Washing your Profleece?

[moonie8404]

I have this already but have just got a 4x2 grb C&C cage and wondering how everyone here manages to wash such a large piece of fleecing in their washing machine?! it seems quite big to me!

I only have a Nero 3 size at the moment so thats easy to wash, just wonder if anyone struggles with this?

 

[louiser]

Good question, i was thinking the same, my piece of fleece is going to be over 7ft! perhaps i should cut in two sections or it won't fit in my machine!!! inbreeding

 

[moonie8404]

thanks louiser, there now two of us confussled! please help us!

 

[Nox]

I wash my 4x2 Fleece Bedding in a large Wash Bag in the machine and it comes out lovely and clean

With a piece as big as 7ft, it might be worth cutting it into 2 bits as aside from actually fitting it in the machine you also need to make sure there is plenty of room for it to move around freely to aid agitation and therefore cleaning.

Before I wash my bedding, I give it a good shake, hoover it and then don a pair of Rubber Gloves to give it a good wipe down (circular movements work best), it's amazing the amount of hair and stubborn bits of hay that can be removed by a good old pair of trusty Rubber Gloves!

If you find it still isn't clean enough stick it back in the machine and give it a rinse with some white vinegar, this can help remove any stubborn pongs and can also soften the fleece without interfering with it's wicking qualities. Avoid using Fabric Conditioner!

If it helps I happen to think I have the worlds smallest Washing Machine! |)

 

[louiser]

Thanks Nox, for all the very useful info!

 

[louiser]

Do you use a special washing powder?

 

[moonie8404]

thanks Sarah!

I shall be ordering some smaller fleecing from you next week as in my email to you! I shall get a wash bag as well, but maybe I could have the bag bit bigger than the ones on your site?

With cutting it in half, the piggies wont try to get under it will they?

Louiser, I just use my usual ariel tablets, but NO conditioner!

 

[louiser]

thanks Sarah!

I shall be ordering some smaller fleecing from you next week as in my email to you! I shall get a wash bag as well, but maybe I could have the bag bit bigger than the ones on your site?

With cutting it in half, the piggies wont try to get under it will they?

Louiser, I just use my usual ariel tablets, but NO conditioner!

I was thinking that, but if I put their food bowls or house on the join, they may not lift it, or I could use velcro underneath to join the two together. I think I'll have to figure it out when I get it!:{

 

[moonie8404]

velcro is good, petshop mentioned bout this today, i might get some this lunchtime and some extra strong glue - would this be ok for the little ones?

 

[moonie8404]

velcro is good, petshop mentioned bout this today, i might get some this lunchtime and some extra strong glue - would this be ok for the little ones?

just had a thought, you cant really put velcro down as you have newspaper lining the bottom of the cage, unless you dont put paper at this point along the bottom?

 

[Jane]

I wash my 4x2 Fleece Bedding in a large Wash Bag in the machine and it comes out lovely and clean

With a piece as big as 7ft, it might be worth cutting it into 2 bits as aside from actually fitting it in the machine you also need to make sure there is plenty of room for it to move around freely to aid agitation and therefore cleaning.

Before I wash my bedding, I give it a good shake, hoover it and then don a pair of Rubber Gloves to give it a good wipe down (circular movements work best), it's amazing the amount of hair and stubborn bits of hay that can be removed by a good old pair of trusty Rubber Gloves!

If you find it still isn't clean enough stick it back in the machine and give it a rinse with some white vinegar, this can help remove any stubborn pongs and can also soften the fleece without interfering with it's wicking qualities. Avoid using Fabric Conditioner!

If it helps I happen to think I have the worlds smallest Washing Machine! |)

That sounds fab! I had to stop using fleece for my pigpigs beacuse I was getting hair all over the washer which of course made my mum angry! Do you use Pro Fleece/Vet Bed, or just regular fleece?

 

[moonie8404]

That sounds fab! I had to stop using fleece for my pigpigs beacuse I was getting hair all over the washer which of course made my mum angry! Do you use Pro Fleece/Vet Bed, or just regular fleece?

you can get this from her website, www.hammockyhammocks.co.uk. if you email her ( email from her webiste) she will do you a custom quote. she has like a towelling sandwiched inbetween two fleecing materials which she uses for the blankets.

I use Pro fleece, i dustpan it every day and put in pillowcase but going to get one of Sarahs bags on her site.

 

[boureki]

We have a large bit of 4x2 grid size of ProFleece and it does just about fit in the washer, but even with the heartiest of beatings outside, still struggle to get the hair and hay completely off! Some good tips in your post Nox, thank you.

