Lifespan of fleece (homemade and Guineadad)

[4boipigs]

I have used fleece since 2020, when I got my first guinea pigs. I have second-hand fleece of unknown age and fleece bought from Etsy that has lasted me for the past 4 years. My biggest issue with the oldest pieces is that they have shrunk and no longer fill the coroplast like they should and leave gaps on the side. I've thought about replacing them, but at the same time my fleece is perfectly fine.

I also have Guinneadad liners. Most I bought second-hand that are well-used and some are shrunk. I'm not a huge fan of Guineadad, even my new liners that I bought myself, because they are so awkward to wash and take forever to dry. I do like their potty pads and the 2x1 liners. The second-hand liners feel rough compared to the ones I bought new, which are still soft.

How long do other fleece users keep fleece or buy new ones?

 

[AidaB]

I made the majority of our fleece pads, in 2020(snap!) when we adopted our first guinea pigs. We also have a few second hand liners too.
The pads we use the most are the smaller ones we use on top of the big ones- that go in favourite corners or under houses. I am slowly replacing them all now. As they are beginning to fall apart- or the pigs have had a little cheeky nibble/ or left a boar glue present.

The bigger pads are still doing well, but have shrunk. I just do patchwork in the boys homes & fill in any gaps. Nothing ever matches.
I made a few more bigger ones earlier this year, as we had some foster pigs living with us who liked to wee a lot!

I have replaced the cuddle sacks twice- already. As they have been used daily and for syringe feeding, so despite washes, the ones I have got rid of were disgusting.

A few of the older pads are boxed up- should we have other piggies visiting again.

Sorry, dark picture- but you get the idea, everything overlaps!

 

[VickiA]

I’ve been using some of my favourite fleece cage wares since 2014. I’m dreadful about playing with things! Where liners have shrunk I just fill the gaps with fleece pee pads. I do tend to use my microfibre bath mats more these days but my cage liners are still going strong.

 

[piggieminder]

I still have the 4 fleece liners I made in 2014, they are still in use weekly. They have shrunk but being 2x4 size I now use them in my 3 x 5 grid cages width ways with a bath mat to fill in the gaps and to put hay on. I still have some of my 2014 pee pads as well but a lot have been thrown away as they go hard with so many washes. I have made more liners and pads over the years as the number and size of my cages has grown and I have noticed the newer ones feel softer and are thicker.
I have been making more 2x1 and 1x1 pads this afternoon, I'm about to throw some of the old ones out because the amount of boar glue on them makes them look filthy even when they have just been washed!