Cleaning Cleaning the fleece... desperate!

[Lenders85]

Hi all,
I open this thread for help and advice on how to clean the fleece used as bedding.
I started using it for about a month and saw its benefits right away!
My guinea pig do more popcorning, lies like a "rug" when he sleeps and feet are no longer at risk of pododermatite, since before I was using the wood pellets as bedding.

I use this method of layers (starting from the lowest - after the base of the cage):
1) 3 layers of absorbent kitchen paper (like this: (broken link removed) );
2) 3 layers of towels (one large but folded into 3 parts);
3) 2 layers of fleece (one large but folded into 2 parts);

My problem is to clean the fleece!

An absorbent kitchen paper throw them away and a towels (that are always some stained with pee) I wash them by hand (in a bowl with hot water and soap) and then let them air dry.

The fleece, however, before I pick off the poo and the bulk of the hay shed with a small broom. The real issue is the immensity of the hairs of my guinea pig, as a Peruvian (in my avatar).
Unfortunately I can not pick up a lot of hair with a broom, and then they attach themselves and others flying everywhere!
I also try to knock the fleece out of the window to remove some, but not very clean anyway.
Then, unable to remove all the hair on the fleece, so I can hardly wash it by hand, because the hairs are also in the water of the bowl.

In short, in my home is always a mess when I have to clean the fleece, because of the hair.
In addition, the washing machine rather not use it because I would not spoil because of the hair.

What do you recommend for me? Am I wrong in some task? Or do you have any short-haired guinea pigs! lol
I will not avoid the fleece as litter, because I see the happiness of my puppy!

Also, now I have a small cage (small fleece), but in a few months I moved into a new house and my target is to build a C&C, and I will have to do with a big fleece! (terrified just the idea!).

I hope for your help and your valuable advice!
I also read your guide on the fleece in another post.
Sorry for my bad English, i'm a Italian!

Bye Bye!

 

[itzmeigh]

You should only be using one layer of fleece. 2 layers will make it not work.

As for the hair... I don't know. It has never been a problem for me but I have seen others mention it several times. Maybe because my guys are still young.

I just shake off as much of the hair and hay and all the poop I can and throw the whole mess in the washer. But then we have 2 Guinea Pigs 1 dog and one cat and my daughter and I have long hair so there is hair everywhere! haha!

 

[Kim37040]

One of my first guinea pigs was a long haired one. She was beautiful but the hair... oh boy!
I would recommend getting a really good lint brush or dog hair roller. Some of them have removable sheets so you can roll it over the fleece before putting it in the wash and then just pull the sticky used sheet off and you are ready to go for the next time.
I would also recommend putting your fleece in a pillowcase to wash it. If you tie it off at the end you don't have to worry about any excess hair or hay going into the washer. Then you can try it normally because the lint trap on the dryer will catch it all.
Buona fortuna!!

 

[Kimberly713]

They make the sticky paper lint rollers at most stores. I also remember reading about a tip on this site where you wear a rubber glove like for dishes and roll it over the fleece and it picks up the hair. I haven't tried it, I use the lint rollers but it had a pleased audience. Let me see if I can find it for you...

As far as your layers. The paper towels, Or kitchen paper as you said, are really no help and I would just not use them. They probably get smelly really quick and I could imagine theyd stick to the towels once wet too. Towels should be enough absorbency and only One layer of fleece is needed too, otherwise it will take double the time for the pee to wick through it.

 

[Ash-Ro060708]

I have 4 guinea pigs (2 Abby mixes and 2 with shorter hair) and I take their fleece outside, shake it off and hang it on the line for a couple hours to get most of the hair/hay/poo off, then I wash in the washing machine and dry in the dryer. I also have 4 dogs and 3 indoor cats and I wash their beds and blankets often and I have never had a problem with hair in the washer but normally the dryer trap catches lots of hair.

Have you tried using a vacuum hose with a brush attachment or hair removing brushes to clean the fleece before you wash it?

 

[SemiCharmedShoe]

I have a peruvian pig whose hair I keep long and I lint roll it to the max. I also do daily brushing on my pig to try to get off most of the hair that way. I live in an apartment and her hair will be in the washer after I wash, but I always take a wet paper towel and clean the hair off the inside that way ... it comes right off and sticks to the paper towel very easily. The fleece never gets completely clean of the hair, although I'm sure if I did multiple washes in a row it would get pretty close, but I usually just do one unless it is really dirty. The bigger the fleece/cage the better actually the less of an issue all of the hair is! So do not be afraid to do a big cage. I actually find the hay to be a worse issue. However, I have a kitchen area made of carefresh and that is where most of the hay stays, so I can pretty easily pick off the small amount of hay that ends up on the fleece. Hope this helps you!

 

[RubyRain]

If you can't get a lint brush or dog hair roller, try some heavy tape and wrap it around your hand and go over the fleece with that. It should pick up a lot of the hair but not all since some will get embedded in the fleece fiber. It should help though.
Can you vacuum it with a small hand vacuum?

 

[FlowersGrandma]

Personally I recommend vacuuming it daily. I use a wet/dry vac because it has great suction. And then wash in the machine. If you vacuum daily and run the washer through a clean cycle after, it shouldn't be an issue. Clean any filters on the machine at least once a month. If you have a top loader, you can also try using a fish net to clean the water once the washer fills up. The hair will float, and you can get a lot of it out of the washer before it starts washing.
I'd get rid of the paper towels and only use one layer of fleece. I think you'll have better results and less washing too. In fact, if you change at least once a week, with two pigs, I only use two layers of towels. In the area where the hay is, I use three, but the rest of the cage doesn't need it since they tend to pee more where the hay is.

