A completely ridiculous question about sponges....

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bellsinheaven

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Would you buy sponges for cleaning horses that are particularly for horses, or would you just buy standard car ones? I am talking about for washing down after exercise and for cleaning her lady bits and her eyes and nose. Also, would you bother buying tack cleaning sponges, or again, just standard sponges? As per, as soon as you add equine into the equation, the cost triples and wondering if this is just unnecessary?
 
I use car cleaning sponges, although not the cheap rubbishy ones that some supermarkets are selling for the same price as the better ones.
For tack cleaning, I do use the specialist ones sold in saddlerys because they do a better job than bath sponges or washing up sponges and can withstand prolonged use.
 
i just use ones brought from the pound shop as i am always losing them! Although i do try to find ones with the scratchy backs for tack cleaning as they are good for getting grease off the leather - also i make sure (as was always taught) to use a different sponge for cleaning horse bits and for cleaning their face
 
bellsinheaven said:
Thank you....I will make sure I get different colour ones. Do you wash yours in the washing machine?
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I down grade face ones and use for body and then further downgrade for bums. I just hand wash in soapy water and rinse in water with a splash of dettol and leave to dry. On eyes I use single use cotton wool pads or paper towels .
Most of the time I hot cloth with microfiber towels as they can be bunged in the washing machine and are great because you can wring the water out well enough after pressing off excess water on legs.
 
Sponges are sponges. I use anything of the right size and shape. Cheap baby ones from the supermarket are good for topping and tailing horses as well as babies and are softer and smaller than car sponges for the purpose. Also good as tack sponges. Car sponges fine for washing down etc. Big sponges can also be cut up to make smaller ones which makes them even cheaper.
 
car sponges here, I do have a microfibre pad with bobbly bits but tbh it's not as good as a cheapo sponge so is now retired from horse duties and used to clean cars!

I just use washing up sponges with scourer backs for tack cleaning.
 
I loved my old share very deeply. I bought her the most expensive Boots Baby sponge for near her eyes. It is white and I washed it at home after every use, using baby shampoo so it wouldnt hurt her eyes. I had another less expensive one - blue - for elsewhere.
I still have both and still use the white sponge near her eyes on my current share.

It saddens me a bit that I was such a bonkers new rider and that I still have the sponge tho the mare is long gone.
 
Pound shop sponges 3 in a pack bath sponges and they have a rough scrubby bit on one side, perfect for washing down horses.

Old face flannels or tea towels for hot clothing.
 
Car sponge - hoss
Cotton pads/water wipes - eyes dock etc
Green sponge - tack cleaning
Ramer sponge - saddle soap/conditioner
Old tea towels/big towels cut up/bar towels - hot clothing
 
I use unscented baby wipes for delicate areas like eyes and nose. At home I like using a massage sponge for myself and when they get a bit past it I pass them onto the horses for various jobs. Otherwise I buy kitchen type sponges for tack cleaning.
 
Big car wash sponge. She is grey so the sponge is washed every day :p Start at the front and work back. Then use a different one for rinsing, which means the sponge is well rinsed and clean for the next day (as rinsing is squeezing water not scrubbing on the horse, so it is cleaned as we go).

Never thought of sticking one in the washer. If ever it does look very dirty I would just wash in sudsy water and rinse.
 
Car sponges!
Asked my non horsey friend to pick me one up when he was out one day and he came back with 5 different ones cause he didn't know what type I needed!
 
Car sponges, cut to size or not depending on what I am using them for. I dont think I have ever put a sponge in my washing machine or even washed one by hand - when they get manky I just throw them away, at tuppence ha'penny a go I really don't want them disintegrating in my washing machine and costing me €70 for an engineer's call out.

For eyes I always use wipes or cotton wool specifically for that area, I definitely don't cut corners there.
 
Cheapo car sponges for washing
Sensitive baby wipes for eyes
Value baby wipes for anywhere else
Value dish cloths (the ones that are 'knitted' for want of a better word) for hot clothing
What is 'tack cleaning'?
 
Skib said:
I loved my old share very deeply. I bought her the most expensive Boots Baby sponge for near her eyes. It is white and I washed it at home after every use, using baby shampoo so it wouldnt hurt her eyes. I had another less expensive one - blue - for elsewhere.
I still have both and still use the white sponge near her eyes on my current share.

It saddens me a bit that I was such a bonkers new rider and that I still have the sponge tho the mare is long gone.
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That's nice:)
 
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