 

[Zhi Heng]

Ok there is a whole thread on here about washing and using fleece so defo check that out! Invest in a Horse Washbag from Amazon... this means you can put your fleece in this bag and wash it in the washing machine at 60 degrees... the bag keeps any stray hay bits inside the bag ! Couldn't live without mine.. pigs will poo all over I am.afraid..mine used to do most in their hay tray where they ate.. but now I have 3 they do it all over lol

I will check the horse wash bag, I remember reading up on it before and wanted to get it but couldnt find it online to deliver to my country then and it isn't sold in any stores in my country that I'm aware of(Singapore) however the main issue is still on the hygiene issue which is why i have to hand wash it and not the hair being stuck in washing machine ..

 

[Siikibam]

I second the wash bag. I brush off as much hay as possible before putting it in the wash bag. When I dry it, I take it out as it doesn’t dry properly otherwise. And I hoover the dryer fluff thing out once done.

Another thing you can do is to add vinegar in the conditioner section when doing a wash. That helps with the smell and general cleanliness. I think it’s kind of the same as soiled baby clothing.

You could always do a ‘cleaning wash’ on your machine after doing the piggy laundry.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I put vinegar in my machine. I also feel though that once the machine is on the rinse cycle, it’s most likely clean inside the machine.

I do put an antibacterial cleaning solution through my machine every few weeks anyway.

 

[Black piggies]

After I wash the piggy's fleeces there's lots of hair left in the machine. All I do between piggy washes and human washes is wipe a wetwipe inside the drum to pick up pig hair.

The machine, fleece and our clothes smell fresh. I only wash 40 degrees and above though.

 

[PigglePuggle]

After I wash the piggy's fleeces there's lots of hair left in the machine. All I do between piggy washes and human washes is wipe a wetwipe inside the drum to pick up pig hair.

The machine, fleece and our clothes smell fresh. I only wash 40 degrees and above though.

Yes I just put my washing machine through an extra rinse cycle then wipe it round with a paper towel to remove the fur after my piggy laundry, been doing that for over a year with no hygiene issues! No pre washing or hand washing for us, we just give the fleece a good brush down the a rubber curry comb then a good shake and pop it in the machine with a splash of dettol antiseptic wash or a splash of vinegar...

 

[Zhi Heng]

Yup I have been actually washing with vinegar after looking advice on this forum in the past. Do you guys just throw the fleece blanket in without hand rinsing it first? I still think it's kind of unhygienic to throw it in just likethat without rinsing away the pee... Also, my parents will definitely not allow that.

 

[artcasper]

Yup I have been actually washing with vinegar after looking advice on this forum in the past. Do you guys just throw the fleece blanket in without hand rinsing it first? I still think it's kind of unhygienic to throw it in just likethat without rinsing away the pee... Also, my parents will definitely not allow that.

They get a shake ... that's the whole point of washing at 60 degrees in a special washing bag... waste of time hand rinsing them if you ask me - i don't have time for that

 

[Zhi Heng]

They get a shake ... that's the whole point of washing at 60 degrees in a special washing bag... waste of time hand rinsing them if you ask me - i don't have time for that

I do not have time for that too that's while I'm asking for alternative, my only concern is the special washing bag is meant to just stop the hair from leaving the bag n creating a mess in the washing machine right, dirt and germs are still be able to exit the bag into the washing machine, won't that be unhygienic I guess my family is just more of a clean freaklike we don't wash socks and clothes together too cuz my parents think it's unhygienic as socks are worn on foot.

 

[artcasper]

I do not have time for that too that's while I'm asking for alternative, my only concern is the special washing bag is meant to just stop the hair from leaving the bag n creating a mess in the washing machine right, dirt and germs are still be able to exit the bag into the washing machine, won't that be unhygienic I guess my family is just more of a clean freaklike we don't wash socks and clothes together too cuz my parents think it's unhygienic as socks are worn on foot.

I understand but I always just do an empty wash afterwards with powder ... that cleans the machine ready for human clothes... no smells etc... I think it's good to be clean but doesn't matter to me washing socks with clothes as you are washing them.. if that makes sense! Like I wash towels and underwear on a higher temp than clothes for hygiene reasons..

 

[Zhi Heng]

I understand but I always just do an empty wash afterwards with powder ... that cleans the machine ready for human clothes... no smells etc... I think it's good to be clean but doesn't matter to me washing socks with clothes as you are washing them.. if that makes sense! Like I wash towels and underwear on a higher temp than clothes for hygiene reasons..

I noticed my washing machine rinse mode doesn't seem to get rid of all the water first before rinsing second time n so forth, is most washing machine likethat too? I think maybe i shld start washing in washing machine directly without rinsing once I start uni as I will be too busy to rinse the cloth by hand every week. But is washing machine able to wash fleece blankets clean? Cuz I watch my washing machine wash the clothes the other day n I noticed during rinse they don't get rid of all the water after each rinse, seems like they are adding new water and removing water simultaneously so there will always be 'old' water left in the machine every moment, I'm wondering if the pee in the cloth will be able to be rinse out? Cuz for me when I hand wash I always rinse with water n squeeze out the water n repeat over n over again to squeeze out all the pee... But I noticed the washing machine rinse mode seem to just be more of soaking the cloth than actually squeeze the pee out

 

[Siikibam]

When you wash in the machine, it will wash out the pee etc and rinse through to clear out the soap as well. There are no germs in the bedding, else tour piggies could also become ill. And the whole point of a washing machine is to get rid of dirt (not sure what you mean by that).