 

[linnysmom]

I suggest drying the fleece in the dryer with a few tennis balls.

 

[FlowersGrandma]

I suggest drying the fleece in the dryer with a few tennis balls.

Those drier balls work great too. I highly recommend them. I usually don't buy stuff that you see on "As seen on TV" commercials, but I did buy those and they do speed up drying time. My drier now finishes before my washer, even a load full of towels.
If only I could convince my teenagers to stop taking them to college.

 

[Lenders85]

You should only be using one layer of fleece. 2 layers will make it not work.

Ok, so from now on, I will use only one layer.

I would recommend getting a really good lint brush or dog hair roller. Some of them have removable sheets so you can roll it over the fleece before putting it in the wash and then just pull the sticky used sheet off and you are ready to go for the next time.

Perfect, i have at home the lint brush and the dog hair roller. With the dog hair roller i've never tried, instead, with the lint brush i tried, but I find a bit of trouble because I can't keep tense the fleece.

I would also recommend putting your fleece in a pillowcase to wash it. If you tie it off at the end you don't have to worry about any excess hair or hay going into the washer. Then you can try it normally because the lint trap on the dryer will catch it all.

This is a beautiful advice .. I'll try! But to remain closed in the pillowcase, the hair should not, however, remain attached to the fleece?

I also remember reading about a tip on this site where you wear a rubber glove like for dishes and roll it over the fleece and it picks up the hair. I haven't tried it, I use the lint rollers but it had a pleased audience. Let me see if I can find it for you...

This method really curious! Try it costs nothing!

As far as your layers. The paper towels, Or kitchen paper as you said, are really no help and I would just not use them. They probably get smelly really quick and I could imagine theyd stick to the towels once wet too. Towels should be enough absorbency and only One layer of fleece is needed too, otherwise it will take double the time for the pee to wick through it.

I also put the paper towel (as the last layer) just because I thought that would protect the plastic base of the cage.. but if you say wrong, just leave the towels.

Have you tried using a vacuum hose with a brush attachment to clean the fleece before you wash it?

Although I have not tried this method .. I'll try!

However, I have a kitchen area made of carefresh and that is where most of the hay stays, so I can pretty easily pick off the small amount of hay that ends up on the fleece. Hope this helps you!

Sorry, but i don't understand very well.. why with the carefresh is better?

I'd get rid of the paper towels and only use one layer of fleece. I think you'll have better results and less washing too. In fact, if you change at least once a week, with two pigs, I only use two layers of towels. In the area where the hay is, I use three, but the rest of the cage doesn't need it since they tend to pee more where the hay is.

Ok, thanks for the advice, I will do as you say.

I suggest drying the fleece in the dryer with a few tennis balls.

Those drier balls work great too. I highly recommend them. I usually don't buy stuff that you see on "As seen on TV" commercials, but I did buy those and they do speed up drying time. My drier now finishes before my washer, even a load full of towels.
If only I could convince my teenagers to stop taking them to college.

I have seen them but I never try ... but these balls should help speed the drying or what? Are really valid?


I really thank you all, you have given me a lot of valuable advice! Are a indispensable source!

 

[Shahbazin]

I use a small whisk broom & dust pan to sweep up the fur (I have Texels, also long haired). Also, 1 layer of no-pill fleece (collects less hair) over my absorbant layer (I use a Uhaul felt blanket, doubled over). Then I shake the fleece & stuff a bit, & wash it. This is what my dirty fleece looks like just before washing (after sweeping it - this is the kitchen end where the hay box was) - the grey is the Uhaul felt, as things are partially rolled up already:


Hmmn - doesn't show the hay seeds & stuff that's still on it real well, but I do sweep stuff pretty thoroughly before washing. This is the dust pan set I use (sitting on a covered wastecan - you can see the hair on it):

 

[krystalmoore86]

I use a small whisk broom & dust pan to sweep up the fur (I have Texels, also long haired). Also, 1 layer of no-pill fleece (collects less hair) over my absorbant layer (I use a Uhaul felt blanket, doubled over). Then I shake the fleece & stuff a bit, & wash it. This is what my dirty fleece looks like just before washing (after sweeping it - this is the kitchen end where the hay box was) - the grey is the Uhaul felt, as things are partially rolled up already:


Hmmn - doesn't show the hay seeds & stuff that's still on it real well, but I do sweep stuff pretty thoroughly before washing. This is the dust pan set I use (sitting on a covered wastecan - you can see the hair on it):

I use a similar broom and dustpan to brush every poop off and it does get about 50-75% of the hair off then I put the fleece in a pillowcase and tie it shut, throw it in the washer with the towels. This keeps any hairs or hay strands from clogging up my washer. When its done washing, I remove the fleece from the pillowcase and dry everything in the dryer with a tennis ball the ball beats the fleece just like if you were whipping a fleece on the ledge of something to knock out the hair and dust. The dryer lint catch contains all the loose hay particles or hair doing no damage to dryer and you just scoop it out and toss it. hope that will help.

 

[Nicolene]

I take my fleece outside, hang it over the patio rails and brush it with the hand broom with stiff bristles, cleaning clumps of hair off the broom as I go. I get most of the hair off that way. I worry about clogging the machine, so I have to get most of it off. One of my piggers sheds like crazy.

 

[PinkPanther]

Just this morning I have used the Pledge Fabric Sweeper on my fleece, while it was still in the cage. I just placed it yesterday and didn't want to clean again today after Toffee carried and ate a hay-cube on the fleece. It picked up the tiny pieces of leftover hay and a lot of hair with it. It doesn't pick up big pieces or poop, but for hair and hay-dust leftovers it works wonderful.
Amazon.com: Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair, 1 Unit: Health & Personal Care
(It's cheaper at Walmart)