Wifes questions about fleece

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skippyinspace

New Born Pup
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Yes another fleece question most of these coming from my wife playing Devils advocate

Background first. we are in the north of Scotland so drying might be an issue.

our 3 pigs live indoor in 2 large living world moving cages that have been joined together

we have used fitch until it became a silly price, moved to megazorb and found that had a bad smell. Next was auboise which felt messy and the pigs didnt like it. Am now trying teabag but due to its bulkyness toys dont roll and forage stuff disappears. Also seems to be smelly quicker. Now that we have the double size cage fleece looks like an option but my wife has the following concerns

1 Smell
2 absorbant layer how does the urine dry when its trapped and why doesn't it wick back up
3 mattress protector drying as wateeproof backed ones cant be tumbled dried
4 should the 3 layers be seperate or should they be an all in one
5 wouldnt a all in one smell quicker

The plan is to use on of the Uk makers for the fleece
 
As is the case with everything people have different views on fleece and whether they smell quicker or not. My opinion is it smells way less than other options, and to keep smells to a minimum use extra fleece pads in high traffic areas where they pee more and you can then just change these every 2-3days and then your main fleece can go longer without needing to be changed. I have only used the ready made all in one fleeces and haven't had any trouble with it wicking back up. Only downside is they can't be tumble dried but they don't take that long to dry. Another option which I use and find even better to clean and wash than the fleece is microfibres bath mats which I use with a layer of puppy pads then an old towel with the bath mats on top and same as with the fleece the extra fleece pads where they pee most, the bath mats dry much quicker than the fleece and are easier to clean as the hay doesn't stick to them.
 
1. I use fleece and find I can get about 7-10 days use before changing. It doesn’t smell as much as the bath mats I put on top (change every 3-4 days), or the hay trays where I use puppy pads.

2. The wee passes through the fleece to the waterproof underneath, and is absorbed. If the underneath wasn’t waterproof then it would just sit on there and the fleece would be damp. You have to bear in mind when piggies pee it’s not a cup full or anything extreme like that. You just have to make sure that the fleece is wicked properly - wash several times with just soap, NO CONDITIONER and check for wicking when you take it out. The water shouldn’t sit on top of the fleece, it should pass through.

3. I made my own fleece liners for the boys. They’re two layers of fleece with a waterproof mattress protector in between. I tumble dry them and they’re fine. There are some waterproofs which can’t be rubble dried but the ones I use can be. I also tumble dry the liners if it’s raining or too cold to hang them out. I generally wash at 40 or 60c, and this month I’ve washed everything at 90c once.

4. It’s up to you if you want them separate or together. Our girls have them separate as they like to burrow! So I put down the waterproof then clip the fleece to the sides of the correx.

5. They all smell but an all in one won’t smell any quicker than separate layers. I’d say have two and change every 3-4 days. You could also get some pee pads to use in high traffic areas such as in their hides (anything under cover) or where their bottles are etc.
 
I use fleece liners. I make my own with quilted wadding (mattress protector) sandwiched between two layers of fleece. I wash them in a pet wash bag to save the hay and hair from going in the machine, line or radiator/airer dry (depending on weather!). I find fleece liners dry very quickly. Smaller mats under hidey's where they pee the most, as above poster. Under the fleece I use newspaper, wet bits changed daily. I don't understand the waterproof liners, the point of fleece liners always was that the wee wicked through the liner to an absorbant layer underneath. Waterproof backed liners have been a recent thing as far as I can see. Several people have posted on the forum saying their fleece smells and on further investigation they have waterproof liners, which obviously are keeping the wee in the fleece, high wee areas are going to get saturated very quickly? Someone, maybe @PigglePuggle ? said her liners had lost their waterproofing after washing.
If you are thinking of changing to fleece I suggest trying a folded cheap fleece blanket first to see how you get on.
 
@piggieminder mine don’t keep the wee in the fleece, and I use a waterproof mattress protector underneath. Not sure why others do that though. Weird.
 
I started off using aubiose, and then ended up switching to fleece because I didn't get on with it.

I made my first fleece liners myself, with two layers of fleece and a cotton mattress in between for the absorbent layer, as I wasn't too sure whether it was the right thing for me. I think it's always best to test something to see if you like it and whether it actually works for you before you go forward. (You can get two fleece blankets from B&M for £5.99, and I got a cotton mattress protector for less than £10 from Asda). Some people like fleece, some people don't. I personally love it.

I now use cage liners I've bought (mostly because there's no way I can sew in a straight line for over 2 metres!) and they work just as well. The urine soaks through to the absorbent layer to keep the top layer of fleece clean. I tend to put puppy pads under the more high traffic areas (like under their hideys, close to their high trays) so these catch any excess pee. I find that I can go a week without having to change liners. The bigger the cage, the less often you need to change them over. I don't think it's smells as much as aubiose either.

Fleece is also very easy to clean. You just need a dustpan and brush to sweep up during poo picking. I also wash mine in an old duvet cover to keep the washing machine hay and hair free, and I find that putting the liner on a spin cycle afterwards helps to speed up the drying process. I either hang them outside, or, on days when it's too cold or raining, I tend to just hang them on an air dryer and they're dry within a couple of hours.

The only downside is I'm now slightly obsessed with poo-picking! I like to keep the fleece clear!
 
Well I’ve mostly used wood shavings in my piggie career, but with my recent two I’ve gone to fleece as it’s less messy, so let me have a go at these questions as a recent fleece convert.

1. Mine starts to smell every 4 days I find. So I just take everything out and swap it over. 30 degree wash, no fabric softener etc. Good for another four days.

