# Help! I need clean blankets but have no way to clean them



## Teeniepaws (Mar 19, 2016)

So I've decided to just kick bedding to the curb. Me and it were not a good match and with how my cage is it always ends up on the floor anyway. So I was thinking of just going with my original solution of padding the bottom with blankets instead but this is where I've met an impasse. 

See, my stepmother is VERY sensitive to the rat smell, and does not want me washing pee-soaked blankets in her washing machine because she says that it makes it smell, but at the same time she wants me to keep my rat cage in an almost constant state of cleanliness (which with how things are set up now involves me taking out the trays, and scrubbing them down once a week or more.) 

I want to be able to ease the strain of cleaning the cage to the point where I can just get a bunch of blankets and swap them out daily or every other day (thus saving my stepmother from the smell) but not being able to use the washing machine means I'm going to have to deal with as much of or more of a cleaning workload than before. She suggested I buy blankets and then toss them out but that is horribly expensive and wasteful.

I need some sort of way to get the smell of rat pee out of the washing machine because at this point that's my best option.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

Why not just stick with bedding? It seems like a much better easier idea for you.

When I used fleece there was never a pee smell in my washer. I would wash my blankets with laundry soap and vinegar, vinegar cuts right through urine and makes it ideal. I would then run them through a second time with just water. 
But I did always worry about stuff getting in my machine. 
They make stuff you can buy to use in the machine to clean it. But I don't think it is going to be good for the machine to run it that often or for your water bill.


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

Take all the blankets to a public laundromat?


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## Teeniepaws (Mar 19, 2016)

Bedding really doesn't work out. My cage has no lip (I have one of those huge critter nation cages with the doors that take up a whole side) and so my rats end up pushing all of their mess out onto my floor, not to mention it gets gross and matted to the bottom of their cage trays. 

I live just outside of the city in a suburban area so public laundromats don't really exist out here sadly.

I think I'll have to try the vinegar since so far that's the best option.


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

I have the DCN also. I use fleece and I have no problems with odors at all. But my rats are litter box trained and they don't chew on the fleece. 

Home depot makes a cement tub that with a little trimming on the lip, fits perfectly into the bottom of the DCN. Some people around here use them with litter and it really helps keep it all in. 

I just wrote this for the beginners guide. This is how I use fleece. Since doing it this way, I have had no problems whatsoever with odor. If you're using a litter box, get a flat river rock about the size of your palm to put in the box. For some reason, rats like to pee on it. Put it in the litter box and change it out every couple of days. That's what I do anyway. At the end of the week, when I take out the fleece it really doesn't have much of an odor at all. Definitely doesn't smell like pee.




*Fleece*
Should be 100% polyester to wick urine down
Absorbent layer should be placed under fleece soak to up urine
_Fleece Pros_
No litter to get tossed out of the cage
Easier to clean floors of cage
I personally think it's easier on the feet
More fun to decorate the cage
Relatively inexpensive
Can be reused


_Cons_
Not always easy to secure it well to the floors and shelves
Some rats will pull it up, chew on it and burrow under it, especially if it's not well secured
If your rats sleep under fleece with urine build up, it can be toxic to your rats
Little to no odor control if not used properly
Takes more time to set up
Best for litter box trained rats

_Notes_
Attaching the 'hook' side of Velcro to the bottom side of shelves helps keep fleece in place and seems to discourage chewing and burrowing
Probably best used in large cages
Use a scent free laundry detergent, 'free and clear'
Using fabric softener will decrease wicking ability of fleece
Scent free puppy training pads can be used_ IF your rats are not chewers_
Peroxide added to laundry detergent to clean fleece will neutralize ammonia

For more details on the proper use and recommendations for fleece
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...ject-The-Study


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

Either get the cement mixing tubs and cut them to fit your DCN or buy the metal pans from Bass to hold bedding in. If you have no way to wash cloth liners, then you will need to use bedding. I bought the pans from Bass for my DCN and am using bedding. I got them an extra 1/2" taller (so they are 3" tall) and they keep most of the bedding in. I still have to sweep up every other day, but There is no smell from the bedding for 1-2 weeks vs. me having to change out fleece 3-4 x a week to keep smell down. I use a mix of shredded aspen with a thin layer of horse stall pellets below it. 

