Trouble With Wicking Fleece

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suzy

suzy

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I am having trouble getting my fleece to wick - I have tried washing it in hot water with 1 cup of bleach and also have tried washing with 1 cup vinegar (not at the same time) and then putting in dryer after each wash. I have now washed the fabric 15+ times and it still is waterproof. Any suggestions?
 
well I got it at Joann's fabrics so they have 2 kinds - blizzard or antipill
 
I am not using any detergent, just either the bleach or the vinegar with each load. I had heard not to use detergent cause it can set the water resistant chemical on the fleece. but the detergent I use is All free and clear so it doesn't have any softener. is not using detergent with the bleach part of my problem?
 
suzy said:
I am having trouble getting my fleece to wick - I have tried washing it in hot water with 1 cup of bleach and also have tried washing with 1 cup vinegar (not at the same time) and then putting in dryer after each wash. I have now washed the fabric 15+ times and it still is waterproof. Any suggestions?
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Have you washed your fleece with a softener-free detergent? it is the fabric softener that seals the surface. it takes about 2-3 washes to get softener out of the fabric.

Unfortunately, there are some fleece types out there that wick very badly despite of what you try, especially the very cheap ones. Antipil should be normally fine, though!
 
this particular piece sounds like it won't ever work. i've had a couple of fleece balnkets that just didn't seem to. they were cheap.

i wouldn't use bleach either. it's too harsh for fleece.

i'd start again with a new piece and wash it with a gentle non-bio liquid or powder. add a cap full of white vinegar to the detergent and another to the fabric conditioner drawer :)
 
it is definitely cheap fleece - I never knew that could be an issue. I don't know that I would know the difference between cheap and good fleece except for the price.
 
I bought a really cheap non branded non bio detergent and it worked straight away...
 
I had a thought - the bleach I am using is scented - do you think the scent in the bleach could be acting to prevent the wicking like scent in detergent does? have I been working against myself?
 
I have read somewhere that the best fleece to get for wicking is Polar Fleece .....
 
suzy said:
I had a thought - the bleach I am using is scented - do you think the scent in the bleach could be acting to prevent the wicking like scent in detergent does? have I been working against myself?
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it could be. bleach is too harsh for most fabrics. i'd wash their items with non-scented products. even when throughly rinsed scented products are very strong usually and will irritate guinea pigs airways :)
 
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