Are Towels Safe To Use As Guinea Pig Bedding? (Explained Here)

Many pet parents have tons of DIY beddings for their piggies. Towels are one of the readily available options for bedding in your house. However, can towels be used for guinea pig bedding? 

Yes, towels can be used as guinea pig bedding, but only temporarily as you figure out a better, more permanent bedding option like fleece, aspen, or kiln-dried pine. Towels don’t absorb urine well and tend to stay wet, which can cause health issues for your guinea pigs.

Towels are a great way to save on cost. You can always clean and replace them, therefore, they’re very convenient. 

Keep in mind that towels should only be used as a temporary option.  Keep scrolling to find out how to use towels as bedding and which other bedding are suitable for long terms use.  

Are Towels Safe To Use As Guinea Pig Bedding?  

Towels are safe to use as guinea pig bedding. They’re easily accessible and you can wash and change them often. They’re also soft and comfortable. They keep your guinea pigs warm and snug. 

Towels should be strictly used only as temporary bedding for guinea pigs.  As you might already know, when towels get wet, they don’t dry easily. Now, remember guinea pigs pee every few minutes. So, the towel won’t get time to dry. 

The continued pile-up of the urine creates very unsafe conditions for your piggie.  Guinea pigs are at risk of getting upper respiratory illnesses. The ammonia from the urine will cause respiratory infections.

The fact that towels don’t dry also means your piggie will be stepping on a wet surface the whole day. This’ll lead to bacteria build-up that will cause bumblefoot 

If you are considering towels, let them be as temporary bedding. As you use them, make plans to get other types of bedding for your guinea pig. The best beddings are:

• Aspen bedding
• Fleece bedding 
• Kiln-dried pine wood shavings 
• Carefresh paper bedding 
• Noodle Bath Mats

What Are The Best Types Of Towels To Use With Guinea Pigs? 

The best types of towels to get are; pure cotton, beach or bath towels, new and odorless, soft, dry, small, clean, and contains no soap. 

It’s important to pay attention to these requirements. This way your guinea pig doesn’t develop respiratory infections.  

Below is a breakdown of the types of safe towels for your piggie; 

• Pure Cotton: The ideal towel should be 100% cotton. Pure cotton is soft and cozy for guinea pigs.   
• Beach or Bath Towel: The best and most easily accessible types are either a bath or beach towels. These are made soft for your skin so it’s better for guinea pigs.  
• Small: The best ones to use are the small towels e.g., hand towels. Piggies love soft bedding and they tend to love to snuggle in them. Big towels can suffocate them.  
• Soft: Feel the towel with your hand. The soft ones are ideal because they will be gentle on the skin of your piggie. Especially their feet and It’s also safe if they eat it.  
• Clean: Make sure the towel is clean so that your guinea pig can have comfortable bedding. It also reduces the risk of infections.  
• Dry: Aside from the risk of bumblefoot that wet towels bring, they also smell bad. In addition to piggie urine, your little fur baby will be inhaling toxic air.  Make sure the towel is dry. You can try sniffing it to ensure it doesn’t smell damp.  
• New and Odorless: I know the temptation to use old towels is high but please get your piggie new towels. They should also contain no odor. Even the smell of soap is not safe. There are several scentless detergents that are safe for piggies. Click here to get an unscented and hypoallergenic detergent that’s piggie safe. Odors are generally harmful to guinea pigs and soap will give them skin rash or allergies.  

Do Other Guinea Pig Parents Use Towels For Guinea Pig Bedding?  

Towels are pretty common temporary bedding among pet parents as I found out from my survey. I manually surveyed 80 guinea pig parents on Facebook, Quora, and the forums.  

Quite a large number of pet parents didn’t like using towels as guinea pig bedding 56% (45). The main issue was that it doesn’t dry quickly and it smells a lot. This didn’t mean they didn’t use it. They just tried to minimize their usage.  

