Doing your equine Laundry

[Flosii]

After a big discussion with a friend, I wondered how you all cope with human and equine laundry.

I know that some are lucky enough tto have two washing machines one however for those of you that are not so lucky (like myself) how do you sort it?

I have to do equine stuff in washer when OH is out and then put on a short cycle before I do human wash to just clean it out a little.

 

[Follysmum]

I have bought one of them orange equine wash bags. It works quite well as it keeps all the hairs in the bag. I put dog bed covers, numnahs, boots etc in them. Other than than use an old duvet cover.

 

[dianchi]

I have a machine at the yard but some bits end up going through at home.

I normally do a rinse cycle before putting in any human clothes

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

After a big discussion with a friend, I wondered how you all cope with human and equine laundry.

I know that some are lucky enough tto have two washing machines one however for those of you that are not so lucky (like myself) how do you sort it?

I have to do equine stuff in washer when OH is out and then put on a short cycle before I do human wash to just clean it out a little.

I do small equine laundry when hubby is out. then do 1 empty wash to clean

The big laundry I either put rugs in a plasters bath(on web site here) with bold then leave to soak - then hang on my heavy duty clothes rail here>> http://horse-care-and-advice.weebly.com/useful-ideas.html and use my katcher to jet was clean turn over then rinse other side


Method 2

Hang rugs on rail jet wash - spray bold over then jet hose/rinse till foam gone repeat om other side.

 

[wiglet]

I'm lucky enough to be able to use the washing machine at the yard - it's a large 13kg capacity one so can get quite a bit in it - we just have to supply our own washing powder obviously. Before the yard machine, I would use my machine at home but put stuff into a big nylon sack that my OH got me from his workplace. OH is into horses so was never bothered if I used it for horse stuff

 

[monkeybum13]

If its fairly clean horsey stuff just run a rinse cycle afterwards, if its mucky I run a normal cycle with washing powder (the same as a normal wash but without items in the drum)

 

[marmalade76]

I don't understand why it would be a problem, it all comes out clean! I have a large drum washing machine so even do my turnout rugs in it and I never bother to rinse it out after. Why bother? A lot of our clothes get fairly dirty, muddy and covered in hay (I have ponies, OH is an ag contractor so is often muddy, covered in hay and sometimes even cow poo and my children are often plastered in mud) so what's the difference? I do sommetime put extra dirty stuff on for an extra rinse, though.

ETA iou end up with hair on your clothes pop them in the tumble dryer, it will blow most of them off

 

[mhorses]

I was numnahs, lead ropes, head collars, boots and cooler fleeces in washing machine in an old single duvet sheet. I bring all other horse rugs to my local dry cleaner (in a countryside village) who washes each rug like new for £8. Brought the rugs to the dry cleaner in town one time and got a look of absolute disgust and a big NO.

 

[Kat]

I put stuff in a duvet cover (an old one) and then run a rinse cycle afterwards.

I also try to get off as much muck before washing as possible.

 

[Marydoll]

I can get a 7ft stable rug in my washing machine at home, everything from horse boots to knickers gets washed in the same macine ive never had a problem

 

[WelshD]

I use my domestic machine though I do use one of those orange bags for horsey stuff which is fab

 

[star26]

I wash all my smelly yard clothes in my machine at home as normal- just make sure its a 40/60 wash to get all dirt out- tho prob wouldn't put a load of whites in straight after just in-case!

For horse stuff- rugs and big things get sent to a local rug cleaners- anything else, e.g. saddle cloths/bandages etc i will hand wash first in the utility sink, give it a good few rinses till water runs clear then bung it in the washing machine.- again, i prob wouldn't put whites or delicates in the next wash! lol

 

[wench]

Bung stinky old saddle cloth in my orange wash bag, with as much stinky horse clothes as possible to get as much value as possible out of the cycle in mother's washing machine. Admittidly I make sure that she's not around when she sees stinky saddle cloth going in, but they come out nice and clean, so I don't think she realises how stinky they are when they go in!

If I have used a white saddlecloth (which is only ever if I am doing 1 or 2 dressage tests in good weather), it immediately comes off the horse, then goes into a bucket of hot water and vanish, then put in the machine for a spin before it goes on the line.

I will only put the white saddlecloth in the machine for a wash if its really dirty - I don't believe in wasting water for one item in the wash. However mum's machine is a very good one, and a 40 min wash at 40 degrees cleans filthy saddle cloths!

 

[tinap]

I just chuck all my rugs, numnahs, brushes, boots etc in the washer. It sometimes leaves a few hairs in the drum which I wipe out with an old bar towel then I just put my normal loads in as usual x

 

[Auslander]

Am I going mad? People wash headcollars, leadropes and brushes - in the washing machine?

 

[Goldenstar]

MrGS has zero tolerance for animal hairs on his work clothes so I bought a second large top loading washer for dog and cat beds all horse stuff and the worse of my clothes .

