Fleece Fleece and guinea pig pee?

[Brianne]

I'm planning on going and buying some fleece to use as my guinea pig bedding. I still live at home (in university...:grumpy and my parents are worried about me washing the bedding in the washing machine. I told them that there's no poos or hay or anything that I'll put in but they insist that it's "disgusting" to wash towels/fleece that has guinea pig pee on it.

They even mentioned parasites that are in guinea pig pee. I need some actual advice about all of this from the fleece-users. Is it really gross or does the pee just wash away and out of the machine? Have you had any problems with residue or anything? Thanks a bunch!

 

[Sarah84]

Parasites in urine????? That's a new one to me! first of all, I wash my Guinea pigs fleece separate from my clothing and towels that I use for myself and family. Also if they are that concerned about it, you can do what I call an "Empty wash" and just turn your water to hot, put some vinegar in the soap dispenser and turn the wash on. VOLIA.... clean washing machine.... and no parasites! LOL

 

[utsarah]

I don't do an empty wash after I was the GP stuff.

My husband is a health inspector and he's not concerned about the GP stuff in our washer.

I wash in hot water with bleach or vinegar with an extra rinse cycle. Sometimes I wash with bleach during the regular cycle and put some vinegar in during the extra rinse cycle. Probably not necessary.

 

[Seonta]

When you were being potty trained did they wash the bedding or clothes you peed in in the washer or did they throw them away?

 

[pinky]

I always run an empty load with vinegar and water. If I have a load of whites, I do that next... with bleach. Some guinea pig parasites are transmittable to humans: giarda, for example. That's why proper hand washing, etc. is important when handling any animals.

 

[Onetwo]

Yeah I worry more about my husbands poopie streaks in his underware... Haha no matter what the age they cant seem to figure out how to wipe! Yuck. I washed my kids cloth diapers in the washer and dryers. I wash bedding that has kid pee on it. If you think clothing isnt disgusting just tell your parents that if you cant wash the piggy bedding then they cant wash sox. Because the feet sweat about a pint of sweat a day. Ewww all that nastyness is in the sox and shoes... Thats way more stinky and nasty that piggy pee....

 

[utsarah]

When you were being potty trained did they wash the bedding or clothes you peed in in the washer or did they throw them away?

Well I think a parent will regard the urine of their child a little differently than that of a GP. lol

 

[magik]

I dont use the washer where I live as Im in a 4 plex and others have to use it so I do my piggys wash in the sink and use his shampoo to wash it--If its safe for him its safe for his blankets. I use carefresh bedding and hes picky so he gets a fleece blanket to use (he tucks himself in) and cuddles under it. Spanky is a Skinny pig and we have to watch what we use with him (No pine,No cedar) and No soaps. I find they come clean just fine and no smell and he curls up in them soon as we give them back to him.

 

[scarlett]

Sounds like the folks are just a bit grossed out by the thought of piggie pee blankies. But seriously, cloth diapers, skid marked underwear, even the occasional vomit covered shirt go into a family washing machine. My machine has a special Clean Washer cycle that uses bleach only. I run it after each piggie blankie wash (I save up the blankies to do all at once). I then do a load of whites after the cleaning bleach cycle.

 

[utsarah]

But seriously, cloth diapers, skid marked underwear, even the occasional vomit covered shirt go into a family washing machine.

LOL isn't that the truth!!!??? Not to mention when a diaper blows out on a kiddo's outfit.

We switched to fleece a few weeks ago and I wash our clothes in our washer without doing an extra cycle. We haven't had any problems, and if there were going to be problem we'd have them. My daughter and I both have asthma and allergies. My husband is very over protective and an environmental health specialist, if it was a bad idea he'd tell me. I trust my hubby's opinion on these things. If he doesn't have a problem with it I don't.

 

[hurleyslave]

Yeah, I attend university here and my apartment-mates were concerned about which laundry machine I use to wash my piggie's bedding, towels, and other stuff in. I assured them that their stuff was just as dirty and disgusting as my piggie's but they didn't seem to believe me and just told me to tell them which machine to use. But I think I'll do the empty rinse cycle thing at home with my own laundry machine so that my parents don't flip when they find out what I'm washing with their machine