I really don't mind washing their blankets daily so they have lovely clean ones but

[sorrento56]

I do mind that the next wash load is full of guinea pig fur. Running the washer empty, twice, on rinse seems a waste of water but what else can I do?

Um, hoover the blankets first?

That is such an obvious idea! I expect I didn't think of it as I don't want piggie poo in my hoover but will give it a go and then empty it straight away. Thanks :)

Stop putting guinea pigs in and try Persil instead?

So your guinea pigs have blankets?

Mine just have woodshavings topped off with hay, saves on any washing....

What is the thinking behind blankets?

wmmc!

Blankets were recommended to me by someone on here. Nicer for the piggies and cheaper for me as it is a one of cost.

That's true - probably is more economical

Probably less whiffy, especially if they are washed daily.

Put them in with a microfibre cloth or a towel, it will catch the hair.

Fabulous idea, thank you.

I have the same problem so thank you for that idea wmmc. I give the blankets a good brush and shake (in the garden) before washing but they still hold some hair.

You can actually buy lint catching balls from Lakeland - we have some. If you wash the blankets daily, within a few weeks, you could have a whole new hamster.

I don't wash them every day but most days. Nothing wrong with hay, they get that to et, but blankets are better than sawdust as they are more economical.

My washing machine has been really struggling with the hay and fur. I've had to empty the filter bit by hand about a thousand times to get it to finish the cycle. Have also had to take the back off the machine to empty the trap, because it stopped working completely.

I have stopped using blankets.

I keep our guineas on fleece which goes in the washing machine. I put it all in an old duvet cover that I have sewed a drawstring into before I put it in the wash.I doesn't stop all the hair but probably reduces it by about 90%.

I've never heard of guinea pig blankets. Ours have newspaper covered in thick layer of woodchips and thicker layer of hay, changed once a week as they spend hours mowing nibbling the lawn outside every day, so are only in at night. They seem very happy. What's the advantage of blankets? Do they keep them warmer?

the idea of fleece is: I put a towel down on the floor of the cage with a fleece on top. The urine soaks down to the towel and the fleece is stays dry. It's way cheaper than buying woodshavings or any other cage liner and quicker and easier to deal with.

That's clever. Thanks for the tip. Our cage gets big damp patches in it, so I might try this. Any old fleece or special pet fleeces?

Any old fleece, get mine in Ikea or Primark, you just need to wash and dry them three or four times first to improve their absorbency.