 

[9tails]

I live alone so it all goes in the washing machine. Usually a horse wash, then a rinse and spin, then human clothes. Auslander, I use a rope halter so that and the line go in the washing machine. I don't wash brushes in the washing machine but have been known to wash stirrups in the dishwasher.

 

[delaneys]

I currently have 2 anky pads drying over the dining room table, oh is ok with it as long as his posh clothes don't go in the wash afterwards!

 

[marmalade76]

Yep, headcollars, lead ropes and brushes go in mine too, tied in an old pillow slip and with a thick numnah as a buffer

 

[Janee]

Yep, headcollars, lead ropes and brushes go in mine too, tied in an old pillow slip and with a thick numnah as a buffer

Well some great ideas on here, I have an orange bag thingy and do saddle clothes, travel boots, tail bandages etc, but never happy if I haven't got a full load. From now on I will be doing the head collars lead ropes brushes, the lot. only the rugs go to the cleaners cos they usually need repairs as well and I don't do those

 

[Spot_On]

Rugs get sent away once a year usually for washing/reproofing/repairs.

Saddlecloths and bandages get bunged into machine on a quick wash.

 

[Archiepoo]

If oh is out I do wash numnahs and lightweight rugs in my machine. I hoover my numnahs to get loose hairs off and dont use them til theyre minging so usually a light wash will do. I rinse the machine out after and leave the door open overnight then hoover out any stray hairs (horse is white -oh wears black uniform to work) we dont have any pets in the house and oh and teenage kids hate horses:-/

 

[chaps89]

Dont do rugs myself but have a good local lady who does them. Everything else (headcollars, ropes, gloves, numnahs, girths etc) goes in the machine at home, dont tend to bother with duvets covers or bags for them. Rinse cycle after then sorted. Tho I admit when living with non horsey people I tend to do it while theyre out!

 

[Annagain]

Bung it in washing machine when OH is out and deny all knowledge when his black police uniform is covered in white hairs.
.....That was before his nagging got too bad. Now I save them up and wash a load of dog (old) towels after the horsey stuff. Dog is dark grey so her hairs don't show up on his uniform.

ETA: Oh and I have been known to wash bits and stirrups in the dishwasher, well if it's going on anyway and there's room, why waste hot water and my energy scrubbing them?

 

[bliss87]

My dad wont let us put horse stuf fin the washing machine but a local laundrette has a horse stuff washing machine which is £17 for one bag full and the rugs come up cleaner than any specialist equine rug washers ive used.

 

[frozzy]

A couple of years ago I bought a twin tub (new) for doing all equine laundry after OH went mad replacing washing machines on an annual basis. They are still made for export to India. It was a bit of a con really as the advertising said it could take up to a 7ft rug. Yes it can but only a cotton sheet!! We have welshies and it will comfortably do a 5 ft turnout but no bigger than that. Its great for bandages, numnahs etc etc and even came into the house to be used when the domestic one was knacked.

 

[marmalade76]

As for the suggestion that horsey stuff ruins or shortens the life of the machine - mine is now 9 years old an still going strong despite coming from a 'seconds' shop and being regularly filled with horsesy stuff. I have had to clean out the filter before but this was full of straw and twigs from the OH, not any of my horsey gear.

 

[LynH]

I'm lucky enough to be able to use the washing machine at the yard - it's a large 13kg capacity one so can get quite a bit in it - we just have to supply our own washing powder obviously. Before the yard machine, I would use my machine at home but put stuff into a big nylon sack that my OH got me from his workplace. OH is into horses so was never bothered if I used it for horse stuff

I normally wash all my horse stuff and dog beds in our washing machine and there is a yard round the corner with massive machines to do rugs. At the moment our house is a building site so my mum is kindly doing all our washing but has refused to take horse stuff although for some reason apparently dog towels and blankets are allowed!

I'm getting a new utility room as part of the house renovation and was thinking of getting a 14kg washer to go alongside our existing one just for horse and dog stuff. Is 14kg big enough? I have rugs from 6' to 7' but the really big ones can still go to the yard round the corner. If you had room would you have two washers or just stick with one for everything? I've always managed with one before but now I have space for a dedicated horse machine I'm not sure if it's an unnecessary extravagance.

 

[Red-1]

I wash big rugs by hand in summer in an old bath in the yard. Small stuff goes in the machine, and if it was very dirty wash some outdoor jackets or mucking out clothes next.

OH knows, but is cool about it. Right now we have a NZ rug hanging off 2 dining chairs in open plan sitting room, so I guess he is pretty cool all round really!!!

 

[neddy man]

put an ad in your local shop that you will collect an old working w/m. Many people who have new kitchens replace good working ones with new ones. Ask if you can have it at the stables for every one to use , or fit it in the corner of your garage.