Just wondering how often people wash theirs? I have a cube and a hammock, the hammock stays pretty clean since they hardly use it but the cube gets pretty full of hair which I´ve been picking out daily. It´s great quality but my washing machine is pretty brutal.
Washing fleece?
- Thread starter dragsil
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smhufflepuff
super-duper hedgiepig
Not sure where I'd rate my washing machine on the brutality factor... it's probably up there. For comparative purposes to yours: it's a pretty decent top-loader from a decade or two ago and things can get stuck in/around the center spindle & the fins. Also had a drawstring get irretrievably caught in the side (had to cut it out... part of that drawstring forever lives in my washer now).
I do wash my hedgie's fleece items (snuggle bags, cage liners, carrier things, stuffed animals, hidey hats, bath blankets, igloo covers, etc...) in it - regular cycle, fast spin, hot water, full load, and use the dye-free/scent-free detergent with a bit of vinegar.
If your machine is on a search & destroy mission, you might be able to cut down on some of the risk of using it by putting your chin's items in a small mesh bag. Or setting it to the gentle cycle.
I do wash my hedgie's fleece items (snuggle bags, cage liners, carrier things, stuffed animals, hidey hats, bath blankets, igloo covers, etc...) in it - regular cycle, fast spin, hot water, full load, and use the dye-free/scent-free detergent with a bit of vinegar.
If your machine is on a search & destroy mission, you might be able to cut down on some of the risk of using it by putting your chin's items in a small mesh bag. Or setting it to the gentle cycle.
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Ha, your machine sounds pretty lethal. I´m a bit worried because the cube has a stiff base to it and I´m not too sure how it would hold up if things get nasty, but the hooks are detachable which is great.
Why the vinegar? Does it help wih the cleaning? I´m waiting on another few fleece items in the mail so I think I´ll wait until they arrive before I attempt any drastic cleaning just incase things turn nasty. The bag idea sounds awesome, cheers for that.
Why the vinegar? Does it help wih the cleaning? I´m waiting on another few fleece items in the mail so I think I´ll wait until they arrive before I attempt any drastic cleaning just incase things turn nasty. The bag idea sounds awesome, cheers for that.
javachin
Well-known member
Vinegar helps get any smell out, especially if your chins tend to have accidents on the fleece. I just wash on the regular cycle though and haven't had any problems with any damage. The gentle cycle may be best for you, just don't over load it.
ChinnyMom
slave to Rhino and Guss
i'm such a lucky gal..... i get to use communal coin operated laundry in my apartment building. yay! not. bloody expensive at 2.50 a wash and the same for a dry. needless to say, i do laundry only when absolutely necessary.
for chin laundry, if it's just a few liners, i'll toss them in with my clothes or with whatever load is going in that day. if it's all the chin laundry (all liners, hammocks, fleece houses, etc) then that's a full load and i tick off the boys by making their cages barren for a couple hours, lol. i really need to invest in some spare hammocks!
what i do with fleece stuff that gets pee on it (liners mostly) is to pre-soak it in a bucket with hot water and a dash of un-scented laundry detergent for a while. this gets the pee stains out without me having to use vinegar (i really dislike the smell of it). if i'm pre-soaking the full chin laundry load i'll use the bathtub in our second bathroom as a 'big bucket' for pre-soaking. works pretty good for me.
liners i'm constantly washing, because Rhino likes to pee on his cage bottom liner, and Guss has taken to peeing on one of his fleece shelf liners lately too. hammocks, fleece houses, tube covers, cuddle buddies etc, i wash less often, probably twice a month at most. the don't get dirty really, just covered in hair.
a sticky lint roller works wonders for chin fur stuck on fleece!
for chin laundry, if it's just a few liners, i'll toss them in with my clothes or with whatever load is going in that day. if it's all the chin laundry (all liners, hammocks, fleece houses, etc) then that's a full load and i tick off the boys by making their cages barren for a couple hours, lol. i really need to invest in some spare hammocks!
what i do with fleece stuff that gets pee on it (liners mostly) is to pre-soak it in a bucket with hot water and a dash of un-scented laundry detergent for a while. this gets the pee stains out without me having to use vinegar (i really dislike the smell of it). if i'm pre-soaking the full chin laundry load i'll use the bathtub in our second bathroom as a 'big bucket' for pre-soaking. works pretty good for me.
liners i'm constantly washing, because Rhino likes to pee on his cage bottom liner, and Guss has taken to peeing on one of his fleece shelf liners lately too. hammocks, fleece houses, tube covers, cuddle buddies etc, i wash less often, probably twice a month at most. the don't get dirty really, just covered in hair.
a sticky lint roller works wonders for chin fur stuck on fleece!
fanofdmb84
it IS called 'fur'-niture
I wash my fleece stuff with my whites - hot water, bleach, dye/perfume free detergent, and no fabric softener. The bleach really kills any smells and it doesn't affect the color of the fleece.
I had wondered this too myself, because I finally got my own place, but it doesn't have a washer and dryer. Luckily for me my girl hannah is litter trained (Which she never had a designated litter box before, I'm just lucky I guess =] ) Adaira tends to be a little whirlwind and gets shavings and poo and hay EVERYWHERE!!!! So how often would you recommend to wash the liners and other accessories? I have off two days a week that I would have time to do laundry, and they are about 3 or 4 days apart usually. Is that ok?
ChinnyMom
slave to Rhino and Guss
kayzer, just get a few liners for each cage and that way you'll have extras to switch out when it isn't your laundry days. i would switch liners every second day for a chin that tends to pee on fleece. you can go a bit longer if your chins are good at peeing in their litter pans.
for fleece that just has hay and poops all over it, but isn't peed on, just shake it out inside a large trash can or bag, or take it outside, and then put the fleece back in the cage. you can vacuum any left over bits of hay off the fleece, but giving it a good shake and snap usually gets most everything off for me.
for fleece that just has hay and poops all over it, but isn't peed on, just shake it out inside a large trash can or bag, or take it outside, and then put the fleece back in the cage. you can vacuum any left over bits of hay off the fleece, but giving it a good shake and snap usually gets most everything off for me.
