Problems with fleece bedding, need advice

[Bjorn&Winston]

Hello! Hopefully I am posting this in the correct spot. But I had decided to try fleece bedding with my two new guinea pigs, since i saw people using them and it seemed like a more money saving option in the long run. But now i have run into a problem. Literally on the same day that we change the bedding to a new clean fleece, it starts to smell at the end of the day. I spot clean and everything, but it leaves so bad stains and odour because of the pee. I don’t know if I am doing something wrong, since this is the first time I am using them. I do place puppy training pads under the fleece just incase to absorb any excess liquid. One of the fleece beddings has been ruined since the staining of the mix of pee and poop in one place won’t come out anymore . And one of the guinea pigs loves to pee in his house so he tends to lay in his own pee stain, which makes him stinky and wet, and i can imagine its not a good feeling for him .
I was thinking on going back to the regular wood shavings bedding, but since the 10L bag of it in my country costs at least 10 euros and it takes all of that bag to fill one cage, I was wondering if there was something i was doing wrong with the fleece, so I could change that and possibly stick to the fleece. And because my guinea pigs had a pretty bad fight at some point they are being separated into different cages which means i would need two of those bags of bedding to clean both of them. It would cost around 80€ a month just for bedding. So I was just wondering if there was anything that I was doing wrong with taking care of the fleece bedding, or I just need to switch to the old bedding method - woodshavings.

 

[piggieminder]

I use small fleece pads (pee pads) in the main sitting peeing spots (corners and under houses) and change them every day/2 days. This way the main fleece doesn't get so wet and end up smelly and stained.

 

[Posyrose]

Did you wash the fleece a few times before you used it to help it wick the urine better.

Also are you avoiding fabric conditioner when washing the fleece? If you use conditioner the urine tends to puddle on the top ( rather than wicking it to the underneath layer) and it smells more. Also using white vinegar or anti bacterial rinse instead of conditioner can help get rid of the urine smell.

I use noodle bath mats ( synthetic fibres) on top of the fleece that I change more frequently to make the fleece last longer. I hope you find a solution.

 

[VickiA]

Great advice above. I would just like to add that if you are keeping a pair of boars, every time you clean the cage and surroundings, they will scent mark again. I have found when fostering pairs of male piggies that it is best not to change the entire cage in one go but to leave some things with their original scent in to stop them scent marking again. Is it possible that the very act of cleaning itself is causing your piggies to make more boar smells?
I would recommend, in case your fleece is not draining properly, that you wash it a couple of times with just washing powder no fabric softener. You can use plain distilled vinegar in the rinse water and that will help to eliminate any odours as well as not coating the fires to encourage the fleece to Wick.

 

[VickiA]

I’m linking the fleece guide for extra information for you

Thread 'A Detailed Guide For Fleece Bedding'

Mar 15, 2019

1 What is a fleece cage liner?
- What is a fleece liner and how does work?
- What is the absorbent layer?
- Does a fleece liner need a waterproof layer?
2 Getting started with fleece
- How many liners will I need?
- Buying ready-made liners
- Sewing your own liners
- Creating a simple test liner or temporary set up
3 Fleece washing tips
- General washing...

• Swissgreys
• fleece fleece cage liners fleece liners washing fleece wicking
• Replies: 4
• Forum: Bedding & Cosies

• 

 

[Bjorn&Winston]

Thank you guys so much for the advice! And I had no idea that you should have washed it a couple times before use for it to actually start to absorb better.
I currently also placed a noodle bath mat above the fleece. And placing the small patches of fleece where they mostly pee is also a very good idea that I am gonna try.
I was also thinking that maybe they were marking their territory but I feel like it is more the pee and poop mixed smell (since they poop and pee mostly in the same place which makes the poop become soggy and also smell more and also smear easily). I haven’t washed the fleece with anything other than washing powder. But I will try vinegar also next time!
Thanks again! I will see how it goes!

 

[Posyrose]

Let us know how it goes!

 

[velveteenery]

I have one big cage liner underneath with a pretty large assortment of smaller liners (I've bought some, I've sewn some, I also use chenille bath mats from Target like others have mentioned) that I can swap out daily or, if I'm lucky, every two days. I've noticed my girls tend to go in similar spots, so that's where I put the more hefty/absorbent ones (usually corners, near or under hideys, and near the hay bin). This is also how I arrange floor time - strategic placement of pee pads in corners, darker/shadowed spots of the room, and near hay - means they really just pee where I've got the pads! I was so scared to try floor time for a while but have really enjoyed getting them out now that I have a routine and have figured out how to (mostly!) protect the carpet.

Do you also have a litter tray? That was a game changer for me. There are different ones you can get. Mine is 2x1 coroplast, 30 bucks on Amazon, got in April and still going strong. I put a disposable puppy pad in the tray and then fill generously with timothy hay which I empty, clean, and refill daily. The girls love it and do a lot of their peeing there. Hay also tends to stay there *slightly* better than when I use a hay bag (goes everywhere!), although I do use those from time to time.

The litter tray along with the smaller pads replaced daily help the main liner last at least a week (even up to two if I'm on top of swapping pee pads).

Also, I quickly discovered that the best way to launder the bedding (for me) is pre-soak, wash warm, extra rinse, with a small amount of detergent and a generous amount of white vinegar. This should help quite a bit with the stains and smell. I know the kavee ones are supposed to air dry and because they're so cute I want them to stay nice, so I do air dry them But all the rest, I tumble dry medium for an hour. It's the system that works for me.

You'll find your system, don't worry! Getting the hang of all the care things is a little tough at times but you'll get to know your piggies more and feel out what's sustainable for you! I'm really glad I use fleece even though I felt intimidated by it at first! I guess I'm 7 months into being a pig mom (which feels wild) and I'm really enjoying my little sweeties and also their soft, cute bedding!