The rest 44% (35) were okay with it. Most of these pet parents used it together with fleece. They place the towels at the bottom to absorb urine leaving the fleece dry.  

The instructions for using towels were; 

• Place two or three layers so that they can properly absorb 
• Change them every single day.  
• Use clean towels, preferably new ones.  
• Find the softest kind to use.  

What surprised me is that even though many pet parents used towels, they didn’t really recommend it as a solid choice for bedding. Most said to only use it when you run out of other options.  

While I was collected data for the survey, I came across an interesting story. One pet parent said he couldn’t use the washing machine to wash the towels that he used with his guinea pigs. Apparently, the towels stinked so bad that he had to hand wash them.  

Here are the main highlights I got from the survey: 

• Towels are okay for temporary use. But you should have other bedding in use for the long term. 
• Layering the towels is of utmost importance. Put two to three towels together.  
• Guinea pigs chew on them so many pet parents didn’t like that. 
• Some parents didn’t like that towels are made of loops that get stuck in piggies’ toes.  
• Some parents used them under fleece. This way the top remained dry while the towel absorbed the urine.  
• You must absolutely change towels every day. Unlike other beddings, they don’t dry and they stink really bad. So, it’s very unsafe for your piggie. 

What Are Some Advantages Of Using Towels For Guinea Pig Bedding?   

Towels are very easy to find. You can get one in your home or shop for them online. They’re cheap as well. It’s easy to find varieties that are soft and comfortable which your piggie will enjoy.  They’re also warm.

You can also wash and reuse them and they’re definitely less messy than paper or wood shavings. 

From my survey, I was able to find out why piggie parents used towels as bedding. 

Easy To Find 

Towels are very accessible. You either have a spare at home or you can get one in the store near you. Better yet, a few clicks online and you can purchase some.  

Cheap 

Towels are one of the cheapest guinea pig beddings. Even the softest pure cotton ones are all within your price range. You won’t strain your pockets when purchasing them.  Here are two affordable options you can purchase from Amazon;

1. CrystalTowels 7-Pack Bath Towels
2. Towels N More 6 Pack 22×44

Soft and Cozy Surface 

Towels are made for our skin so the softness works perfectly for your piggie. They’re actually one of the coziest cavy bedding you can find.    

Can Be Reused 

Wash, dry, and use again. Towels are perfect for reusability. You don’t have to worry about buying new ones every week to replace the old ones.  

Less Messy Than Shavings Or Paper Bedding

At least with towels, you know you won’t be cleaning after laying them down. There are no particles flying around and making a mess outside the cage. Unlike shavings or paper bedding.  

What Are Some Disadvantages Of Using Towels As Bedding For Guinea Pigs?  

Towels get wet and stay wet, they need washing almost daily, have poor odor control, and are poor absorbents.  

I noticed many pet parents were not fond of towels for these reasons. There was an outright discouragement from using towels as the main bedding in the forums.  

The reasons were consistent among pet parents. These were mainly:

1. Gets Wet And Stays Wet 

This was actually the biggest issue pet parents had. Towels don’t dry at all. So, piggies spend their day stepping on wet surfaces. This puts them at risk of infections like bumblefoot.  

2. Needs To Be Washed Frequently 

Since they get wet and stay wet, you need to change them daily. The constant washing can be stressful if you don’t have a washing machine. Worse yet, your water bill won’t be looking too friendly.  

3. No Odor Control…At All 

Accordingly, to pet parents, towels stink really bad. Piggies pee on them every few minutes so you can imagine the stench. 

It’s not good for your guinea pig to inhale urine for such long periods of time.  

4. Needs To Be Changed Regularly 

Pet parents who used towels needed to change them daily. Their poor absorbency means you can’t use them for long. 

5. Not Absorbent 

Towels hardly absorb urine. They get soaked and remain wet. This isn’t ideal for piggie bedding. 

Cotton Towels Versus Other Beddings: Which Is Better? 

