The Fleece Project: The Study

[TX_2_Pigs]

I don't know if this has been mentioned by anyone or not, but if you are bothered by the sight of poos, go with darker patterned fleeces. I switched out my fleece this weekend for my new pattern, which is lighter (light yellow with houses and trees and a "my home" sign) than my former pattern (giraffe print). I really like the pattern, but everything is so much more visible on it. I think I will use it for floor time and get more for the cage, like maybe leopard print.

[MilwCavyMom]

So true. I had gotten white fleece so I can monitor the pigs urine so its the right color. It is, but the amount of poo on there is kinda ....icky and causes me to constantly clean. I'm going to go with brown now. :P

[gpigluver14]

Sorry the last post was from a year ago, but I have to say, oh my gosh, that is a really great post, Cavy-Cool-Crazy! Nothing but helpful! I read the whole thing...

[cavy-cool-crazy]

Last post wasn't a year ago but I'm really glad it helped you. I'm still planning on doing Part 2: The Experiment, eventually! Just when I've found time between work, the twins, the pigs, the book, forums and everything else - LOL.

[Skylark]

This might sound like such a stupid question, but I'm planning to convert to fleece bedding this weekend and I want to make sure I'm 100% fully prepared.

The "towel" material that is to go underneath the 100% polyester material... Well, what does everyone MEAN by "towel" as in, what material is this exactly? I'm sitting here picturing bath towels and I could be totally wrong. So if someone could just say to me "No, we mean the kind of towel that is..." or something of the like, I'd be really happy

Sorry for such a silly question, but I am so excited about doing this fleece bedding for my pigs (I KNOW they're going to LOVE IT!!) and I just want to make sure I get it right the first time around!

[TX_2_Pigs]

Bath towels is exactly what I use.

And I love this system, it is just so nice and with all the patterns you can get fleece in, you can make it look great.

[Skylark]

Oh fantastic! Thanks for such a quick reply

And bath towels really work fine as the under-bedding material yeah? Two layers of them will be sufficient right?

[TX_2_Pigs]

Yes. I use 2 layers. The thicker more absorbant that better. There are a few places where the towels overlap and this is where the piggies like the most. I guess it is most comfy for them. I am thinking about trying to find an old comforter to put under the towels, just to give them more cush. Good luck with it. I think you will find you, and your piggies, will love it.

And don't forget that when you wash your towels and fleece DO NOT use any fabric softener.

[Skylark]

What kind of material is best for the "towel" underneath? If it's 100% polyester ontop, would cotton be good for underneath? I'm going to a fabric shop tomorrow to get all the material and I'd like to pick the most absorbant and yet easily to clean under-bedding material. I don't want to just get bath towels because the cage for my two boys is 5x3 so it's, well, HUGE, and bath towels aren't :P I'd much rather get the right kind of material cut to size so it's easier for me... So, yes, if anyone can let me know what kind of fabric is good I'd be soooo happy!

[Percy's Mom]

If you want to use towels under the fleece, bath towels or larger beach towels or bath sheets are your best bet. The edges are already finished off for you, so no worrying about little bits of cotton terry cloth ravelling off. Yes, you'll have to use multiple towels, but I found it to still be easier.

[jdomans]

Do NOT use towels with one side that soft nap. Oh gosh I have forgotten what it is called. Use terry/normal towelling on both sides of the towel.

[critter lover]

I got fleece yesterday and have washed it 4 times, no fabric softener. I have dryed it in my dryer after every wash. The water still pools on top! what am I doing wrong?!?!?!?!? It is anti-pill fleece if that makes any difrance in how it works.

[Skylark]

Originally Posted by jdomans

Use terry/normal towelling on both sides of the towel.

Terry toweling - Fantastic, thank you It's the same material used for nappys so that's helped a lot!

So, two layers of terry toweling and some 100% polyester will be sufficient, yes?

[cavy-cool-crazy]

Originally Posted by critter lover

I got fleece yesterday and have washed it 4 times, no fabric softener. I have dryed it in my dryer after every wash. The water still pools on top! what am I doing wrong?!?!?!?!? It is anti-pill fleece if that makes any difrance in how it works.

How long does it pool? All my fleeces - those washed a hundred times and those washed just five - have that effect, but it only lasts about 10 seconds. It pools then suddenly sinks through.

Do you have towel or any similar absorbant fabric underneath? That helps draw pee through quicker.

[Slave to the Wheek]

Originally Posted by critter lover

I got fleece yesterday and have washed it 4 times, no fabric softener. I have dryed it in my dryer after every wash. The water still pools on top! what am I doing wrong?!?!?!?!? It is anti-pill fleece if that makes any difference in how it works.

