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Liners Buying some cage liners - Uhaul or Zorb as the absorbent layer?

Frode789

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So I'm going to buy some cage liners for my C&C 4x2 (+1x2 loft) cage. I have 3 piggies. I live in Norway and looking at several "shops" that ship internationally. Most carry some significant shipping costs (That's Norway for ya..) so I want to be sure before I order anything.

I am wondering if anyone here has experience with both Uhaul and Zorb layers?

A) How's the absorption rate? Which is better at holding the pee/staying dry?
B) Good at keeping smell in check?
C) I have to air-dry everything, so the time it takes to dry is relevant. Does zorb dry quicker?
D) Anything else that is relevant information for me in this decision? :)

Thanks guys.
 

ZebraKisses

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I have Uhaul fleece because I have never heard of Zorb lining before haha.
I know its not what answer you are looking for, but i will share my Uhaul fleece opinions, and hopefully someone with Zorb will come along!

A.) As far as I can tell, Uhaul is really good at absorbing. There is never any leaks on the coroplast. And when I happen to see one of my pigs pee, it only takes about 20 seconds for the pee to absorb

B.) The smell is questionable. I don't think it absorbs the odors, so yes the pee stinks! But nothing that a good old smelling candle cant fix.

C.) Zorb might dry quicker on this one. I have a 2x6 C&C cage (with 2x4 loft) for my girls, and wow that is a pain to dry! It takes to drying cycles in the dryer, but even after that its still just a titch wet.

D.) My uhaul fleece is pretty heavy. So if you have any back/knee problems and have trouble carrying heavy things, it might not be best. But I'm not sure how Zorb is. My 2x6 fleece is huge though and heavy, and where as you are getting 2x4, you should be fine anyways!

Hope I helped☺
 

Frode789

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I have Uhaul fleece because I have never heard of Zorb lining before haha.
I know its not what answer you are looking for, but i will share my Uhaul fleece opinions, and hopefully someone with Zorb will come along!

A.) As far as I can tell, Uhaul is really good at absorbing. There is never any leaks on the coroplast. And when I happen to see one of my pigs pee, it only takes about 20 seconds for the pee to absorb

B.) The smell is questionable. I don't think it absorbs the odors, so yes the pee stinks! But nothing that a good old smelling candle cant fix.

C.) Zorb might dry quicker on this one. I have a 2x6 C&C cage (with 2x4 loft) for my girls, and wow that is a pain to dry! It takes to drying cycles in the dryer, but even after that its still just a titch wet.

D.) My uhaul fleece is pretty heavy. So if you have any back/knee problems and have trouble carrying heavy things, it might not be best. But I'm not sure how Zorb is. My 2x6 fleece is huge though and heavy, and where as you are getting 2x4, you should be fine anyways!

Hope I helped☺

Thanks :) Useful feedback still, even if you haven't used Zorb. Hmm. I guess I'll need to have two sets of liners if they take a long time to dry. Will be expensive.. :p
 

ZebraKisses

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Thanks :) Useful feedback still, even if you haven't used Zorb. Hmm. I guess I'll need to have two sets of liners if they take a long time to dry. Will be expensive.. :p

I ended up buying three sets, but just a bit at a time, since it really is expensive. The fleece store that guinea pig cages store also has gives out these "wheekly deals" and you can sometimes get discounts, and so I waited for those.
I also think the uhaul is comfy for the piggies also. I have two fleece houses for my pigs, but they usually all sleep behind the fleece house (under their loft) and sleep haha
 

lissie

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Could you sew it yourself? It would be much cheaper.
You just need to sew straight lines.
Another idea is to hire someone local to sew for you.
You can use cotton batting or incontinence bed pads as the absorbent layer.
 

Frode789

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Could you sew it yourself? It would be much cheaper.
You just need to sew straight lines.
Another idea is to hire someone local to sew for you.
You can use cotton batting or incontinence bed pads as the absorbent layer.

Most likely not :p I have found one now that ships for free actually :) But the original questions remain, in terms of what absorbent layer to chose.
 

lissie

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I have used both. They work equally well. More people use uhaul because it is less expensive.
 

lissie

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I forgot to mention that you'll need at least two sets no matter which one you choose.
 

Beatrix187

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Here is my information on U-haul:

A) I have never tried Zorb but would really like to, it seems hard to find for me. But the U-haul seems to last a week before it starts to get too full. Sometimes the pee will go through the U-haul onto the cage if it's a real soiled spot, then it dries and I just wipe that with a water-vinegar solution.

B) Smell is okay I've gotten used to it, but like any other bedding as long as you clean the cage often you should be good.

C) I use a regular dryer to dry it and it take about 1 full cycle, but then I usually like to lay it spread out so that it can dry more if it needs to. I would think it would take a long time to air dry. At least a day maybe?

D) Like @ZebraKisses said, it is kinda heavy, and annoying to line the cage with. Also it will shrink so wash before use! I didn't cut my U-haul to size for my 2x4 cage, I just fold over the excess. Also I have two sets and one seems to be slightly bigger than the other idk why xD

Here are some pros and cons lined up in a list:
Pros: Cheap, easy to get, lasts a long time, good with odors as long as you clean frequently enough, absorbs well
Cons: Heavy, takes a while to dry, bulky, slowly starts to degrade a bit over time

But yeah U-haul is great for cage lining because it works, is affordable and easy to find!
 