2. Well, as would be apparent if you knew me, I’m no scientist! But the middle layer of a specially made fleece is usually an absortant later which traps the wee like a sponge. The bottom of my fleece is then waterproof, although I put bath towels underneath (nothing else). Mine tend to pee in the same few spots and these can stay wetter for longer by the end, but no different from any other bedding material really.

3. So after washing my fleece (and bath towels, throw them all I together I say!) I spin for 10 minutes and then hang them over the bannisters. I very rarely dry outside and they’re always good to go by the next day. However I bought two fleeces so I can just swap them over, so I don’t need to dry mine especially speedily. I would definitely recommend having two sets (plus side: you get to pick two cute patterns! Tell your wife this!)

4. I guess you could do the three layers separately, but honestly, having it all in one is very handy and because everything is sewn in, there’s no chance of the pigs eating the absorbant layer. Also, you then have more bulky items to store/swap over on change day, which would put me off as I don’t have a lot of space to store things.

5. I don’t find that fleece smells anymore than when I used shavings, except for maybe on day 4. But then my piggies wood shavings used to smell by the time I cleaned the whole thing out once a week anyway, so for me it was kind of swings and roundabouts. In both cases I spot cleaned each night and then did a full swap once or twice a week. The bonus of fleece however is that a) it looks really nice and is a super comfortable option for your pigs and b) after that initial outlay, it’s a lot cheaper in the long term.

In short, I tried to bodge it myself with fleece once years ago and couldn’t work out what all the fuss was. This time I bought a properly made all in one fleece and now wouldn’t go back.

Hope that helps 🙂
 
I understand the sponge analogy for the absorbant layer I assume my wifes response will be.

1 dont sponges smell if not washed through after mopping up a mess
 
I love fleece and have made all my own with cheap mattress liners (not the waterproof ones). I only do fleece on one side, and you can see clearly what happens, as the fleece is unmarked, but the mattress protector gets quite stained. I wash on a baby clothes wash, and add bicarbonate of soda to my washing powder and use vinegar instead of fabric conditioner. Both of these are famous for absorbing smells, and I have noticed a significant difference from using washing powder alone. Bicarbonate of soda can be a problem for guinea pigs when it's a powder, but it is thoroughly rinsed in the cycle, and the vinegar reacts to remove any residue. I also wipe out the cage with vinegar.
 
Everything smells eventually, depends how long you leave it. Regular clean outs = no smell. I have both megazorb and fleece at the moment, I don't find that new megazorb smells but it definitely gets smellier quicker than the fleece so needs changing more often.
 
I live in Glasgow so weather not great either.

I have 2 boars in a 2x5 C&C cage I don't use fleece as I use vet bed with newspaper and puppy pads underneath. I spot clean twice daily in the morning at breakfast time and in the evening just before I go to bed it only takes me 5 minutes.

I love vet bed as its so easy to do a full cage clean quick brush down to get the hay and hair off then wash in the washing machine at 40 degrees with non bio detergent and some white vinegar then hang over the radiator and its dry within the hour. I do this twice weekly.

My boys love it as its nice and warm and they snuggle right into it but the best bit is there is no smell and mess.
 
skippyinspace said:
I understand the sponge analogy for the absorbant layer I assume my wifes response will be.

1 dont sponges smell if not washed through after mopping up a mess
Click to expand...

I’m pretty sure that the magic sponge layer (as I shall now call it!) also traps in the smell, which is why it only starts to smell after the heavy usage of 4 days or so and hence the swap over. If you go on Amazon or Etsy the sellers often give you the trade name for the absorbant layer and some details about its properties etc. Saw one the other day, although naturally I didn’t bother to read it 🙄
 
Hi.... I make my own cage liners using the following method -
bottom layer plain fleece
Top layer - Pretty fleece
Middle layer - the absorbent bit - washable incontinence bed pads

All sewn together

The larger ones get changed once a week and i use smaller ones where they sleep & eat which I change when I get any sort of whiff - usually after 3-4 days ...

They dry really well once spun but i do wash mine at the launderette (in a horse wash bag) as my own washing machine can't cope with the weight of them ...

Good luck in finding the best solution for you..
 
I make my own and don’t find them stinky. They have vet bed in their beds which is great for bedwetters like my Ted! My fleeces are made of
Top layer fleece
Middle Polyester Dacron (encased quilting polyester sheet)
Bottom layer fleece
They wash and dry quickly and can be tumble dried too

I think weatherproof layers lock in the smells as themurine,can’t soak down onto newspaper/absorbent puppy pads underneath etc
 
Thanks everyone for your responses, Ive gone through the fleece supplier list and not too sure where to go, Does any one have any suggestion for UK fleece liner suppliers, In my mnd its between hoghouse and beast boutique, but I'm not sure if I'm missing someone or something.

Thanks
 
Stephs piggie paradise makes some lovely items, you can find her on fb and she has a website.
 
My best fleece liners are from Pampered Piggies, though on ebay the Atalas ones are cheaper and faster delivery and ok with a washable puppy mat underlayer :)
 
Hope it’s OK to jump in here instead of starting another fleece thread.

After researching ready made liners I have decided to make my own, piggies are coming next week. I have bought some plain fleece as it’s cheaper and I wanted to do a top and bottom layer so as to have a choice of colour. Anyway, spent ages trying to find the right mattress protectors and have ordered some which say washable and look like fabric on both sides...BUT they also say there is a liquid trapping layer. So have I messed up because these will surely only work one way up?
 
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