How do I wash and dry my liners?

Generally, we recommend spot cleaning your liners at least once a day. 

To spot clean

1. Remove all toys and tunnels in the habitat to get rid of any cleaning obstacles.
2. Shake out all the little poop pebbles from the pocket.
3. You can either use a brush and a dustpan to scoop it up, or you can use a small vacuum cleaner. We use this one.
4. You can also slide the mess onto one liner, and fold it up to empty into a garbage can. 
5. Replace the liners and toys back into the habitat.

To wash

1. Remove the liners from the habitat and make sure they are free from any poop.
2. Flip the pocket inside out to ensure that section of the liner also gets cleaned.
3. Fold the liner in half, with the blue waterproof side on the inside, and the other side is facing out.
4. Use either cold or warm water, medium spin, and heavy soil level.
5. If your machine has it, use the extra spin and extra rinse options.
6. Do not overfill the detergent compartments. Follow the directions on the detergent packaging.
7. For a natural fabric softener and disinfectant, use ¼ to ½ cup distilled white vinegar.
8. Make sure that as much of the water is spun out of your liners as possible. This ensures that it dries properly.

To dry

1. Drying temperature should always be set to the lowest setting possible. 
2. Do not use medium or high heat, as this can damage your liners and even cause shrinkage.
3. Try to dry for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drape it over a chair inside or line dry the rest of the way.
4. If line drying, making sure it is out of direct sunlight, as the heat can have the same effect as machine drying on high heat. 

For a more in-depth explanation on how to clean your guinea pig fleece liners, check out our blog post, which also includes visual guides. If you're having any issues with absorbency, odor, or shrinkage, we have in depth explanations and instructions here.