Fleece Comparisons

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Sat Jan 07, 2006 8:34 pm


While the polyester fibres themselves may not shrink, the heat (I think) causes the fibres to pull together, which does cause some small amounto of shrinkage.

Think of it like cotton wrinkling! But as fleece is knitted, it just pulls together a little tighter.

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WindeSpirit
Sewing for a Cause

Post   » Sun Jan 08, 2006 4:23 pm


Whittibo - correct, fleece can come in polyester or cotton. Also rayon, silk rayon, chenille, and sometimes nylon can be found in some. I bellieve there is two more but can't remember, more speciality things.

This question is for Mum particularly but others I'd be curious to hear thoughts.
If it is the heat that shrinks it, why would washing alone shrink fleece that is poylester, washed on a warm (not hot) setting?
Further more, why would only 3 out of 5 fleeces shrink during the wash and 2 not shrink at all?

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:50 pm


f it is the heat that shrinks it, why would washing alone shrink fleece that is poylester, washed on a warm (not hot) setting?
Further more, why would only 3 out of 5 fleeces shrink during the wash and 2 not shrink at all?

To answer the second question, perhaps it depends on how tightly the fleece was initial woven? I don't know about it shrinking if it's washed but not dried, because I always put mine in the dryer. But if it did shrink when washed and not dried, I would think it would be again because of the knitted fibres. Have you never had an item of clothing that wasn't meant to be washed, and when you put it in water it shrunk up to nothing? This happens with both some wool fabrics and some manmade materials, and can happen in cold water with no heat at all.

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whittibo

Post   » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:01 am


OK, I am here with another question about this never ending fleece thing.

Windespirit mentioned the kennel pads they sell at walmart. Yesterday I bought one (I think?!) it looks like the loose berber stuff (I'll pose a picture below) if I did get the right thing, and it works, I am in LOVE! No more will I have to fold towels JUST RIGHT to cover the bottom of the cage. I was using one large towel folded in half, two hand towels folded for the other areas, what a pain. And the towels, because they are so dense, they stay wet.

I just went in to check the berber stuff. It's COMPLETELY DRY! I am amazed. I know it says on the box it is for dogs and will stay dry, but I just couldn't believe it till I tried it.

I did have the original layer of towels down last night, and put this over it so the towels could soak up anything that goes through, but the towels were wet (changed them that morning too) and so they got the bottom of the kennel pad wet. I think I am better off having only the kennel pad in there?! Is that right? Like let things air dry?

I pulled the pad out just now, dumped the poops off, and put it right back in. It fits really nicely (I cut it a little wrong, so I have to try harder next time) but if these really do work this well, then I am going back to walmart tomorrow and buying 4 more so I have two sets to change each cage with.

Here's the pictures.
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Brandilynn
Who's your Branni?

Post   » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:09 am


Mine has a different looking box - but yea - its that same stuff

Image

I just use the hand shark to suck up the poo.

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whittibo

Post   » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:13 am


Pretty much the same thing. I didn't wash mine yet, so I am sure it will clump up a little more like yours.

Do you put anything under it?? I have a wire shelf as the bottom of that level. I have the wire shelf covered in the spongy stuff you put under rugs to keep them from slipping. That protects the piggies from the wire in case the top layer gets moved aside. So there is some airflow, but not much.

But thinking about a kennel for a dog, it would have a solid bottom, there would be NO air flow. And a dog would pee a heck of a lot more them my piggies?!

BL, is this the stuff that you have to be careful when shaking out?! I just dumped the poops off. I didn't have to shake it, they just rolled right off.

I am so stinking excited about this, I have half a mind to drive to town TODAY to get more!! Town is a 30+ minute trip each way. I was just there yesterday, and will be back there tomorrow, but I don't want to wait!

Brandilynn
Who's your Branni?

Post   » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:18 am


Yea, I have blankets or towels or other fleecy layers under it and then the puppy pads underneath that.

Just turn your head away from the fleece when you shake it and shake it down wind from you.

I have no airflow underneath it. Its not meant for dogs to pee on, its just meant to be softer than having a create underneath them, I believe.

Its around 7 bucks a pop yea? That is how much ours here is. I am assuming its the same size and stuff! I do like it a lot. My vet has HUGE pieces of it in purple and in pink, its whelping bed I believe, but I just do not have the means to order stuff off the internet - so I have not gotten any. Otherwise - I sure enough would!

I want to get, instead of the puppy pads, the absorbant re-usable human mattress covers to just wash instead of buying people incontinent or puppy pads.

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whittibo

Post   » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:24 am


I think ours was $7.98 or some stupid amount near $8.

I read the box again, and I was wrong, it wasn't to keep them dry, it was to keep them warm in winter, cool in summer. But it's DRY!

I keep going in there seeing if it's still dry and it is! :D

I think this is going to be exactly what we need, and is going to be a miracle. I hate that our piggies sit and pee, and then don't move. This will keep them dry!

I think the little bit of air flow I get will help dry things out. I know the spongy stuff on the main level doesn't get wet like it does on the level that I have made out of coroplast.

I still just can't believe how wonderful this is!

I was about to wake up my youngest and drive to town, but I really need to be disciplined and stay home today and get them doing their school work. I also talked to the Animal Control Chief last night about our neighbors and he said he would come out to inspect their property either today or tomorrow morning, and I told him I want him to come over here after he leaves there. So I need to be here. I REALLY want to get more of these, it's killing me that I have to wait till tomorrow night. :(

Brandilynn
Who's your Branni?

Post   » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:36 am


Yes it will keep them dry! I love that about it too, and it feeds their puffy addiction, so it makes them even happier!

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whittibo

Post   » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:50 am


Ginger is always funny when we change her towels, she has to explore the whole cage again to see what we have done. We do it every other day for goodness sake! LOL

Last night was so funny, she's my skittish one, and she STRETCHES herself so she can sneak around and see what this new stuff is, she had to smell every little bit of it.

OK, one more question. Will this stuff shrink? I didn't wash it before I cut it to size, but I'll have to use this one for for their loft areas as I cut it a bit too small, if they shrink, I will wash the new ones before cutting. I would hate to waste $32 worth of stuff because I was too lazy to wash first.

Brandilynn
Who's your Branni?

Post   » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:52 am


Boys are like that too.. except Taj has to make his worried sounds and rub his bottom all over the new stuff and make lots of poops - just so it can be "his" I guess.

I do not know about shrinkage. I really do not cut it and just clip the edges up around the grids. I wash mine in hot hot water too.

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whittibo

Post   » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:56 am


Thanks BL. I'll wash this one today in hot water (I always use hot water, just makes things seem cleaner when your pig has peed all over it) and I can see if it shrinks. I know it will start laying nicer once it's washed a couple times. But I'll wash this one before I cut the next ones. ;)

I am in heaven. This stuff is literally amazing!! Not only does it stay dry, but it really feeds my esthetically clean look desires. (I am pretty anal about having things look "nice", especially while our house is for sale. If the cage looks nice and clean, then they think we're nice clean people. If it looks icky and stinks, then they get grossed out and don't buy our house)?!

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