How often do you wash your rugs?

goldie12

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I'm just wondering as my mare seems to be living her in l/w at the moment, so how often do you clean yours? :)
 

Capriole

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I just hose them down and scrub them before I put them away for the summer, I never have them machine washed.
 

McNally

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I clean out door rugs when they are being packed away. I usually send to the cleaners but tbh this year with an extra horse to usual i probably will just get the ones that need repairs done and scrub the others myself so save money.
Indoors i wash myself as and when needed- I HATE dirty stable rugs!
 

Chestnuttymare

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If mine are dirty I hose them down and give them a bit of a scrub. I have some rugs that are nearly 10 years old and never been washed and they are still waterproof.
 

acw295

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Turnout rugs usually every other year unless they are very bad, I get them re-proofed too. but she has good quality rugs and isn't a rug wrecker so I look after them and they last me years and years :)

Her 100g and 200g rugs were done last year though and have taken a battering this year with all the recent rain and mud so I think they will get done this year even though wouldn't normally be due, as they are plastered!

I also like that they come back vacuum packed so easy to put away over the summer!

I was fleeces every couple of months, don't really use stable rugs.
 

Luci07

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Frequently. Try to get through winter without having to clean the turnout again till the end of the season. Heavyweight stable rugs will have been washed and swapped twice and thermatex, fleeces etc are done when dirty, I hate it whe the rugs become really smelly! I waterproof the turn out rugs annually.
 

legaldancer

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Every other year as too much washing removes the proofing. However, I like them to be restored to their former glory once in a while!

The old jute rugs and New Zealands weren't washable anyway, so even every 2 or 3 years is better than never.
 

Merlin11

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I wash LW's a few times a year - normally when they are filthy underneath - as I can fit them in my washing machine. But if they get washed too much they can lose proofing and you need to reproof them. HW's just get sent to the laundrette once a year at the end of winter.
 

PolarSkye

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Fleeces/thermatexes and stable rugs get washed when I can sneak them into the washing machine without husband noticing . . . turnouts get done twice a year - lightweights in the autumn, MW and HWs in the spring . . . get repairs done then too.

P
 

Littlelegs

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Mostly once a year. Tend to use a fleece under rugs a lot for mine so will do that more often to keep her coat clean as they're easy to do. Turnouts that have been used a lot get scrubbed & reproofed every summer, ones with little use every few years. My friend laughs at me every year with my reproofing habit, I laugh at her every winter drying loads of rugs & still needing to buy more when they're all drenched.
 

Kenzo

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I dont.

Mine don't really get that dirty inside, if the horse is clipped n groomed they stay quite clean, if there was a build up of hair and greece or a horse had sweated out in one it had a louse issue then by all means I would have it cleaned but I usually replace them with a new rug before they get to that stage, as for the price it costs for cleaning, repairing and reproofing (and its rare there fully waterproof afterwards) it costs just as much to treat them to a nice new one.

*puts tin hat on and ducks*
 

Littlelegs

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I agree for the price of sending them off you might as well buy new, I do it all myself so only costs cheap washing stuff & reproofer. Wouldn't pay to get it done, I'm far too cheap!
 

NativePonyLover

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Turn out rugs get professionally cleaned before being away for the summer - the same was true for medium/heavy weight stable rugs, but current pony doesn't have any of the latter!

Fleeces, coolers and lightweight stable rugs get washed more regularly as they fit in the washing machine :D
 

brown tack

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Stable and indoor rugs every few weeks to a month. Like them clean, I change into stable rugs at night.

Turnouts are done daily when they come in, just straps and the edges get a dandy brush over which keeps them looking cleaner for longer, I do it when they are still on the horse. As for washing them hw's at the end of the season, lw's 3-4 a year, but they get replaced often.
 

PolarSkye

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I agree for the price of sending them off you might as well buy new, I do it all myself so only costs cheap washing stuff & reproofer. Wouldn't pay to get it done, I'm far too cheap!

Erm? I had 7 rugs cleaned, repaired and reproofed last year . . . cost me £100 . . . it would most definitely have cost more than that to replace all seven . . . the HWs alone would have cost me a good £100/£150 each to buy new.

P
 

Izzwizz

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I do mine regularly because I can - its my job (part time) My horses stable rugs get done when needed and my turnouts the same. Did my gelding's Rambo Duo last week as it happens. Mare had a clean turnout on today as her Duo is having a wash and re-proof this week. I only use Nikwax and not had any of mine leaking, even in all this horrendous weather. My mare's Duo has been done several times and is now coming up for 6yrs old and is still like new.
 

Littlelegs

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Polar skye- was in reference to kenzo's comment. Hw's maybe worth doing but near me last I heard it was £30 a rug which makes it cheaper to buy new every few years than clean once a year. And I have to say, I've always found the results much longer lasting when I reproof myself. And worked on different yards & in different areas so not just experience of one company. I do paint on the reproofer tho, but never have a rug that needs to come off to dry & always fine to go on next am even in the worst winter weather.
 

mandyroberts

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Yuk you lot!
Summer sheets (the bottom winter layer) - weekly.
LW - MW quilted fleeces every 2-3 weeks if worn regularly, weekly if used as bottom layer.
Top layer HW - twice per year, but don't put HW direct on horse as it isn't a 'clean layer'.
NZs - once per year and reproof.

I hate handling dirty rugs and a clean bottom layer keeps their coat cleaner.
My washing powder bills are scary - and I bought a large size machine especially so I could get all but HW & NZs in it for regular washing.

I do think the washing wears the rugs out faster though and there is nothing like a good airing for a heavy rug on a sunny winters day.

Am I obsessive?
 

Izzwizz

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Polar skye- was in reference to kenzo's comment. Hw's maybe worth doing but near me last I heard it was £30 a rug which makes it cheaper to buy new every few years than clean once a year. And I have to say, I've always found the results much longer lasting when I reproof myself. And worked on different yards & in different areas so not just experience of one company. I do paint on the reproofer tho, but never have a rug that needs to come off to dry & always fine to go on next am even in the worst winter weather.

£30 - thats way over the top. I only charge £16 wash and re-proof. Wouldnt have any customers atall if I charged that amount!
 

Lyle

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Cotton rugs/polar fleeces/saddle blankets are changed weekly
Turnout rugs get a wash at the end of winter and packed away for the summer, or if I'm going somewhere overnight and want them to look nice :eek:

I have many cotton under rugs so I can accumulate a bit of a pile and wash them at once all while the horse has a clean one on!
 

TicTac

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Yuk you lot!
Summer sheets (the bottom winter layer) - weekly.
LW - MW quilted fleeces every 2-3 weeks if worn regularly, weekly if used as bottom layer.
Top layer HW - twice per year, but don't put HW direct on horse as it isn't a 'clean layer'.
NZs - once per year and reproof.

I hate handling dirty rugs and a clean bottom layer keeps their coat cleaner.
My washing powder bills are scary - and I bought a large size machine especially so I could get all but HW & NZs in it for regular washing.

I do think the washing wears the rugs out faster though and there is nothing like a good airing for a heavy rug on a sunny winters day.

Am I obsessive?

ha ha well said. All my stable rugs are lightweight ( I like to layer up as necessary ) so that I can put them in my own washing machine . They get done once a week when in use before they get too dirty. I also use liners underneath.

My turnouts get washed and reproofed EVERY year by a specialist rug company. My horses have several turnouts each and they get changed and washed on a regular basis. NONE of my rugs have ever leaked but most of them are Horseware rugs and I do find them very robust and good natured!



but then most of the rugs are the Horseware brand and I do find the very good rugs.
 
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