# U-Haul Furniture Pads?



## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Hi guys - I'm planning to use fleece liners with U-haul furniture pads and I just had a few questions. 

 Do I need to sew the fleece and furniture pads together?

 Should I wash the fleece and/or furniture pads before creating the liners?

 How should I clean the liners? How often should I clean them?


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Also, would it be better to use the U-haul textile furniture pads or the quilted ones?


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

Hey there,
Firstly, you'll want to use the furniture pad (looks like this). I don't think the quilted blankets are as absorbent. 

You'll want to pre-wash both the fleece and the UHaul pads. I'd wash and dry them on hot to shrink them as much as possible. Fleece is hydrophobic. The more you wash it, the more moisture will wick through it rather than just bead up on top of it. If you're going to sew fleece and UHaul padding together, you definitely want to pre-wash both fabrics because they will shrink at different rates. If you sew them together first, they'll get super puckery the first time you wash them.

How you make your liners can depend on what type of cage you have as well as your personal preference. The easiest style of liner requires no sewing. You can cut the pre-washed UHaul padding to the size of the level and cut the fleece an inch or two bigger all the way around. Set the UHaul padding on the level, set the fleece on top of that and wrap the excess fabric around the level and clip in place with binder clips (or whatever works for you). You can also make fleece "pillowcases" that slip over plastic pans for cages like the Critter Nation. Personally, I prefer the "mat" style liners that have a layer of UHaul padding sandwiched between two pieces of fleece. They're reversible and quick to swap in and out of the cage. These are great if you have access to a sewing machine (notsomuch if you don't). 

How often you will need to wash your liners will depend on how quickly they start to smell. Fleece liners (even with an absorbent UHaul layer) are not very good at controlling odors and need to be changed out far more often than most loose substrate beddings. You'll want to get your nose really close to the liners (where your rats' noses are) and take a deep whiff. If you're getting a urine/ammonia smell, it's time to wash them. How often depends on how much your rats pee on the liners, how big your cage is, and how many rats live in it. For me, I use fleece mats on the levels (aspen on the floor) and I wash the liners every 2-4 days. I have multiple sets to make swapping them out easier. 

I shake the fleece mats off outside and then wash them in the machine on hot with a fragrance free detergent and some vinegar.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

CorbinDallasMyMan said:


> Hey there,Firstly, you'll want to use the furniture pad (looks like this). I don't think the quilted blankets are as absorbent. You'll want to pre-wash both the fleece and the UHaul pads. I'd wash and dry them on hot to shrink them as much as possible. Fleece is hydrophobic. The more you wash it, the more moisture will wick through it rather than just bead up on top of it. If you're going to sew fleece and UHaul padding together, you definitely want to pre-wash both fabrics because they will shrink at different rates. If you sew them together first, they'll get super puckery the first time you wash them.How you make your liners can depend on what type of cage you have as well as your personal preference. The easiest style of liner requires no sewing. You can cut the pre-washed UHaul padding to the size of the level and cut the fleece an inch or two bigger all the way around. Set the UHaul padding on the level, set the fleece on top of that and wrap the excess fabric around the level and clip in place with binder clips (or whatever works for you). You can also make fleece "pillowcases" that slip over plastic pans for cages like the Critter Nation. Personally, I prefer the "mat" style liners that have a layer of UHaul padding sandwiched between two pieces of fleece. They're reversible and quick to swap in and out of the cage. These are great if you have access to a sewing machine (notsomuch if you don't). How often you will need to wash your liners will depend on how quickly they start to smell. Fleece liners (even with an absorbent UHaul layer) are not very good at controlling odors and need to be changed out far more often than most loose substrate beddings. You'll want to get your nose really close to the liners (where your rats' noses are) and take a deep whiff. If you're getting a urine/ammonia smell, it's time to wash them. How often depends on how much your rats pee on the liners, how big your cage is, and how many rats live in it. For me, I use fleece mats on the levels (aspen on the floor) and I wash the liners every 2-4 days. I have multiple sets to make swapping them out easier. I shake the fleece mats off outside and then wash them in the machine on hot with a fragrance free detergent and some vinegar.


 Thank you!


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