Yes, actually the anti-pill fleece can be much denser and less apt to wick. I'm wondering if you can post a close-up pic of what you have? If that's hard, then you might take a look at the images of fleece types online and post a pic of that:

If it looks different than these fleeces then you may not have a fleece you will work all that well. There are thousands of products sold as "fleece" so it's very easy to get the wrong product and then find it doesn't work. It seems that most people who complain seem to have had that as the biggest problem.

Was this a test piece or a full sized one? If big enough, you can always do a test run. Piggers pee so often that you can sit and watch to see what happens when they do take a pee pee on the fabric. If it "drags" across it then that is when you can imagine you would have problems.

In the testing, if the water pools or beads up and never goes through that is a big problem. If it pools, and then goes through in a few seconds you'll be okay. Once it goes through the fabric into the test absorbant pad/towel/whatever below --then run your hand across it. Does the fleece feel wet? It should feel barely wet at all. I can describe it as the difference between having a bath towel that you have used with fabric softener and one that hasn't. The softened towels kind of smoosh the water around, while a normal towel is "thirsty".

If your fleece isn't the right kind the only solution is to go on a quest for a more appropriate fleece that has wicking properties. I have some blankets told at Costco and Target that they called "Microfleece"...well...that was a misnomer. True Microfleece sold by the company called Malden Mills is a very wickable fabric and so wickable it's used in diaper liners to keep the wetness from baby's bums. However, these blankets that I have LOOK like it, but they do not allow any liquids to drain through them at all no matter how long of time elapses. I've had these blankets for 2 years and used them on my bed. A few months ago I thought I'd cut them up to use for pig bedding once they got too pilly. Low and behold, I was utterly shocked when I spilled my water bottle in bed one day and noticed that an hour later the water was still beading up on top. That got me to testing it, and indeed whatever this fleece is, it is not designed to wick away but instead to repel water.

Most fleece, probably 90% is designed to repel rain. The most effective fleeces are those designed for inner linings of coats and are thin. They are also less expensive and more apt to pill than others. Anti pill fleeces can be a hit or miss. Almost any kind of fleece can be called anti-pilling, and that's part of the problem. In the US stores like "JoAnn's" will switch manufacturers all the time. They use the terms for their fleeces very loosely. Last time I was there, the fabrics they were calling "ant-pill alpine" was not anywhere near the quality of the stuff I got from them last year. They will never admit who their manufacturers are either..making it even harder to tell people what to use.

The most simple way to describe it, is that what is the most popular fleece for bedding is equivalent to Malden Mills 100 or maybe 200 wt Polar Fleece. Now, remember that's a brand name. Polar fleece is like saying Kleenex. You can get a tissue, but it's not necessarily going to be the same thing as a Kleenex. Some places call different things polar fleece too. This leads to why we fleece users have such a hard time convincing folks why it works for us. This link Oz Cloth Nappies Nappy FAQ: All Your Cloth Nappy Questions Answered: Information on Modern Cloth Nappies, Traditional Flat Nappies and Training Pants, Nappy Accessories, Washing Cloth Nappies, Buying, Making and Where to Chat About Cloth is a great education on fleece. It's about 'nappies" which is a British term for diapers. If you click and scroll down to the section on "Fleece" I found it helped me a great deal in my research on using fleece for bedding.

[critter lover]

Thanks for all the info Slave to the wheek! I will test it and see what happens. the fleece is to fit the hole cage.

[Skylark]

I've had the fleece bedding in for a few days now and I've just changed it for the first time today. The clean one is in their cage and the used one has just been in the washing machine. Seriously, how do you get rid of all of that piggy fur?! I've shaken it, beat it, used a fur brush and there's still so much left. I've cleaned it twice now and it's hanging out on the line still covered in a lot of piggy fur.

Any ideas?

[critter lover]

well I tested it and it wont work, its the same stuf you got Slave to the wheek, so Im just using an old fleece blancit and it works. Im very suprised they havent been popcorning they usilly did before the fleece but now they wont.

[JBarton]

Skylark, I have no idea how to get rid of all that hair.I have been using fleece for about a month and the hair is building up in it. I wash it in hot water and rinse it twice. Some does come out in the wash but when I take them out of the washer and shake them out before they go into the dryer, a ton of hair flies everywhere. More comes out in the dryer but it is almost like it is woven into the fabric and is there for good. I too, would appreciate some tips.

[jdomans]

Slave to the Wheek, Just read Windespirit's sticky on Fleece Types. She tells it all. It is below this thread.

There will always be a certain amount of hair in the fleece.