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Fleece is all polyester
and holds up to hundreds of washings.
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The absorbent layer
textile is designed to hold up to hundreds of home
washings.
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The vinyl barrier
component of our Piggy Products is stated by the manufacturer to hold
up to, "300
commercial launderings while
maintaining suppleness and impermeability."
Does Your Piggy
BedSpread Stink?
Over time you may notice that your Piggy BedSpread smells bad even
though you just washed and dried it. Or, you may notice that it doesn’t
absorb urine as quickly as it once did. This is perfectly normal and
means that your Piggy BedSpread has been working its heart out, and now
it’s time now to give it a good stripping.
Piggy Bedspreads perform a lot like cloth diapers. They absorb urine,
come in contact with poop, and after a while, their fibers become
clogged with minerals, detergent residue, and waxy secretions. This
means they will get stinky faster and will absorb less efficiently. In
order to get your spread performing its best again, I recommend
stripping it.
There are many ways to strip cloth diapers and many ways to strip your
Piggy BedSpread, but here are 3 methods that I recommend:
Dawn
dishwashing detergent
The easiest and way to strip your Piggy BedSpread is to run it through
the washer with a teaspoon of original Blue Dawn Dishwashing detergent
(omitting your typical detergent) in hot water, and rinse until no more
bubbles are present during agitation. This may take 1-3 rinse cycles.
Thorough rinsing is imperative because if any detergent residue remains
in the fibers of your spread, it will bind with the ammonia molecules in
urine and immediately magnify the smell the next time your piggie pees
on it. So, if you’ve just washed, dried and installed a fresh spread
but you notice it really stinks after a few hours or even a day, chances
are you have detergent residue in your spread.
Distilled White Vinegar
Vinegar naturally breaks down uric acid and soapy residue. The acid in
white vinegar
is mild and won’t harm fabrics, yet is strong enough to dissolve the
alkalis in soaps and detergents. It prevents yellowing, reduces static
cling, and kills mold and mildew. Vinegar can be added to any final
rinse to dissolve the last of the detergent residue. Don't worry, your
Piggy BedSpread won't smell like vinegar after it dries. (Make sure not
to use flavored or colored vinegar as they will leave build up in the
fibers for urine to bind with resulting in more stink!)
Bleach
Add ½ cup of bleach to the hot wash cycle and rinse, rinse, rinse.
Simple as that! I have never seen bleach stain a Piggy BedSpread,
however, I add bleach when I fill my washer with water & detergent, and
THEN I add the spread. Do not pour bleach directly on your Piggy
BedSpread.
An Ounce of Prevention
Detergent in moderation:
Many people think that using extra detergent to wash their soiled, Piggy
BedSpread will make it cleaner than if they used the recommended
amount. This seems right but it couldn’t be more wrong! Extra
detergent means residue in the spread.
Extra detergent + Piggy BedSpread = Clogged Stinky Fibers
Tide Laundry detergent:
I
do NOT recommend using Tide brand detergent with Piggy BedSpreads
because it is highly fragranced and contains dyes and oils. Both of
these additives work AGAINST the performance of your Piggy BedSpread,
preventing proper wicking of urine and leaving fragrant molecules behind
for the urine to bind with.
Tide + Piggy BedSpread = Clogged Stinky Fibers
All Natural Detergents containing Essential Oils:
I do NOT recommend detergent containing oils of any kind because
again, they prevent proper wicking of the spread and leave behind a
residue.
Essential Oils + Piggy BedSpread = Clogged Stinky Fibers
Never use Fabric softener of any kind with your Piggy BedSpread!
Fabric softeners work by coating the fibers of fabrics with a thin layer
of chemicals which are hydrophobic. This makes your Piggy BedSpread
repel urine instead of absorbing it! They also deposit fragrance and a
waxy substance which further impairs the performance of a Piggy
BedSpread. These chemicals are the # 1 enemy of your Piggy BedSpread.
Fabric Softeners + Piggy BedSpread = Clogged Stinky Fibers
Please don't use these on your Piggy BedSpreads!!!!
