How do you know fleece is wicking correctly??

[Faith & Edwena]

My fleece was just delivered yesterday and so far I have washed it three times (in the machine for the thrid wash now)

I am using no-bio washing powder (no fabric conditioner) and in the first wash I added a very small amount of bleach to try and break down the barrier (read that someone else had done this)

Now I did not dry it between the first two washes - does that matter?? (logically I would say no, but there maybe a scientific reason) I air dried it overnight before putting it in for the third wash this morning.

When I poured some water on it (after the two washes )over the sink the water went straight through but left the fleece wet - am I right in thinking that if it is wicking properly the water would go through and the fleece would be dry??

Am I getting there with it??

[sammy_kaye]

Was the fleece wet or damp? Water can take a while to wick through completely. The fleece does get better with use. I would suggest letting the fleece dry between washes. I don't know why but this does seem to help.

[Faith & Edwena]

HI sammy - thanks for your reply.

The fleece was dry when I poured some water on it - the water went straight through but left the fleece wet - so wet that when I squeased it with my fingers a bit of water came out.

[Faith & Edwena]

Update - fleece has now been washed and tried for the third time.

Have done the water test and although the water goes straight through it is still leaving the fleece wet.

Does fleece need the towel underneath to truely wick away the moisture?

Obvioulsy when I put it in the cages it will have towels underneath but I don't want to install unless I know it has been washed enough / ready etc

Do you think it is ready to install or do I need to wash again??

Help - really want to install it asap

[CavyKeeper]

As a first time fleece user I can't give too much advice, however, the experience I've had with it so far is that's it's not going to be 100% dry right away, but it shouldn't be sopping wet either. I washed and dried mine three or four times and used All free and clear detergent, then tested it like you did only with a towel underneath.

Results also depend on the fleece. Right now I have two different changes of fleece and one is slightly more affective than the other, and as Sammy said, it will get better with use. As long as it's wicking through and not puddling, I think it should be okay to use.

[Faith & Edwena]

Thanks Caveykeeper

Definately no puddles - so will install and hopefully it should wick better with the towels underneath

My piggies, at the moment, are on kiln dried shavings - but they pop corn so much that I am constantly getting shavings all over the floor - even though I have 6" correx sides. They are very happy piggies

I have heard that they love fleece - so looking forward to their reaction

[Ly&Pigs]

The fleece will wick properly with something underneath it. Sometimes it can take up to 10 minutes for it to wick.

[Janelle]

I use cloth diapers, so I've studied up on fleece and wicking and such a LOT!! (My husband and I think it's funny that we're basically using a cloth diaper for our guinea pigs.) Detergent makes a big difference with fleece. You want nothing with fabric softeners or brightners. Most Free and Clear detergents are ok, except for ALL Free and Clear--it has fabric softener in it, which coats the fleece and doesn't allow it to wick properly.

Here's a chart that might help:

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.co...entchoices.htm

[sammy_kaye]

Originally Posted by Ly&Pigs

The fleece will wick properly with something underneath it. Sometimes it can take up to 10 minutes for it to wick.

I was just going to say what Ly did. When you put towels or another absorbant material under it the absorbant properties act like a sponge drawing the moisture through the fleece.

[mailemomo]

Also, make sure the towels don't have fabric softner, or a dryer sheet to get the best absorbtion. Fabric softner and Dryer sheets repel moisture.