Hi, I saw another thread about this, but it was older so I wasn't allowed to post to it. I'm in the same fix. I had decided before adopting two piggies to build a 2x4 C&C cage with a kitchen loft and to spend the money up front on fleece bedding. I sewed my fleece liners with two layers of U-haul furniture pads sandwiched in. I just did my first washing using All Free & Clear detergent with 1/2 cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle, and I am sooooo discouraged to find that the bedding still smells of urine.
I see everyone has different advice here, so I just want to clarify a few things:
Soaking in vinegar - is there any chance this means a vinegar solution? If I wanted to soak my 2x4 pad liner, it would take several gallons to cover it. If this is something you've done, can you tell me the ratio of vinegar to water? (And actually, where do you soak them? The bathtub? I don't think I could squash it into a diaper pail or 5 gallon bucket.)
Dawn dishwashing soap - did anyone try only adding Dawn to the regular detergent, nothing else, and can verify that it works for them? This would by far be the most economical solution.
Nature's Miracle - the bottle says 1/4 cup, or 1/2 cup for heavy stain or odors. The people here I saw recommended 1/2 cup, but has anyone tried 1/4 cup only and found it wasn't sufficient? Washing twice a week means a cup a week otherwise, which means a whole $6 32-ounce bottle every month. Yikes.
Bleach - I thought piggies were really sensitive to smells and fumes. Are those people using bleach doing an extra rinse? Is fleece color fast and the patterns aren't ruined by the bleach?
Baking soda - I didn't read the entire fleece project thread so perhaps this has been covered. I thought baking soda was a natural deodorizer and I see it recommended in cloth diaper cleaning. Does anybody here wash their fleece with baking soda?
Appreciate any help I can get. TIA.
I see everyone has different advice here, so I just want to clarify a few things:
Soaking in vinegar - is there any chance this means a vinegar solution? If I wanted to soak my 2x4 pad liner, it would take several gallons to cover it. If this is something you've done, can you tell me the ratio of vinegar to water? (And actually, where do you soak them? The bathtub? I don't think I could squash it into a diaper pail or 5 gallon bucket.)
Dawn dishwashing soap - did anyone try only adding Dawn to the regular detergent, nothing else, and can verify that it works for them? This would by far be the most economical solution.
Nature's Miracle - the bottle says 1/4 cup, or 1/2 cup for heavy stain or odors. The people here I saw recommended 1/2 cup, but has anyone tried 1/4 cup only and found it wasn't sufficient? Washing twice a week means a cup a week otherwise, which means a whole $6 32-ounce bottle every month. Yikes.
Bleach - I thought piggies were really sensitive to smells and fumes. Are those people using bleach doing an extra rinse? Is fleece color fast and the patterns aren't ruined by the bleach?
Baking soda - I didn't read the entire fleece project thread so perhaps this has been covered. I thought baking soda was a natural deodorizer and I see it recommended in cloth diaper cleaning. Does anybody here wash their fleece with baking soda?
Appreciate any help I can get. TIA.