If you put it in directly then expect there will be some stuff collecting in the filter, and possibly the drum itself. But if you use a wash bag any stray hay and hairs will collect in there. The best way is to shake and brush off as much hay and hair as possible. You could always hoover the fleece if that made you feel better.

There are lots of germs floating about in the air, and they can cling to your clothes as you go about your daily business. Unless you don’t wash your feet or wear shoes that have holes etc, then your socks should be ok. And (not making it personal) there’s underwear as well

I don’t mean to be rude but I question whether it was a good idea for you to have guinea pigs if you think they’re dirty and germ ridden. Maybe change the bedding you use and move to a disposable one. But piggies will almost always poo and pee. When they don’t it’s a worry.

 

[artcasper]

I noticed my washing machine rinse mode doesn't seem to get rid of all the water first before rinsing second time n so forth, is most washing machine likethat too? I think maybe i shld start washing in washing machine directly without rinsing once I start uni as I will be too busy to rinse the cloth by hand every week. But is washing machine able to wash fleece blankets clean? Cuz I watch my washing machine wash the clothes the other day n I noticed during rinse they don't get rid of all the water after each rinse, seems like they are adding new water and removing water simultaneously so there will always be 'old' water left in the machine every moment, I'm wondering if the pee in the cloth will be able to be rinse out? Cuz for me when I hand wash I always rinse with water n squeeze out the water n repeat over n over again to squeeze out all the pee... But I noticed the washing machine rinse mode seem to just be more of soaking the cloth than actually squeeze the pee out

My washer does not have a rinse only mode.. I just use a normal wash cycle..

 

[Zhi Heng]

@Siikibam, pee and poo are definitely dirty it's not about whether they are from guinea pig anot. Like i always hand rinse my shirt if i exercise to squeeze out the sweat before I throw into the washing machine for hygiene issues not to mention pee/poo so it's not about the source the pee and poo are from but where them itself. My mum has been scolding me alot even for throwing in hand rinsed fleece blankets (I spend over an hour each time to squeeze out the pee / water before I throw in the washing machine) as she feel it's very unhygienic even then:/ so we always have to wash the washing machine with detergent and disinfectant after washing the fleece blanket(we wash it twice in washing machine due to hygiene issues)

 

[Piggies&buns]

It sounds like your mum has her ways.
I can honestly say though that I don’t and won’t ever hand wash clothes before putting them in the washing machine. The washing machine is where things get clean, it isn’t unhygienic, it’s what washing machines are designed for.

 

[Swissgreys]

Naturally you have to be respectful of what your family believes when it comes to matters of hygiene, but as a microbiologist I have a real fascination for all things bacteria related.
Ironically hand rinsing is generally fairly ineffective as it is physically not possible to remove all the dirty water from an item without being followed by a high speed spin or other rapid drying method.
Hence washing machines require less water to be more effective, becasue they can agitate clothing and push more water through making them much more efficient.
If you hand rinse items, I would always wash them in a machine immediately so you don't have old or dirty water sitting there creating a nice moist environment and allowing bacteria to grow.
There is nothing unhygienic or dirty about using a machine to do your piggy blanket as many of us on here can attest. It just need to be rinsed or cleaned proerly afterwards, with an occasional high temp wash while empty.
However if this is likely to be an ongoing issue in your home then it may be better to consider disposable bedding.

 

[Zhi Heng]

Even when i handrinse the cloth thoroughly before throwing it in the washing machine my mum n sisters always complain alot about how unhygienic it is as they say the cloth is soiled with and pee. That's why i am never allowed to just throw it in directly without hand washing and have been doing so (which is SOOOO tedious and tiring to squeeze the pee and water n have my hands soaked in it for over an hour) for the past 2years, but now that I'm going uni and gonna be busy, I don't think I will have the time to hand-wash them eveey week, which is why i have been researching alot on alternative but disposable bedding are very expensive considering the size of my cage (ard 1.55m x 1m). I also look into washing the cloth at the condominium washing machine for a few dollars since it's my mum that's extremely particular about this, however I don't think the condo will allow me to wash it too according to the instructions written below.

 

[Zhi Heng]

@Swissgreys , oh u are a microbiologist? Just wondering why do washing machine not get rid of all the water first before they rinse it again. Becuz I noticed during rinse mode, they seem to simultaneously remove and add new water in, n i thought in this case there will always be old dirty water left at all time, n won't be able get rid of the pee effectively?

