Cleaning: Static Clinging Hay is Driving Me Nuts!

[MissFormosa]

For the past few days, cleaning the cages has nearly driven me to a frustrated mess. The air must have changed or something, because everything in the cages has static cling. This is so maddening, because I can't use fabric softener or anything like that on the fleece.

So when I go to sweep the hay, poops, and hair, it flies up and sticks to me, the wall, the sides of the coroplast, everything. Trying to dump the dust pan is a joke. I tried a vacuum and it made the hair and hay stick to the fleece even worse! I'm at my wits end! Why is everything sticking like a magnet?!

My guys have been sneezing occasionally because of this and I can see why! The tiny bits of hay from the fleece flew up into my nose when I was trying to sweep and I broke out in an asthma attack (I'm allergic to hay and asthmatic) and couldn't stop sneezing.

I'm worried this is going to be bad for their lungs (and mine!).

What are my options? We can't think of anything that we can use on the fleece that won't block it's ability to wick the pee and be pig friendly. Ugh!

[Seonta]

This sounds funny but the first thing that comes to mind is getting a face mask, putting the boys in floor time, taking the fleece outside and shaking it off.

[Ash-Ro060708]

I use unscented Bounce dryer sheets for my guinea pig fleece and it still works fine.

[Dichotomy83]

I started using bounce in the dryer and the fleece still works.

You could also buy a humidifier for your room the pigs are in, to eliminate some of the dry staticy air.

Having a bowl of water sitting on a shelf in the room also might help, although not a lot.

[Peggysu]

For your own health I would recommend a face mask and maybe some eye protection so it doesn't fly in your eye as well.

I have allergies and asthma as well so keeping the exposures of what I'm allergic too to a minimum is important.

[Scout.Layne]

Have you considered using a lint brush or duct tape to get the hay off?

[Ly&Pigs]

Only add a fabric softener sheet to the dryer for the last couple of minutes or so of the drying cycle. It won't ruin the wicking properties.

[akstrohm]

You could also let the fleece air dry. I don't have too many problems with static that way.

[Tessa Bea]

I use dryer balls, there are several varieties out now to choose from. I have ones that are supposed to specially eliminate static, they work decently well. I just make sure to give everything a good shake once I take it out of the dryer in order to dispel any wanton static.

[Heady]

You know, I was reading through this, and while I don't have a static problem with the cage, I have static problems with my hair, my hair brush, clothes, etc... If I use a dryer sheet and run it through my hair, it leaves that residue that we all hate.

So, several years ago, I started buying this stuff called Static Guard. It's an aerosol can that I spray on my hair brush (because it doesn't leave a residue) and sometimes directly on my hair...I wonder if you could use the same on the fleece since it doesn't leave a residue?

I get it in the laundry aisle of the grocery store...it has an orange cap and it's a blue can. Use on the fleece WITHOUT the pigs on it (as I know you know, Miss, but just in case someone else is reading this)...maybe it would work?

[MissFormosa]

Originally Posted by Peggysu

For your own health I would recommend a face mask and maybe some eye protection so it doesn't fly in your eye as well.

I have allergies and asthma as well so keeping the exposures of what I'm allergic too to a minimum is important.

I do need to get a face mask. Maybe a hazmat hood. I did get hay in the eye once already My eye looked real bad. You know, I find hay everywhere lately! I went to the bathroom at work the other day and saw a piece of hay in the toilet! No wonder my behind itched a little.

It's like, it has gotten out of control! There's no avoiding it. I find poos in my shoes. Everything! Ahhh...it's lovely to have 6 boars living in your bedroom in a tiny Brooklyn apartment.

Originally Posted by Scout.Layne

Have you considered using a lint brush or duct tape to get the hay off?

Well, with two 2x5 cages, it might use a lot of tape and lint brushes.

Originally Posted by Heady

You know, I was reading through this, and while I don't have a static problem with the cage, I have static problems with my hair, my hair brush, clothes, etc... If I use a dryer sheet and run it through my hair, it leaves that residue that we all hate.

So, several years ago, I started buying this stuff called Static Guard. It's an aerosol can that I spray on my hair brush (because it doesn't leave a residue) and sometimes directly on my hair...I wonder if you could use the same on the fleece since it doesn't leave a residue?

I get it in the laundry aisle of the grocery store...it has an orange cap and it's a blue can. Use on the fleece WITHOUT the pigs on it (as I know you know, Miss, but just in case someone else is reading this)...maybe it would work?

I use hand lotion in a pinch to get static out of my hair. Too much bleaching - so my hair is dry and very static-y. If I am out and it starts acting up, I just grab the lotion out of my bag. You have to rub it in a little though, or it has a "There's Something About Mary" type effect.

[Tessa Bea]

I use handlotion for my hair too! People look at me like I'm crazy. But it works! *ahem* ANYway... I'm thinking about getting a different set of dryerballs, they've got more kinds out now and it'd be fun to try something new. Especially since the laundry sometimes eats balls and then I have to sort through it, find them, and put them back in the dryer before adding the next load. It'd be good to have a second set.

[Slave to the Wheek]

I believe vinegar in the rinse cycle is touted to help with static cling, plus it does a much better job of making fleece soft because the acid cuts any residues left on it. I usually add a cup or two in the rinse cycle depending on how nasty the fleece is, and how large the washer is.
HowStuffWorks "Uses for Vinegar: Guidelines for Doing Laundry"

A couple other things to try:

1. Wash cotton and polyester separately. In other words, wash the fleece separate from the towels.

2. Avoid over drying fleece, remove from the dryer just before it's completely dry. Fleece dries incredibly fast and you'll find that in just a few minutes you can take it out to finish drying in the air.

3. Dampen hands before taking out of dryer.

Since you are allergic to hay, I would urge you to consider switching to a fleece system that would allow you to vacuum up all the hay and poo bits. When I used fleece, I sewed 'ties' onto my fleece, poked holes in the edges of my coroplast and tied the fleece down to the cage. This allowed me to use a small 1.5 gallon shopvac to clean my cage everyday. The fleece stayed in place so that I could get a good sweep. The vacuum I used was the 1.5 gallon shop vac that Sears makes...but there are a couple brands on the market.


This image shows how I poked holes in the coroplast and tied the fleece to my cage floor. To make the 'ties' I simply took strips of fleece, sewed them in half and then sewed the center to the fleece. It's exactly how they do chair pads

I actually made a cage pad, where I sewed fleece and batting together so that it was like a chair pad/comforter. So adding the strings to the whole thing made a nice sturdy system that was pretty foolproof and easily managed. Sadly, my boars all started fighting due to my stupid idea of adding a third boar. Having fleece for three 2x4Cube cages in an apartment simply made for too much laundry so now I'm using CareFresh and man..it's very very expensive.


I also kept a "haybox" that helped to control the issues of hay on the fleece. Some folks make kitchens on second floors, but a haybox can be a great alternative. I simply filled the haybox with regular bedding and cleaned it out daily. I found that the display boxes at Costco were easily obtained and readily free..and had a nice time trying to find ones I liked. This one was so nice, I even lined it with puppy pads to keep it from getting ruined from the pee! It lasted for about 6 months before finally disintegrating.

[Slave to the Wheek]

Oh, Something else I wondered about...what kind of fleece are you using? The word 'fleece' can mean a lot of different types of fabric. It may be possible the type of fleece you are using may the the issue?

[MissFormosa]

We used the regular old "anti-pill" fleece fabric from Joann's.

We got a little shop-vac a few days ago and it really helps!