[Finnebon]

In our CN we use fleece and litterboxes with a kaytee clean n cozy/aspen mix. The kaytee is great, the rats love it and it's cheap, but it gets everywhere! We normally wash our fleece in a washing machine, but it's very hard to get off the kaytee and some stuck on poops. The washing machine and dryer always end up covered in poops and kaytee. We try our best to shake it off and brush it off as best we can before washing it, but it still looks like a mess, and we always have to wipe out and clean the washing machine and dryer barrels when we're finished.

How do you other fleece/litterbox users deal with this?

 

[artgecko]

Maybe try switching from aspen (in the litterboxes I assume) to something heavier and less likely to stick (like wood or paper pellet bedding). That is what I use and although it gets kicked out of the boxes, it won't stick to the bedding. I've also used a vacuum cleaner (hose attachment) to suck off debris from fleece before washing. I've heard that many people use a washing / laundry bag and wash their items in that, which catches the poo and loose stuff... I have not done this yet (I can't find a washing bag) but I'm sure it would help with stuff getting in your washing machine.

 

[Finnebon]

We use the kaytee and aspen for economical reasons so we'd like to stick to it, but I agree that the pelleted would probably be a good choice to switch too if it gets to be too much effor to clean. The laundry bag is a great idea though! I think I will look for a place to order one! Thanks, I never even thought of something like that.

 

[LilCritter]

On amazon, I can get about 30lbs of Yesterday's News for about $15-$20. It comes off with a good flick of the wrist.

My family doesn't like the idea of putting the rat fleece in our washing machine, so I hand wash everything. I shake off most debris into the trash. Then I shake the fleece hard... like whip it to get everything else off. Then I spritz it with water/vinegar mix so that it can get working on the smell. All fleece then gets dumped into 5 gal buckets with a water/vinegar solution with a capful of WhipIt cleaning solution. Rinse and hang dry... And hope it doesn't randomly rain in the SoCal desert. A bit of work, but hey, it's a great arm workout. ;D

 

[ahrat]

I use care fresh natural, and it comes right off with a swift shake.
I also have a designated animal vacuum to get some of the tougher stuff.