Fleece: Too many layers??

[luvmycavies]

Is it possible to have too many towels under the fleece? I ask because I have a 2 floor, 2X5 cage and 3 females and within 3 days the kitchen area smells! I sweep up every day sometimes 2 times but that area smells like a barn! I adore the fleece and it wicks the moisture through but wonder if there are too many layers and the towels underneath are what are smelling? I have a twin waterproof mattress pad, 3 layers of polyester towels-overlapping and then fleece. My pigs are not/will not potty train so the kitchen are is poo and pee and hay....any ideas here?
Oh....I properly wash the whole lot with detergent and vinegar every time and never use anything else.

[princesspoppy]

I use about 5 layers of newspaper, 2 layers of towels and the fleece over it. I did see a tip a few days back about adding some clorox or the water in the washing machine. I havent tried that yet. I just use about 2 tablespoons of vinegar.

when i dry my fleece i add a few drops of lemon juice to the dryer sheet.
One of my pigs is trained but the other isn't.

[Ly&Pigs]

That's a lot of bedding. I use at most 1-2 layers of mattress pad or one layer mattress pad/one layer towel and one layer of fleece on top.

Poppy, it's best not to use dryer sheets as fabric softeners will have an effect on the wicking properties of the fleece.

[princesspoppy]

Gosh Ly i didn't even think of that. Ugh...i could kick myself. Thanks.

[Ly&Pigs]

It might hurt if you kick yourself! I was just letting you know so that you won't end up with fleece that won't wick anymore.

[princesspoppy]

Phew.thanks again. We learn something new everyday.

[frankie&bennie]

Ly, if you use too much layers underneath the fleece, will it cause it to smell or not work properly? I brought my fleece today - and I think I want to use mattress pads, with maybe a layer of towels? Or just two mattress pads... would one mattress pad work or would I need more layers? Thank you!

[JD In Van]

Polyester doesn't absorb anything, urine just pools in it. I suspect that's your problem.

I use a single towel under a layer of fleece and I have no problems. I do have little litter trays in areas they pee a lot and I change these out daily (they have news print and piles of hay in them).

[Wodentoad]

I use 3-4 layers of towels under my fleece. Keeps it fresh for about 5 days, and is easy to change.

My husband has said that if I don't stop buying fleece, we won't be saving any money. Tee hee hee.

[princesspoppy]

Originally Posted by Wodentoad

I use 3-4 layers of towels under my fleece. Keeps it fresh for about 5 days, and is easy to change.

My husband has said that if I don't stop buying fleece, we won't be saving any money. Tee hee hee.

Haha,i'm exactly the same. When ever i'm out i'm forever looking around for the fleece. I have 11 so far.

[Ly&Pigs]

Polyester doesn't absorb anything, urine just pools in it.

I've found this, in my personal experiences and experimentations, not to be true. I've always used either polyester mattress pads or mostly polyester mattress pads and they've always absorbed the urine.

[Wodentoad]

Well, after the first set (which I suppose technically still fits the bottom, we have three sets bought on sale during the Joann's 50% off fleece sale. He has allowed me to get holiday fleece so they can have something festive (we don't really decorate).

If I could find Lucky Bear Care Bear fabric, I would die happy. I'm also going to try and sneak some froggy fleece into the mix (they don't call me the frog lady for NOTHING!) and let's see, what do I still want to get?

Imbolc/Candlemas: Difficult, candles maybe?
Ostara/Easter: Eggs, of course!
Beltaine/Mayday: Hearts and kissy! (Boys in pink!)
Midsummer: Something summery and warm.
Lammas/Grain Harvest: Wheaty?
Mabon/Fruit Harvest: Something with fruit, like watermelons on it.
Samhain/Halloween/All Souls Day: Spooooooooky
Thanksgiving: Um...? Turkeys? Pilgrims?
Yule/Christmas: PRESENTS!!!

What do y'all think? Suggestions?

[princesspoppy]

Haha the list is endless. I think piggies will be getting a new fleece in the christmas piggie stockings.

[JD In Van]

Originally Posted by Ly&Pigs

I've found this, in my personal experiences and experimentations, not to be true. I've always used either polyester mattress pads or mostly polyester mattress pads and they've always absorbed the urine.

Really? I had no luck at all with it but I was using towels not mattress pads. I use my old cotton blend towels and they work the best hands down so far of the towels. I haven't tried mattress pads yet though.

[Wodentoad]

Originally Posted by princesspoppy

Haha the list is endless. I think piggies will be getting a new fleece in the christmas piggie stockings.

What about "Popcorn"!

Back on topic, however, I worry about the use of newspaper because I'm alergic to mold and the towels, when layered thick, stay pretty dry at the bottom. With the coroplast being water/weather proof, a touch of vinegar gets any smell off of anything from the bottom, though I don't need to do this every time.

Most of my vinegar (I buy the BIG jug) goes into the wash when I do the towels.

[luvmycavies]

I have noticed that my towels are all soaked and my mattress pad is barely wet at all so that is why I asked if I should use less of the towels and maybe that is the reason for the smell?

[Annab7]

I made my own "bedspreads" and they work great.

On the bottom, I use a waterproof crib pad which absorbs but doesn't leak through, than I layer a towel, polyester batting (what you find in quilts) and then another towel. I hand sewed all those together so it's like one mattress. On top, I put the fleece. Right now I only have solid color fleece because we don't have a local Joann's and our Wal-mart doesn't have a fabric section anymore so I've just gotten the $4 fleeces for now, though I plan on eventually getting more festive kinds.

Anywho, I have two "bedspreads" that I interchange. While one is being used, the other is washed, so when I change their bedding it's just one, two, three type of thing. That is changed once a week. It works great and the smell is minimal if nothing at all. Also, a couple times a week if you spray some diluted vinegar on the bedding when they start floor time it neutralizes the odor smell and is gone before you put them back.

For my top "kitchen" where they have the hay, water, and their pellets (and also they poo and pee like crazy up there, no reason to stop eating to potty) I'm layering towel batting and fleece right now, but I plan on making about 6-8 highly absorbent pads that go specifically in there. They will most likely be a layer of the waterproof crib pad, towel & fleece that is sewn together and changed every two days. In between changes, I like to clean with Nature's Miracle that I get at Pet Smart.

The waterproof crib pads (or blankets) can be found in the baby section of most department stores and they work GREAT! My son, who is 4, used to pee out of his diaper all the time, and when he was potty training, would fall asleep with his underwear on instead of a pull-up. Not once has pee gotten on his bed and I only got it on mine when I forgot to slip a pad under him. They work so great, they are better to use than newspaper I find, because the newspaper seems to make the cage smellier as the week goes on, one reason for this could be that newspaper isn’t designed to absorb water or pee and not mold or break down.

PS The layering makes the bedding so soft and fluffy, my piggies love it!

[frankie&bennie]

Ok I brought a whole bunch of towels today from the Charity shop, ranging from as cheap as 60p to the most expensive, 1.20! I'm pretty pleased with my find! I'm now on the look out for some cotton mattress pads! If they have a waterproof bottom, would this still work? I'm thinking that if I have fleece for the top, towels under that, then the mattress pad, which has a waterproof bottom but a cotton top, that it would work ok.