Stink!

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claire8234

claire8234

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi

I have moved my two boars indoors for the winter and they are now in a 2x4 C&C cage.

On tuesday morning I used a cage liner for the first time, the fleece had been washed a couple of times and it wicked the pee away very well. Two popcorning guinea pigs and a happy piggy owner until last night!

I went to do my nightly poo pick and noticed that the room they are kept stank and the liner smelt revolting :)>>> I have not had a chance to sort out another liner so they are on a folded mattress topper with an old fleece on top as I couldn't leave it any longer.

The liner was nice and dry and no wee had soaked through to the correx it just stank!

So that means my liner lasted from 11am tuesday until last night when I had to take it out, barely three days. Is there any way I can prolong the time I can use a liner before it starts to smell or am I just going to have to change the liners every couple of days :( Perhaps it will improve the more I wash it but I can't see how.

I am really happy with my liner and want to keep using it I just want to see if I can avoid it stinking after only a couple of days (my poor washing machine wont cope!)

Claire

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Last edited:
claire8234 said:
Hi

I have moved my two boars indoors for the winter and they are now in a 2x4 C&C cage.

On tuesday morning I used a cage liner for the first time, the fleece had been washed a couple of times and it wicked the pee away very well. Two popcorning guinea pigs and a happy piggy owner until last night!

I went to do my nightly poo pick and noticed that the room they are kept stank and the liner smelt revolting :)>>> I have not had a chance to sort out another liner so they are on a folded mattress topper with an old fleece on top as I couldn't leave it any longer.

The liner was nice and dry and no wee had soaked through to the correx it just stank!

So that means my liner lasted from 11am tuesday until last night when I had to take it out, barely three days. Is there any way I can prolong the time I can use a liner before it starts to smell or am I just going to have to change the liners every couple of days :( Perhaps it will improve the more I wash it but I can't see how.

I am really happy with my liner and want to keep using it I just want to see if I can avoid it stinking after only a couple of days (my poor washing machine wont cope!)

Claire

x
Click to expand...

I ALWAYS have this problem, would like to know any solutions as well.
 
I change the fleece every couple of days but in order to keep my machine in working order always give them a good rinse in the bath first ( either cold water or bathwater straight after a bath ) so that all the wee is rinsed out and excess hair and hay floats off before going in the machine - it then only needs a quickwash cycle in the machine so doesn't take much time out of the day at all. High wee areas have puppy pads on top of the mattress liner and I usually change any soggy ones when I change the fleece. I don't think it works out any more expensive than replacing sawdust etc, I get mine from Home bargains ( 1.99 for 14) . I also spot clean the Megazorb in the hayloft and replace any wet patches and replace the hay every day, this keeps things smelling fresh, along with the thrice daily poo pick! Then I do a complete clean once a week ( change all of the Megazorb in hayloft, wash mattress toppers, cushions etc and disenfect ) I know it sounds like a lot to do but if you get into a routine you're done in 15 - 20 mins if you only have 2 - 4 piggies. ( I have 2 C & Cs on top of each other but am planning on building something a bit more back - friendly soon ).
 
Thank goodness its not just me! I thought I was doing something wrong.

I can cope with the ten tonnes of poop as I can clean it up but the pee smell is just horrid.

I have a corner litter tray so am tempted to put that in to see if they will pee in it. However, they seem to pee pretty much everywhere but mostly along both ends of the cage.

I don't know whether a layer of newspaper and hay placed over the spots that get peed on the most would help and then I can change it daily?
 
i use fleece with a towel underneath and cant say i notice a smell. i clean out twice a week.

but i find putting the fleece in an old pillowcase helps save the washing machine. or for a cage liner an old duvet cover?
 
It's worth giving it a go, although some people reckon newspaper pongs a bit when it's wet. If you have a few spare fleeces you can whisk them out and give them a quick wash whenever you need to - they're so easy to dry that's not really an issue thank goodness. Give puppy pads a go for a couple of days and see what you think, maybe compare them with newspaper and tell us what you think.:)
 
I have built a hay loft but as of yet haven't built a ramp up and I wasn't sure what to line it with. Megazorb or something similar sounds good in the hayloft as easier to clean on a daily basis.

I got all the hair off with a pet hair magnet (they are brilliant) and then I popped the liner through a prewash in the machine to rinse out all the pee before washing it at 60c.
 
lauralucy said:
i use fleece with a towel underneath and cant say i notice a smell. i clean out twice a week.

but i find putting the fleece in an old pillowcase helps save the washing machine. or for a cage liner an old duvet cover?
Click to expand...

After rinsing my lot's fleeces out in the bath and seeing the colour of the water afterwards I'm glad I don't put them straight into the machine anymore! :)>>>
Just remember that washing machine's don't drain completely after a wash so all that stagnant water just sits there at the bottom of the machine. :{
 
I too have found this problem it does seem that they pee in the corner I have newspaper in so am going to try using a litter tray with sawdust in it see if that reduces the smell. My main concern is that my OH moans about the smell as its my sons bedroom! Doesn't help win over the OH.
 
I can't get hold of puppy pads round here plus they are very expensive.

We get free newspapers so I have a garage full of them as I used to use them in the hutch.

I might pop a layer of newspaper under their hay rack and then to the side of this where they seem to pee the most.
 
Megazorb's great for haylofts, very easy to spot clean. :)
 
I'll get the hay loft finished when I get some time as this will help keep the fleece cleaner and will be easier to change on a daily basis.

I think I am just going to have to experiement with litter trays/newspapers etc to see if I can reduce the amount of pee soaking into the liner. I wanted to avoid putting newpaper with hay over the top as it is a pain to clean off the fleece but if it helps then its worth it.