 

[Zhi Heng]

@Swissgreys , oh u are a microbiologist? Just wondering why do washing machine not get rid of all the water first before they rinse it again. Becuz I noticed during rinse mode, they seem to simultaneously remove dirty water and add new water in, n i thought in this case there will always be old dirty water left at all time, n won't be able get rid of the pee effectively? Like if we hand-wash cloth or clothes we would always rinse and squeeze the dirty water out n pour all water away from the bucket and refill with clean water, cuz thats the best way to quickly wash cloth with the least amount of water... Like we don't just pour away some dirty water and add some clean water, but always pour away all dirty water before filing the bucket with clean water again.

 

[Siikibam]

I think you’ll just have to absorb the cost and use disposable bedding. All the talk of pee and poo and dirt etc is Everyone has their way of doing things so as you’re still living at home then you’ll have to respect your mums wishes.

Rinsing before putting in the washing machine won’t make it any cleaner. Just my opinion.

 

[artcasper]

Washing machines were invented to clean .. try and get a Horse wash bag - take it to the local launderette..

 

[Zhi Heng]

I think you’ll just have to absorb the cost and use disposable bedding. All the talk of pee and poo and dirt etc is Everyone has their way of doing things so as you’re still living at home then you’ll have to respect your mums wishes.

Rinsing before putting in the washing machine won’t make it any cleaner. Just my opinion.

Okay, just had to clarify that cuz u seem to imply I'm a bad owner and shldnt have guine a pig cuz i think they are dirty, but it's not that i think guinea pigs are dirty but it's a fact that pee and poo are dirty and it's not about guinea pig, even if us humans, we always hand wash first before throwing it into washing machine if a shirt/pants is drenched in sweat/have food stains, don't even need to talk about pee and poo alr etc. That's why my mum actually wants me to buy a washing machine specially just for washing my guinea pig items, n so I'm considering alternatives like disposable bedding.

 

[Zhi Heng]

Anyone knows how much does it cost a week if I use disposable bedding like paper bedding for a cage size of 1.55m x 1m? Cuz I'm considering getting disposable bedding or a cheap small new washing machine just for my guinea pigs. This is how my cage look like.

 

[artcasper]

I don't think @Siikibam is implying that at all - you asked what we do so we are telling you what we do... what you choose to do is entirely up to you. We are just offering advice based on our own experiences. You clearly have a different way of doing things i.e hand washing even your own clothes before putting them in the washing machine - to me and it's just my opinion - is time consuming and unnecessary - i could never do this as a family of 4!

It depends what disposable bedding you choose and do you have a way of getting rid of it - I have to put old hay in our Garden waste bin so that is something to look into as there will be a lot of waste.

 

[Swissgreys]

Anyone knows how much does it cost a week if I use disposable bedding like paper bedding for a cage size of 1.55m x 1m? Cuz I'm considering getting disposable bedding or a cheap small new washing machine just for my guinea pigs. This is how my cage look like.

It's impossible to say how much it will cost becasue we have no idea where you live, what you have available to you, and what prices are like
For example I can get a lage bale of shavings from the local farm for aroun12 Swiss francs and that would fill a cage like that for a month, but that isn't much help to you.

You cage is a nice size, but really needs a lot more tunnels, and hidey houses for your guinea pigs to shelter in.
You can use old cardboard boxes and cut holes in them for doors.
Also if you got a large plastic tray (kitten littler trays work well) and lined this with newspaper and filled it with hay they would spend a lot of time in there and this would cut down on the mess on the blanket.
They need to have access to large amounts of hay 24/7.

 

[Zhi Heng]

It's impossible to say how much it will cost becasue we have no idea where you live, what you have available to you, and what prices are like
For example I can get a lage bale of shavings from the local farm for aroun12 Swiss francs and that would fill a cage like that for a month, but that isn't much help to you.

You cage is a nice size, but really needs a lot more tunnels, and hidey houses for your guinea pigs to shelter in.
You can use old cardboard boxes and cut holes in them for doors.
Also if you got a large plastic tray (kitten littler trays work well) and lined this with newspaper and filled it with hay they would spend a lot of time in there and this would cut down on the mess on the blanket.
They need to have access to large amounts of hay 24/7.

They actually have a 2 tunnels and and one pillow, they were washed so not inside

 

[Zhi Heng]

The cushion house they are in are only during floor time...

 

[Zhi Heng]

I don't think @Siikibam is implying that at all - you asked what we do so we are telling you what we do... what you choose to do is entirely up to you. We are just offering advice based on our own experiences. You clearly have a different way of doing things i.e hand washing even your own clothes before putting them in the washing machine - to me and it's just my opinion - is time consuming and unnecessary - i could never do this as a family of 4!

It depends what disposable bedding you choose and do you have a way of getting rid of it - I have to put old hay in our Garden waste bin so that is something to look into as there will be a lot of waste.

Well I thought he implied that as he said something like 'I question you as a owner since you think they are germ ridden'

 

[Swissgreys]

The cushion house they are in are only during floor time...

These are nice but they need a lot more shelters really, or maybe cover part of the cage with a blanket so they feel more secure.
Cardboard is great becasue you can just throw it away when it gets dirty - no washing needed.
Plus hay is super important - how do you feed their hay becasue I can't really see it in the photos?