Guinea pigs actually have many options for bedding. As you use towels temporarily, you can look at this table to decide what to get. I have compared several bedding options based on safety and cost. 

Type of Bedding	Safe?	Cost?
Towels	It’s fairly safe although only for temporary use	This is one of the cheapest options for guinea pig bedding
Aspen Shavings	It’s very safe since Aspen doesn’t contain aromatic oils	One of the most expensive options.
Paper Bedding (Carefresh)	It’s very safe and doesn’t contain harmful chemicals	It’s one of the more expensive options.
Sawdust	It’s the most unsafe option and kills guinea pigs.	Very cheap.
Fleece	It’s the safest and recommended bedding	It’s one of the most expensive options.
Kiln Dried Pine	It’s very safe. Aromatic oils have been eliminated and it’s also dust-free.	it’s more costly than paper towels but a more affordable option.

As you can see from the table, the best options are aspen and fleece. For a more affordable option but just as safe, kiln-dried pine and Paper bedding are the best. Avoid sawdust and only use towels temporarily.

Should You Use Towels As Guinea Pig Bedding? 

Yes, you can use towels as TEMPORARY bedding for your guinea pig. Towels are great to use in the short term because they’re soft and warm and readily available. They’re best used as a bottom layer with fleece liners – not on their own.

Ways To Properly Use A Towel With Guinea Pigs  

Towels don’t always have to be bedding for your guinea pigs. You can also use them to cover their cages to reduce the cold or block drafts.  

Here are a number of ways to properly use a towel with your guinea pig; 

1. For Warmth 

Towels actually make for very warm bedding. They’re cozy and don’t allow cold in. Your piggie will be safe especially in the cold season when it gets a bit too chilly in their cage.  

2. For A Short Period Of Time 

As temporary bedding, towels are great. Unlike other types of bedding, they’re soft and comfortable. They’re less messy and easy to find.  

3. To Block Drafts

You can put towels in your cavy’s cage to block drafts. They’re thick enough to keep the cage warm. 

4. To Partially Cover A Cage 

Some pet parents put towels on top of their guinea pig’s cage. The best types for this are the small towels or hand towels. 

5. With Fleece

Pig parents lined about three towels under wicked fleece to absorb the urine. This way you only need to change the towels regularly and the fleece on top stays dry. 

6. Change Daily Or Multiple Times A Day 

Depending on the number of guinea pigs you have or how often they pee, you will need to change the towels at least once a day.  

7. No Baking Soda Added

Although baking soda is a solution to removing odor, don’t use it. Baking soda causes respiratory and digestive problems in guinea pigs. 

What Is The Best Type Of Bedding For Guinea Pigs? 

Guinea pig bedding should be soft, contain no aromatic oils, easy to maintain, cost-effective, and absorbent.  

Piggies spent most of their time in their cages. So, these are the factors to consider when getting your fuzzy buddy their bedding:  

1. Low/No Aromatic Oils  

Aromatic oils cause respiratory illnesses in guinea pigs. Choose bedding that has low or no aromatic oils.  

2. Controls The Smell Of Urine 

Piggies pee very frequently so their bedding should be able to mask the smell of urine. Inhaling the ammonia in the urine causes respiratory diseases.  

3. Cost-Effective  

Bedding needs to be replaced often so find the types that aren’t too hard on your finances. It should be long-lasting and affordable.  

4. Good At Absorbing Urine 

Good bedding will keep the cage dry at all times. So, select the types that are highly absorbent and feel dry.  

5. Comfortable and Soft 

Piggies love soft bedding. They snuggle on them. It’s also safer for their feet and skin.  

6. Easy To Maintain 

Piggies need spot cleaning every day and complete change almost every week. So, pick the types that won’t strain you in terms of maintenance.  

Why Is It Important To Choose The Right Bedding For Guinea Pigs? 

It’s vital to select the right bedding for piggies. Bedding helps in; protecting their feet and preventing infections. They also stop fly strikes and keep your guinea pig happy.  