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Mihaela

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Hello,
I find some liners with U Haul and the seller says that have 2 layers of u haul. It is that better?

 

CavySpirit

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I have tested them quite objectively. In fact, I'm doing a full study on all beddings with a very scientific and objective analysis on multiple characteristics. 2 layers of uHaul outperforms a single layer of Zorb. Fact. "Outperform" as in it absorbs more and very importantly provides less wetness on the surface with guinea pig weight. That's the real issue. I hope to publish all the findings in the coming months. That's just one aspect of things to consider, but it's one of the most important ones. One layer of Zorb will out perform one layer of Uhaul. So, if you are using uHaul, it should be two layers.

Many ETSY vendor will only use one layer of UHaul in their bedding items. That's a mistake. On our Market store, we use two, always have. Look for two layers if you using it for bedding.

One layer of Zorb -- by itself (not with any plastic backing at all) -- will dry quicker, but you're going to be washing it more often because it can't hold as much urine, so the trade-off on that is iffy.
 
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Frode789

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Here is my information on U-haul:

A) I have never tried Zorb but would really like to, it seems hard to find for me. But the U-haul seems to last a week before it starts to get too full. Sometimes the pee will go through the U-haul onto the cage if it's a real soiled spot, then it dries and I just wipe that with a water-vinegar solution.

B) Smell is okay I've gotten used to it, but like any other bedding as long as you clean the cage often you should be good.

C) I use a regular dryer to dry it and it take about 1 full cycle, but then I usually like to lay it spread out so that it can dry more if it needs to. I would think it would take a long time to air dry. At least a day maybe?

D) Like @ZebraKisses said, it is kinda heavy, and annoying to line the cage with. Also it will shrink so wash before use! I didn't cut my U-haul to size for my 2x4 cage, I just fold over the excess. Also I have two sets and one seems to be slightly bigger than the other idk why xD

Here are some pros and cons lined up in a list:
Pros: Cheap, easy to get, lasts a long time, good with odors as long as you clean frequently enough, absorbs well
Cons: Heavy, takes a while to dry, bulky, slowly starts to degrade a bit over time

But yeah U-haul is great for cage lining because it works, is affordable and easy to find!

Thanks for your response :) Do you use 1 or 2 layers of UHaul?

So it is bulky, heavy and takes a long time to dry, already with 1 layer?

I have tested them quite objectively. In fact, I'm doing a full study on all beddings with a very scientific and objective analysis on multiple characteristics. 2 layers of uHaul outperforms a single layer of Zorb. Fact. "Outperform" as in it absorbs more and very importantly provides less wetness on the surface with guinea pig weight. That's the real issue. I hope to publish all the findings in the coming months. That's just one aspect of things to consider, but it's one of the most important ones. One layer of Zorb will out perform one layer of Uhaul. So, if you are using uHaul, it should be two layers.

Many ETSY vendor will only use one layer of UHaul in their bedding items. That's a mistake. On our Market store, we use two, always have. Look for two layers if you using it for bedding.

One layer of Zorb -- by itself (not with any plastic backing at all) -- will dry quicker, but you're going to be washing it more often because it can't hold as much urine, so the trade-off on that is iffy.

Thanks for your response. Looks like I will be going for UH due to easier availability.

Would it be a mistake though? Isn't it a trade-off in terms of how bulky and heavy you want your liner to be? And in return it lasts 8 days compared to 5 days before you have to do a full cage swap?
 

Beatrix187

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No problem. I use two layers of U-haul, but it's just one U-haul that's been folded over so it becomes two layers.
 

Mihaela

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I have tested them quite objectively. In fact, I'm doing a full study on all beddings with a very scientific and objective analysis on multiple characteristics. 2 layers of uHaul outperforms a single layer of Zorb. Fact. "Outperform" as in it absorbs more and very importantly provides less wetness on the surface with guinea pig weight. That's the real issue. I hope to publish all the findings in the coming months. That's just one aspect of things to consider, but it's one of the most important ones. One layer of Zorb will out perform one layer of Uhaul. So, if you are using uHaul, it should be two layers.

Many ETSY vendor will only use one layer of UHaul in their bedding items. That's a mistake. On our Market store, we use two, always have. Look for two layers if you using it for bedding.

One layer of Zorb -- by itself (not with any plastic backing at all) -- will dry quicker, but you're going to be washing it more often because it can't hold as much urine, so the trade-off on that is iffy.
I also find someone who said it have the liners with a bamboo/nylon blend material. I never heard about that before.
Do you have a market store where we can see the liners?
 

Mihaela

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Oh, I know this shop. It is amazing :love:
 

CavySpirit

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I also find someone who said it have the liners with a bamboo/nylon blend material. I never heard about that before.
Do you have a market store where we can see the liners?

Ha. Turns out it's ZORB. I checked. Nothing special or unique about it at all. Just marketing that makes it sounds like it's something it's not.
 

silverblood

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I made my own and only use a single layer of uhaul. The dryer can't handle more than one layer and in the end two layers never dry in the middle. I leave my liners for a full week with no wetness or leak through and I have 4 pigs. I will say that smaller cages will have more pee in a smaller area so two layers could end up being necessary, but be prepared for an enormous dry time.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
 

Frode789

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I went with one layer of uhaul :) I don't have a dryer, just good old air-drying, so keeping that drying time down is very helpful.
 
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