a practical question. How do you stop numnahs killing your washing machine?

[Santa_Claus]

Seriously how!?! I've been lucky in that had someone willing to clean mine for me up to now (YO with horsey washing machine ) but not I must clean my own!

Tonight I firstly hoovered as much hair as possible off the two offending numnahs (the majority i thought in fact!), then stuck them in a mesh wash bag. one wash cycle later and the door won't open as although 90% drained that last 10% of water didn't want to shift. so I have since emptied that 10% of water on to my kitchen floor mopped it up cleaned the filter which was well clogged with horse hair battled for far too long to get the filter back in and now attempting to rinse and re spin the offending numnahs as they are still full of soap and hoping they don't reclog the filter! Oh and of course they escaped the wash bag within about 10 min of going in!

So yes ideas please as don't think OH will be best impressed if I kill our washing machine

 

[kirstyhen]

I just shove them in the washer, lob some persil on top and leave it to get on with it!
Mine also deals with rugby kit and dog bedding, so it must be on the verge of a breakdown, however someone gave us a fairly new washer when we moved in, alongside the brand new one we bought and we had space for both, so I do have a 'for best' washing machine too!

 

[kirstyhen]

Mally must be very unfairly though, as my numnahs are never hairy, just dirty!

 

[Santa_Claus]

they aren't normally that hairy but although clipped I leave an egg for under her saddle and that is currently moulting badly! I seriously thought I had got rid of enough that it would cope but apparently not! the rinse seems to be successful but will declog the filter again after just in case! And these are the first two numnahs its ever had to cope with! i did hope that new house would have room for a second washing machine but sadly not (darn army house ) so this one needs to learn to cope as otherwise I'm going to become very unpopular at the laundrette!!

 

[mon]

Either put in large cotton bag ( like pillowcase) or swill well in sink by hand.

 

[Jnhuk]

Have you these? Often saves my OH grumping at me re horse hair!

http://www.online-equine.co.uk/details.php/p24_horsewear_wash_bag.html

 

[star]

had to empty my filter the other day and decant a load of dirty hairy water onto the kitchen floor. First time in a long time I've had to do it though and I stick all sorts in my machine so think it must be pretty tough!

 

[Maisie2]

I vote for the laundrette, but try to go at a very quiet time as not everyone likes the smell of wet horses wafting around

 

[Santa_Claus]

Thankyou jnhuk I've just purchased one! Second two gone in with completely clean filter lets see what faces me in the morning!! Brave I know or possibly stupid

 

[FigJam]

I used to just chuck everything in and ignore Mr FigJam's whinging about fluffy work shirts, socks etc, but since getting a new washer-dryer recently, he has "kindly" bought me one of those orange wash bags to use! Seems to do the trick. Also minimises the "bag of spanners" noise that you get when washing a cotton girth or headcollar in it.

 

[alwaysbroke]

The orange bags work well. but I used to use an old duvet cover, but as well as doing it up would tie the opening with string so less hair 'escaped'. Can also fit light weight and fleece rugs in the duvet cover, after doing horse washing would do a 90 degree wash with a pint of cheap vinegar instead of soap, had heard it helped get rid of grease and soap debris

 

[blood_magik]

ours have their own machine in my dads lock-up. we figured that three horses worth of rugs and numnahs would need one.

I bought one of the rubber block things that you rub over the numnah to take the hair off. I've also bought a Velcro cleaner brush thingy but I haven't tried it yet

 

[miller]

Velcro cleaner brush (or for cheapskates like me a cat brush from tesco) first though never killed a machine yet in years despite numnahs, muddy brushing boots, lw turnouts, fleece rugs etc