Keeping Heat Pads, Pigloos, Cosies Etc Clean And Dry

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Des

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We adopted 2 brothers earlier this year. They have been very happy in their outdoor hutch as it is in a very sheltered spot and well protected, but now it is colder I am worried they will not be warm enough and so have invested in a heat pad and a pigloo/cosie thing. (We've also insulated their hutch and moved it into an outbuilding, stuffed their bedroom with hay etc).

Only problem is my pigs keep urinating in their pigloo, it is soaked every day and the cover on the heat pad gets wet too. Trying to wash and dry the material every day is getting to be difficult...do other people have this problem? How have you solved it?

It doesn't feel OK for the boys to be in a wet bed...before this they have been nice and dry as their hay bedding is on shavings and it is checked and cleaned daily. I would appreciate your thoughts and ideas!
 
If you wrap the heat pad in a teatowel (or similar) and place it under a couple of layers of fleece it helps keep the hutch warmer and also keeps the cover dry. Unfortunately piggies will wee wherever they happen to be, and if that happens to be on or near the heat pad (because it's lovely and warm) then you just have to try to find ways of keeping it dry. You can also make replacement covers for the heat pad quite easily out of old fleece/blankets. That way you can have a couple in the wash and still one for the hutch.
 
Thanks Vicki, this is helpful. I had been wrapping the heat pad up in extra layers but sounds like not enough! I just wondered how all the people who had these heat pads were keeping them dry!
 
Hello,

I have the same problem, I made loads of new heat pad covers. I made them out of fleece, and you can add Velcro to secure. The soiled ones I add to a bag in the shed, and then when I'm nearing the end of my clean supply I stick the lot in the machine at 60 with non bio.
You just brush the hay off with a brush and use lingerie type washing bags or a pillowcase tied.
 
Thanks Laura, I hadn't thought of putting the dirty heat pad covers in a pillowcase before putting in the wash, doh! Maybe the mesh on our washing bag is a bit large but I had found it didn't keep the piggie dirt from getting into the drum.

I have loads of fleece to make extra covers, I will give that a go, thanks.
 
No worries! Yeh pillowcases work great, then afterwards just turn inside out and shake, and use a lint roller if needs be.
Good luck!
 
Or you can use a horse wash bag - I bought one a few months ago and it's fantastic. All the hair and hay stays in it but doesn't stick to it (unlike the old duvet cover I was using) so you wash the stuff in it, tip out the rubbish into the bin and it's clean and ready to go again.
 
Thanks Vicki and Laura, you have been so helpful, I was getting so fed up with all the washing and dealing with the hay, bits etc. I'll definitely be getting a horse wash bag...
 
Des said:
Thanks Vicki and Laura, you have been so helpful, I was getting so fed up with all the washing and dealing with the hay, bits etc. I'll definitely be getting a horse wash bag...
Click to expand...

I honestly didn't believe a horse wash bag would make the difference - but it's been one of the best investments ever. And despite it saying on the label to wash at 40 I wash everything in it at 50 or 60 degrees and it's still going strong.
 
I agree about the horse wash bag.My boar piggy pair used to be on vet bed cage liner which I washed every three days.I found there was never any fur/hay left in the machine.
 
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