Fleece Difficult to clean

[Daniel Forwood]

Hello,

I made a C&C cage a while back for my guinea pig. I use fleece fabric from ikea and put it over uhaul moving pads.
However, I find that it gets dirty very quickly (within 2 days) and takes a long time to clean whereas bedding can last around a week.
I also find that the fleece stays wet for a long time after my guinea pigs pee and their butts get wet, so I stopped using them. The pee does not get absorbed right away, it just stays on the fleece until my guinea pig walks over it or it get absorbed eventually after a few minutes.
I also tried putting bedding in a container in 1 corner as a washroom, but they use it as a bed, even after I tried to train them.
Should I simply buy a new fleece fabric every few days, since it's only around $30 a month.



Am I doing something wrong?
I see a lot pictures of very nice C&C cages, is everyone just cleaning the cages everyday?

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

You have to prep the fleece with several washings with ABSOLUTELY NO fabric softener. Fabric softener will coat the fleece, removing it's ability to wick the moisture down to the absorbent uhaul pads. Prewashing the fleece removes any leftover coatings from the factory. I change my fleece every 48 hours. It takes me about 20 minutes but it's worth it to me to keep my boys as clean as possible.

 

[scoottie]

I spot clean every day and change pads. I completely change once a week.

 

[lissie]

Fleece should stay dry on top. After washing multiple times, test it before putting it in the cage. You can also wash with bleach and hot water to speed up the process. Make sure to rinse all the bleach out.

If it won't allow liquid to go through after multiple washes, it might be the wrong type of fleece.

See these pages for more information about fleece.

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21568

(broken link removed)

 

[CalliePigLover]

I would definitley try washing it 2-3 times before putting it in the cage. I use anti-pill fleece from walmart and its super inexpensive, and it wicks really well. Also to prevent it from getting dirty so quick you should spot clean every day, i use a small broom and a dustpan to pick up all the poops. A handheld vacuum would also work. Also guinea pigs are very hard to toilet train, since they basically just go everywhere. I'm amazed by people who actually toilet train them lol!
Another thing is how big is your cage? smaller cages get smelly quicker. I have 2 girls in a 2x4 connected to a 2x3 in an L shape and do a full cleaning every 5-7 days.

 

[nickbbeezy]

I usually vacuum my fleece twice a day, one in the morning and once when in afternoon. Then, I wash w/ fragrance free detergent & dry with no dryer sheets. Fleece materials definitely require MULTIPLE washes to activate wicking though. Best way to tell if you've washed it enough is to pour liquid on top of the material and make sure it absorbs and doesn't pool on top (if not, wash it again!).

 

[MrCavyMadness]

Make sure you wash 2-3 times in order to make the fleece wick. It doesn't sound like your fleece is yet wicking. Once you get it wincing, make sure to use a brand like all free and clear in order to make it stay wicking and so it doesn't hurt your guinea pigs.

 

[lunarminx]

I will not go over how to make the fleece wick, that was already covered. I do prefer anti pill fleece for my cage, when I used fleece. Yes, yu do have to spot clean the cage once or twice a day by sweeping or vacuuming the poop and loose hay up. I find bedding works better for me as with my horrible back, I can no long stand outside and shake off the fleece. When I used fleece, I never got longer than 5 days with it. I made homemade flippers and they worked much better as they were easier to clean off and I could just flip over a were dirty one. I love using pellets with another one or two types of bedding over them for the best odor control. Scoop out where they lay and pee every few days and long the hay bag and stir it up, you can go up to 10 days or more before a full change.

 

[MrCavyMadness]

I hated bedding when I had it. it's all just a matter of opinion for you

 

[lunarminx]

I hated bedding when I had it. it's all just a matter of opinion for you

Sadly I love fleece, I can't stand to shake it off or even vacuum it. At this time my sister is even cleaning the cage for me since she talked me into raising it again to put the hay under. I am at the mercy of my back problems but love my piggies that I spend more on bedding.