Mattes sheepskin girth - mildly lighthearted panic

[FestiveFuzz]

So I recently invested in a beautiful sheepskin girth sleeve from Mattes. It’s beautiful and has worked wonderfully for my super sensitive boy. I’ve ordered the Melp wash, but herein lies the problem, it hasn’t arrived yet and with the saddler coming tomorrow I desperately need to wash it.

In a moment of bravado I slathered it in paraben free hair conditioner and bunged it in the washing machine on the wool cycle, taking care to reduce the temperature (I was so worried I popped it down to no heat) and turned off the spin cycle. I then took to google to reassure myself I haven’t ruined it, re-read the Mattes guide to washing and am now panicking I’ve already buggered it ?

Washing machine has 40mins left, do I try to break it out of the watery drum of doom, or get a grip and remind myself that my Lemieux ones always survived (except that one I put on the radiator before BD camp!)?

 

[milliepops]

i vote.. it will be fine.
Dry gently and fluff up carefully if needed.

(source - i did this when I had no melp to hand).

 

[dogatemysalad]

Don't worry, I always spray my sheepskin girth and saddle pads with conditioner and throw them in the machine on a wool cycle. Never use specialist cleaners and even the oldest sheepskin comes out like new.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

i vote.. it will be fine.
Dry gently and fluff up carefully if needed.

(source - i did this when I had no melp to hand).

Thanks MP, you’re like my HHO guardian angel always popping up with reassurance when I need it.

31 mins left and I’ve just chucked a load of extra water in via the drawer as per the Mattes instructions so I can at least say I tried to follow them.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Don't worry, I always spray my sheepskin girth and saddle pads with conditioner and throw them in the machine on a wool cycle. Never use specialist cleaners and even the oldest sheepskin comes out like new.

I usually only use conditioner but I’ve seen a few Mattes horror stories on fb where it’s fallen apart after washing so thought I best follow their instructions, and then clearly disregarded them totally in the need for a clean girth cover ??

 

[milliepops]

haha! *polishes halo*

be a bit embarrassing if it comes out in tatters

seriously I think it's the drying that is the hardest bit.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

haha! *polishes halo*

be a bit embarrassing if it comes out in tatters

seriously I think it's the drying that is the hardest bit.

Hahaha I’ll be like “but Milliepops said....”

And yes, yes a million times yes on the drying front. I learnt that the hard way (literally!) when my fairfax sheepskin shrunk and went rigid before BD camp when in my infinite wisdom I decided to dry it on the radiator. At least I learnt that lesson before I got the Mattes one.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

The washing machine has now finished... currently gearing myself up to check on it ?

 

[ester]

I'm so on edge about this . . .

 

[FestiveFuzz]

So it kinda resembles a wet rat, and I’m doubtful it’ll be dry by the morning but it seems to be in one piece so MP’s halo can remain in place for now ?

 

[milliepops]

phew

 

[Tiddlypom]

I’ve got a 5 minute cool ‘woollens hand care’ program on my tumble dryer. It fluffs up my mattes numnahs a treat after they have been washed and before I peg them out to dry.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I’ve got a 5 minute cool ‘woollens hand care’ program on my tumble dryer. It fluffs up my mattes numnahs a treat after they have been washed and before I peg them out to dry.

I wish I had a tumble dryer, alas I’m having to dry it the old fashioned way although I did give it a brief hug in a towel to soak up some of the water. Currently resisting the urge to put it outside for a bit.

 

[Lamehorses]

I wash my matter numnahs with ordinary supermarket brand woolwash on a normal machine cycle at 30°
They are years old & look fab

 

[sbloom]

I wouldn't wash Mattes with anything other than Melp, Peter Mattes would have a coronary at people following Le Mieux advice, different products. Melp has also been brilliant for customers with Nuumed wool lined pads, getting them softer than anything else. Don't just use a wool wash, it's not delicate enough for leather.

 

[sbloom]

I wash my matter numnahs with ordinary supermarket brand woolwash on a normal machine cycle at 30°
They are years old & look fab

If they're older than about 8 years they could be one of the wool lined varieties rather than sheepskin. Sheepskin is platinum, gold and silver are wool.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I wouldn't wash Mattes with anything other than Melp, Peter Mattes would have a coronary at people following Le Mieux advice, different products. Melp has also been brilliant for customers with Nuumed wool lined pads, getting them softer than anything else. Don't just use a wool wash, it's not delicate enough for leather.

Does it really soften the nuumed ones? I have a few really old ones that are a bit rough, do you put soap in as well or just the melp? And can I just buy melp on line?

 

[sbloom]

Does it really soften the nuumed ones? I have a few really old ones that are a bit rough, do you put soap in as well or just the melp? And can I just buy melp on line?

Just the melp, it is a detergent, not a conditioner. I'm sure you could probably buy Melp online from Mattes or others, I do stock it and can post but don't get discount postage rates as I'm teeny tiny.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Just the melp, it is a detergent, not a conditioner. I'm sure you could probably buy Melp online from Mattes or others, I do stock it and can post but don't get discount postage rates as I'm teeny tiny.

Ok thanks I will have a look see if I can order some thank you!

 

[bouncing_ball]

I wouldn't wash Mattes with anything other than Melp, Peter Mattes would have a coronary at people following Le Mieux advice, different products. Melp has also been brilliant for customers with Nuumed wool lined pads, getting them softer than anything else. Don't just use a wool wash, it's not delicate enough for leather.

Ive used cheap human hair conditioner on huge range of wool and sheepskin products. I think it works really well and is cheap and easy to get hold of.

 

[sbloom]

Ive used cheap human hair conditioner on huge range of wool and sheepskin products. I think it works really well and is cheap and easy to get hold of.

Anyone can treat their sheepskin however they like, but if there is a problem then Mattes won't play ball with refunds.

 

[criso]

I use the Christ Lammfelle wash designed for their sheepskin products, it's quite easy to get online.