Shavings Changing to wood shavings

How large is the cage, and what did you use underneath the fleece? What kind of fleece was it, and was it 100% polyester?
Most don't get fleece 100% right the first time. It's taken me a year to find my perfect match. Fleece by the yard from fabric stores is usually much better than throws. I find anti pill to be much easier to sweep, and sewn fleece liners to be better than layered as they stay in place.
Then it's important to prepare the fleece properly before the first use, and not to use any fabric softener or dryer sheets.

If poop get's caked to the fleece too often, they may be too soft which can indicate too much veggies or not enough hay.

You change the shavings when you need to. Newspaper underneath the loose bedding usually makes full cleanings easier.
Another good option is wood pellets made for stoves, if you have issues with shavings getting flung out everywhere.

The cage is a large rabbit cage. About 100cm in length, I don't know about the width. I used loads of newspaper underneath it. I did use towels but the smell was worse then. And yes it was 100% polyester.

It's probably not nearly large enough, especially not for fleece.
Newspaper is not absorbent enough on it's own either, and once it's wet it doesn't absorb at all & becomes a smelly, soggy mess.

The main issue is the cage size, not the fleece itself. I'd focus on providing them a properly sized cage & then possibly try fleece again, with a better absorbent layer such as uhaul pads.

I'd like to give them a bigger cage, but my parents don't want to get another cage. We haven't got enough space for a bigger cage.

Is there no way to move things around? A properly sized cage is vital for both their physical & mental wellbeing.
Unless the cage's inside measurements are 100cm x 75 cm, it's too small & doesn't meet the minimum requirements for 1 pig.

It's the biggest I can provide right now I'll upgrade whenever I can.

Good! That's 10.4 sq ft, approx the size of a 2x4.

Oops, I made a mistake. It's actually 100cm x 54, I think. I measured the length again. Oops

Then that's one of the reasons fleece didn't work well.
It's only 5.8 sq ft, and the minimum for 1-2 pigs is 7.5 sq ft.

Although, I am considering making a C&C cage. A 2x3 would probably fit on the table their current cage is on right now. I'm wondering about the security though. I have cats and might be getting a dog sometime. I would make a roof, but do the grids just sit over the coroplast? A dog could push it off. (They'd be on a table though so depending on the size of the dog it might not be able to reach)
(The guinea pigs are in my patio. The weather here is perfectly fine for them and they're thriving)

The lid would sit over the grids & be attached with something like zip ties on one side, and you can secure it with a clasp or lock.
The cage store has a cool design for lids that you may be able to re-create yourself.
Covers for Standard C&C Guinea Pig Cages, single-level

Is your patio completely covered & insulated?
It's not safe unless you can guarantee that the temperature remains stable within 18-24C, completely draft free, not too humid, and safe from human & animal predators. Guinea pigs are strictly inside pets, as they are extremely fragile and susceptible to both the elements, illnesses, insects, and would be sitting prey for whomever wanted to get to them. Another issue is that you don't interact the same way with them as you would inside, and illnesses can progress beyond help.

If you're in Australia, they've had many, many cases of heat stroke resulting in death this year.

It's fine The only predators around are cats and they take no notice of the guinea pigs. The patio is very sheltered and most of it is closed.

You can never know when a predatory cat will take interest - until it's too late. Most cats are creative, and if it's not completely covered it's not safe.
And again, you can't know if the temperature is within the safe rage all year round, every day & night. They can't tell you when it's too cold or warm.

In summer, the guinea pigs would literally cook if they where in the house when we're not home. It gets so hot when everything's closed up. Outside, it's nice and cool.

Maybe you could bring them inside and put a fan by their cage?

When we not home though we don't like to have electric things on at the wall.

Yay, shavings! The idea of vacuuming up poo grosses me out, sorry to say. I use aspen shavings and some Carefresh blended in.

I had a issue with the fleece getting nasty, so we put in a little box for my girls. They took to it right away. Sure there is some poop around the cage here and there but the pee all stays in the box. I have towels under the fleece to to help soak up any pee spots they may make. I change the box once a day and it stays nice and fresh.

deardulcie said:

Yay, shavings! The idea of vacuuming up poo grosses me out, sorry to say. I use aspen shavings and some Carefresh blended in.

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That's why most use a dustpan.
I would never vaccum up poop as you can't clean the whole vaccum, and handheld ones seem to break if I just look at them.
Sweeping is easy, doesn't smell, and you have no shavings escaping all over the house. (And into my hair for some reason, my boss picked it out.)
Don't knock it 'til you try it.