If you really want to try fleece / blankets, the only way I can see it possibly working is to hand wash them in the tub using detergent and vinegar / baking soda... but that would be loads of work and possibly still not get them 100% clean.


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## Jenniferinfl (Mar 25, 2016)

Bass pans... I love mine. Spouse was going to make me some, but, they just didn't have any light enough gauge scrap at work for him to make it out of, so, I bought some instead. 

They are awesome! A couple bedding bits still get out, but, very little. Before the pans came in I was getting so frustrated vacuuming around the cage.. lol 

As for washing, just get yourself a 5 gallon bucket and prewash before you put hammocks and things like that in the washing machine. Just add hot water, a small amount of detergent and vinegar and swish them around until you've removed any stuck on debris. Then you can put them in the washing machine without having to fish nastiness out of your washing machine later.


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## RatAtat2693 (Jan 13, 2016)

Jenniferinfl said:


> Bass pans... I love mine. Spouse was going to make me some, but, they just didn't have any light enough gauge scrap at work for him to make it out of, so, I bought some instead.
> 
> They are awesome! A couple bedding bits still get out, but, very little. Before the pans came in I was getting so frustrated vacuuming around the cage.. lol
> 
> As for washing, just get yourself a 5 gallon bucket and prewash before you put hammocks and things like that in the washing machine. Just add hot water, a small amount of detergent and vinegar and swish them around until you've removed any stuck on debris. Then you can put them in the washing machine without having to fish nastiness out of your washing machine later.


Where have you been all my life? Wish I had thought of that. 

I just take mine to the laundromat. They have a washer designated for horse laundry, so if anyone has any complaints, we can all point to the sign and be like, "Then don't put your clothes in there."


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## MeganR (Mar 25, 2016)

I actually just found something that seems to be working really well for me! I have two males. These are my first rats and I've had them for about a month and a half so I've done a lot of experimenting. _I too am quite sensitive to the smell and had been a little discouraged that their cage was smelling up the room_. Anyway, this is what is working for me, and has generally helped reduce odor all around, and created less stinky laundry to wash. 
First, I got about 3 yards of fleece from Hobby Lobby (you can use a 40% off coupon on your phone and save some money). Then I cut out rectangles about the size of the bottom part of the cage. I also made several hammocks using this method (https://www.google.com/search?q=no+...hWM7yYKHTFNCm0Q_AUICCgD#imgrc=H7lqVExeMcQJdM:)
Let me be clear that I did not strive for perfection with either of these things. LOL. 
On bottom level I place one layer of fleece and one litter box. 
For each shelve I fold another piece of fleece to fit the shelf. Then I take two pieces of paper towels and tear it into about four pieces and place in one corner. On the opposite corner I have a small, sturdy tupperware type container with litter in it. I also place two pieces of torn up paper towel in their hammock. My rats love to pee on the paper towel so it also serves to keep them and their hammock from getting super stinky (both the litter training and paper towel would not reduce laundry for you). The litter training is still in process, but they are getting better and I think I finally found a litter they like. Each day I throw out and replace all paper towels (I know it's wasteful, but until I find something better this is what is working). I also replace fleece ever day or every other day. Before throwing in the wash, I shake the fleece out. As others have said you can put vinegar in the wash, which should neutralize the urine, but generally it has not been as smelly since I have been using paper towels. Oh, and I also wipe all walking surfaces down with baby wipes every day. Overall the smell of the cage and the fleece has been significantly reduced. Also, Nature's Miracle makes a laundry detergent, but I would do some research on the safety for rats before you try that route...


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