 

[moonie8404]

We have a large bit of 4x2 grid size of ProFleece and it does just about fit in the washer, but even with the heartiest of beatings outside, still struggle to get the hair and hay completely off! Some good tips in your post Nox, thank you.

so you think i will get away with not cutting it as i would rather not do this? i dont put the hay on the profleece, only in a tray and in a paper bag which goes on a smaller sheet of fleecing which i will be getting from Nox.

 

[boureki]

so you think i will get away with not cutting it as i would rather not do this? i dont put the hay on the profleece, only in a tray and in a paper bag which goes on a smaller sheet of fleecing which i will be getting from Nox.

Oooooh, that's a good idea about putting the hay in a tray on a smaller bit of fleecing. I'm constantly trying to think of ideas to stop hay getting onto the fleece as it tends to stick in there.

As for cutting the fleece - well, I have my bonded pair of boars on my 4x2 grids bit of ProFleece and before I had that large bit, had to use smaller bits put together a bit like a jigsaw! They kept nosing it up and going underneath it the little monkeys, but may not do it if you have cut it into two half size bits say 2x2 grids worth, but I couldn't guaruntee it, they can be unpredictable about what they find fascinating can't they!

 

[moonie8404]

Oooooh, that's a good idea about putting the hay in a tray on a smaller bit of fleecing. I'm constantly trying to think of ideas to stop hay getting onto the fleece as it tends to stick in there.

As for cutting the fleece - well, I have my bonded pair of boars on my 4x2 grids bit of ProFleece and before I had that large bit, had to use smaller bits put together a bit like a jigsaw! They kept nosing it up and going underneath it the little monkeys, but may not do it if you have cut it into two half size bits say 2x2 grids worth, but I couldn't guaruntee it, they can be unpredictable about what they find fascinating can't they!

its made such a difference getting the tray, and scruffy goes in there to sleep wee and poo so i just clean that out every day, or every other day, and just brush the fleece once, twice a day for any odd poos and strands of hay, and there you have it! its such a better way of keeping it out the fleece. you can get the trays ni pet shops, i got mine in my local one. there is a piccie of it in the photoalbum part, i posted some of scruffy and you can see it in the background.

 

[boureki]

OK thanks Moonie, off to have a look now!

Edit - is it a cat litter tray, the blue one in your HH thread with your piggie relaxed in the hammock (I adore those shots)?

I thought of a cat litter tray but wondered if the sides were too high for them to get and out of - do you have any problems like this?

 

[Nox]

Do you use a special washing powder?

I use Soap Nuts but mostly cos I'm allergic to everything, but also because I don't much care for the amount of residue, or chemical smell that is created by the majority of off the shelf Washing Detergent. Soap Nuts work out a lot cheaper than normal washing powder and I find they work just as well combined with a final vinegar rinse

Do you use Pro Fleece/Vet Bed, or just regular fleece?

I used to use ProFleece but I had a Piggy who was a bit too partial to eating it so I switched to plain fleece (like we use to make our hammocks) and after a bit of trial and error I hit upon a winning combination of a Fleece / Towelling sandwich which creates a nice heavy cage carpet, and providing it's treated properly is absorbent and wicks away any urine from the top layer. All I do is pop newspaper under the fleece in heavy traffic areas and hoover and / or wipe down the fleece daily and change the paper. My Piggies have been happily living on this for a few years now and I'm still using the same sets I started with

I also use Hi-Bac Litter Pans, which are usefully exactly the same size as a C&C grid so fit perfectly, in the Hay Rack area, and fill the pans with Megazorb. This helps keep the Hay off the Fleece and as Piggies tend to litter where they eat (!) it saves a lot of wear and tear on the Fleece!

velcro is good, petshop mentioned bout this today

A word of caution about velcro - make sure it there is no way the Piggies can get anywhere near it, and keep a very close eye on it. The little plastic hooky bits (very technical term that!) on the rough side can be quite easy to nibble off and could be fatal if ingested by the Piggies.

 

[moonie8404]

I also use Hi-Bac Litter Pans, which are usefully exactly the same size as a C&C grid so fit perfectly, in the Hay Rack area, and fill the pans with Megazorb. This helps keep the Hay off the Fleece and as Piggies tend to litter where they eat (!) it saves a lot of wear and tear on the Fleece!

A word of caution about velcro - make sure it there is no way the Piggies can get anywhere near it, and keep a very close eye on it. The little plastic hooky bits (very technical term that!) on the rough side can be quite easy to nibble off and could be fatal if ingested by the Piggies.

Sarah i use the Hi Bac Litter pans, they are excellent! do your piggies have anywhere to bury themselves in? i put newspaper and hay in mine?

I think i am going to try and keep the fleece together, and see if it fits in the washer, if it dosnt i will ahve to split and safely velcro for my piggies!