They are in my daughters room and I don't want her sleeping and playing in a room that smell like a public loo!
 
Hi claire sorry your having problems with the liner:( mine last a week and i have 8 sows in a 2 level 2x4 c&c cage but i do have a 2x1 kitchen area and they do spend a fair bit of time in there.

I washed the fleece twice before sewing i think reccomended its three times but i believe you can never wash it too many times, i have heard that boars smell more than sows but i have no experience with this.

i think having a kitchen area and more washes will help alot.

Wiebke, what mattress toppers are you using?
 
we have five boars, two sets of two., and a single boar, they live inside in our conservatory, we dont use fleece, as our washing machine would nt cope, we use newspaper on top of the correx(lots of sheets) and hay in their covered areas, we have to change areas of the newspaper where they wee and the hay everyday,a nd thoroughly clean and spray every third day, otherwise they would really smell, wish i could come up with a way to leave them at least two days!
 
Hey there! I know you have previously mentioned that puppy pads are expensive (belived me i know) :) Although theses are also pricey, i use pampers disposable baby changing mats under my matress topper, mainly because i find this saps the smell away nicely. :D I wondered why they were hard to get hold of? (is it an awakward area? my grandparents live in one of those) Anyway, might not work for you but its just a suggestion. They come in packs of 12, however they are 60cms by 60cms so if its only the two end you could just cut it into pieces the right size and pop them in. :) They sell them in boots and large supermarkets. :)
 
Hey there! I know you have previously mentioned that puppy pads are expensive (belived me i know) :) Although theses are also pricey, i use pampers disposable baby changing mats under my matress topper, mainly because i find this saps the smell away nicely. :D I wondered why they were hard to get hold of? (is it an awakward area? my grandparents live in one of those) Anyway, might not work for you but its just a suggestion. They come in packs of 12, however they are 60cms by 60cms so if its only the two end you could just cut it into pieces the right size and pop them in. :) They sell them in boots and large supermarkets. :)
 
claire8234 said:
I can't get hold of puppy pads round here plus they are very expensive.

We get free newspapers so I have a garage full of them as I used to use them in the hutch.

I might pop a layer of newspaper under their hay rack and then to the side of this where they seem to pee the most.
Click to expand...

Poundland do puppy pads if you have a local store x
 
I have cut & hemmed some extra pieces of fleece that I use in the corners, they wee mostly on those which I have several of, so I change them every other day for fresh ones, & have a dinner tray that doubles up as a cat litter type tray that I put a layer of newspaper in & I chuck that out & wash the tray every day. I must say I don't get that much in the way of smells now. I do a full clean every 4th day but it would easily last a full week to be honest rolleyes Mine are 3 girls btw :)
 
AndreaJane said:
After rinsing my lot's fleeces out in the bath and seeing the colour of the water afterwards I'm glad I don't put them straight into the machine anymore! :)>>>
Just remember that washing machine's don't drain completely after a wash so all that stagnant water just sits there at the bottom of the machine. :{
Click to expand...

i always do a rinse after washing there bits and then the next time a wash after. :)
 
4piggiepigs said:
Hi claire sorry your having problems with the liner:( mine last a week and i have 8 sows in a 2 level 2x4 c&c cage but i do have a 2x1 kitchen area and they do spend a fair bit of time in there.

I washed the fleece twice before sewing i think reccomended its three times but i believe you can never wash it too many times, i have heard that boars smell more than sows but i have no experience with this.

i think having a kitchen area and more washes will help alot.
Click to expand...

Don't be silly it isn't your fault, the liner is great. My two boys could pee for England and their wee really pongs! I just need to try something else to stop the pong! I might try making some extra washable mats to go on the areas the wee the most and I can change these every day.

I have put newspaper under their hay rack and food bowl and to the side of this where they pee and then change the paper every day. This has helped to stop a lot of wee going onto the fleece but they seem to wee pretty much everywhere and are starting to smell again :(

I don't want to end up covering all the fleece in paper and hay as it defeats the object of using a cage liner! I have got hold of some puppy pads so will see how that works out. I had a litter tray in the corner but they haven't gone anywhere near it!
 
I have started using a cage liner which is mattress topper cut to fit inside the cage and then fleece sewn on top of this.

You can also use a layer of newspaper, then towels and then fleece. Its not the easiest option and I am having problems using it but I think its worth perservering with.

Its what works best for you
 
DecazaarSaskiaa said:
Hello. I have notised everyone is using fleeces, I was just wondering, what actually are they?:{
Click to expand...

Hiya :)

Fleece blankets, the fabric is like the fleece jackets you can get in outdoor clothing shops. A lot of people cut the blankets down to fit their piggie's cages rolleyes

That's a fleece <<<<<< in my pic cut to make a little hammock :))
 
Poppy'sMum; Ahh right thankyou. well then i might put that to mind and think about getting one or two to use for my guinea pigs cage. It will probably easier.
Thankyou again.
 
Poppy'sMum; Ahh right thankyou. well then i might put that to mind and think about getting one or two to use for my guinea pigs cage. It will probably easier.
Thankyou again.
 
Well, their hay loft is finished. Pictures are in the C&C gallery :)

They have been whizzing up and down the ramp and wheeking away so I am assuming they like it. I have put newspaper and ecopet bed in the hay loft and they have seemed to go to to to loo up there more than downstairs so fingers crossed this helps with the niffs!

I am going to make some little fleece mats to go in the corners and I can then change them every day. I am really happy with their C&C cage and the liners are so easy to change and keep poo free so just got to persevere with it and hopefully can prevent the cage and whole room stinking of pee after two days :)
 
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