Protects Their Feet 

Piggies’ feet are very sensitive so the right bedding will keep them safe from infections.

Prevents Different Infections 

Poor bedding can lead to the accumulation of bacteria that can cause infections. These include pneumonia, UTIs, and Bordetella among others.  

Stop Fly Strike 

Flies swarm to unsanitary places. So poor bedding that can’t absorb or mask smell well will attract them.  Get good bedding that absorbs well and masks the smell or urine.

Save You Money and Time 

You won’t need to replace good absorbent bedding as often. They’re longer lasting therefore saving you time and money.  

Keeps Guinea Pigs Happy 

Piggies love a good environment. You will see them rolling over, snuggling, and burrowing if they like their bedding. A happy piggie is one of the best joys as a pet parent.  

Can Paper Towels Be Used As Guinea Pig Bedding? 

Paper towels can be used temporarily as guinea pig’s bedding. You can layer several to line their cage. However, they’re poor absorbents and don’t have any odor control properties, so aren’t suitable for long-term use.   Get something more absorbent like fleece or wood shavings.

What Bedding Is Bad For Guinea Pigs?  

There are several types of beddings that aren’t suitable for guinea pigs. These include: sawdust, disposable puppy pads, cedar, newspaper, paper towels, and regular towels.  

• Sawdust: Sawdust is too dusty. It’s one of the worst beddings for guinea pigs. Some pig parents call using sawdust animal abuse.  
• Disposable Puppy Pads: If your guinea pigs eat these pads, they might get digestive problems. Also, the pads aren’t good at absorbing urine or masking smells.  
• Cedar: Cedar is very aromatic and causes respiratory problems in guinea pigs. Avoid it at all costs.
• Newspaper: Newspaper isn’t good bedding for piggies. It’s hard on their feet, doesn’t mask smell, and isn’t absorbent.
• Paper towels: These make bad bedding for guinea pigs because they’re not good at absorbing urine. Your cage will stink, and the piggies will develop respiratory infections.
• Regular Towels: Regular towels – used on their own without fleece – get wet and remain wet. This can cause bumblefoot and other health problems in guinea pigs.

Alternatives To Towels For Guinea Pig Bedding   

There are many great alternatives to guinea pig bedding. Here are a few you can use instead of towels.  

Guinea Dad liners  

The Guinea dad liners are one of the best beddings for guinea pigs. They’re dust-free, absorbent, and made of premium material for piggies’ comfort. They also save you time and money since they’re easier to clean. Click here to get one for your piggie.  

Aspen Bedding  

Get this Kaytee Aspen Bedding for your guinea pig. It is an all-natural hardwood bedding. Due to its high absorbency, you only need to change it completely once a week. 

Kiln-Dried Pine  

This Living World Small Animal Bedding Material is excellent kiln-dried bedding for your little fur baby. It’s high-quality bedding. This bedding is dust-free. Reviews from users are that it’s very light and is unscented. 

Fleece/Blankets 

You can also get this set of affordable fleece blankets for your piggie. Fleece is one of the best bedding options for guinea pigs. They’re washable and easy to replace. This product is also durable. But, you do need to make sure that there’s some sort of absorbent layer underneath like a Uhaul pad or something similar.

Noodle Bath Mat  

This JTdiffer Bathroom Rug is a great option for piggie bedding. It’s soft, highly absorbent, and very comfortable. Noodle bath mats are also fluffy which makes them snuggly for your guinea pig. They can also mask the smell of urine fairly well.  

Things To Remember Using Towels As Guinea Pig Bedding 

• Towels should only be used as temporary bedding for guinea pigs 
• Layer at least three towels to increase the absorption. This will also make them more comfortable for your piggie. 
• Replace towels every day because they don’t dry so they can cause bacteria to build-up 
• You can use towels at the bottom of your piggie’s cage to absorb urine if you are using wicked fleece. 
• You can use towels to prevent the cold drafts from your guinea pig’s cage.