What are your tips when washing fleece?

Sappyshelly

Sappyshelly

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hello everyone! I love fleece as it saves me a lot of money, but I hate it when it comes to cleaning. My pigs shed a lot and there’s always hair all over the fleece that gets into the washing machine. I shake out my fleece but hay still sticks to it. I have a extra on my vacuum that’s for pet hair so I use it on my fleece but it doesn’t get it all off and it hurts my back to bend down like that. Any tips on easier way to wash fleece?
 
I shake mine then wash in a horse wash bag. Most hair and all hay comes off in the bag and I just empty the bag out afterwards.
 
Yep I use a wash bag as well. I occasionally find a little hair ball in the bag so it gathers itself up!
I'd also recommend using white vinegar in the conditioner drawer, it gets rid of any residual smells and helps clean the washing machine.
 
I also use a wash bag now. I have just bought a new washing machine with an 8kg load facility, so much better for piles of fleece and it now fits in a bag. The bag took up most of my old machine without fleece in it!
 
Hmmm..am I doing something wrong?! Have just done my first fleece wash with the horse wash bag. Gave the fleece a good shake first, but there was still lots of hair and bits of hay stuck to the fleece. After washing the fleece has been cleaned but all the hair is still stuck to it. Hardly any in the bag. And the hay seems to have largely disappeared, presumably into the washing machine filter....
 
I always give my fleece a very thorough brush down with a rubber curry comb from an equine shop before washing, I think @Flutterby gave me that tip about a year ago? I dont use a wash bag they just dont spin properly in my washer for some reason! So I just shake then brush then shake again, and put the washer through an extra spin cycle at the end and wipe it round with a paper towel :)
 
I use an old hair brush to brush hay and hair off my fleeces, then an old draw string bag which I tie a knot in, seems to work well
 
You will never get rid of all hair and hay. I use a rubber hand brush which helps remove some hair before washing, but there is always hair still on the fleece after. If you can hang them on the line it will blow some off in the wind! The horse wash bag will just prevent the hair clogging your washer filter/drum.
 
I also brush my cage liners prior to putting them into a wash bag. As Kath says there is always some hay and a good deal of hair left after washing.
 
Looks like I've got a lot of brushing to do then! At least the cage liners I've ordered are cream-coloured so Primrose's hairs will blend in!
 
You can get a rubber hand brush and dustpan from B&M for about £3. I think they’re great for brushing down hairy things! I also dry my fleece beds/pads/blankets/waterproof under blankets in the conservatory on a folding airer - even in winter they’re dry in 24 hours. And as the floor is laminated in the conservatory, it’s easier to hoover/sweep up the hairs/hay that come off when they’re drying.
 
I use a dust pan brush and give it a wipe down. Then put it in a single bed duvet cover. And bang it in the wash.
 
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