Reproofing Rugs In A Washing Machine?

acorn92x

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I have brought a couple of rugs from a lady who recently had her horse PTS. They are great rugs, both Weatherbeeta however they are FILTHY - covered in mud and are very dusty from being in storage. I'd ideally like to freshen them up and given them a reproof before putting them on my girl and was hoping to do it in the washing machine with the Nikwax rug wash and then the reproofer - has anyone had any experiences with this and what were the results like? I don't want to send them off to be done professionally as have had bad experiences with this ruining rugs previously and I don't particularly want to pay the princely sum of £20 for a re-proof but have to wash it before hand too (She doesn't reproof rugs unless they have been washed previously). I don't normally wash any of mine however these are quite foul even by my standards and to avoid my poor girl being taunted in the field for wearing gross rugs, I feel that these do need a clean! :p Any experiences with this?
 

Goldenstar

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I do it in a washer it's a top loader though .
Once they are dry I give them a spray with fabsil.

If they are awfully dirty I might scrub and hose with a brush then dry before putting in the washer .
I might also wash twice in the washer before I rinsed in the reproofer as it just fails if the rug is not clean .
 

picolenicole

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As Goldenstar said if they are very dirty I use the hose and a brush let them dry a bit (so I can pick them up) then put in the washer.

I use a water proofer from B&Q their own make about £20 a bottle, it's for brickwork but also does fabric (says so on the back) I have done three rugs with it FAB stuff and only used about 1/4 of the bottle it does smell a bit once on your horse for a day or so the smell goes. So much cheaper than paying someone as last time to do three it was about £25 a rug!!!!
 

Tiddlypom

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Have a look at this thread from a few weeks ago, in which I asked a similar question :).

https://forums-secure.horseandhound...proof-best-application-method&highlight=proof

It all depends on what load capacity your washing machine has and how much fill the rug has. My 9kg Miele washing machine copes fine with a 6'3" no fill Rambo neckless rug, but I wouldn't put a rug with any fill in it.

The old standby of soaking the rug via a hose pipe and much brushing off of the filth, followed by several rinse/repeats is the safest option for a fill rug. Then spray or sponge application of the reproofer.
 

acorn92x

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We have an 11kg Whirlpool Aqualtis washing machine which copes fine with duvets, pillows and I've washed my girls fleece in their before along with her travel boots. She takes a 6'0 rug and the dirty rug in question is a medium weight with no neck. Thanks so far guys!
 

Goldenstar

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We have an 11kg Whirlpool Aqualtis washing machine which copes fine with duvets, pillows and I've washed my girls fleece in their before along with her travel boots. She takes a 6'0 rug and the dirty rug in question is a medium weight with no neck. Thanks so far guys!

I think it will be fine , I always rinse out the washer with by running it with nothing in it afterwards .
 

criso

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I do the rainsheets in my machine at home- 7kg capacity. (as well as fleeces and stable rugs up to about 100g). I use Nikwax tech wash to wash then TX direct wash in reproofer. I clear out the drain after as it can get clogged with mud and hair.

Mine wouldn't take a mw turnout but your is a bigger capacity so should be fine.
 

Izzwizz

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Goodness some of you pay a fortune for a wash and re-proof....I wouldnt have a job to do if I charged that amount! I run my own rug wash business and use Nikwax rug wash and re-proofer all the time, never had a problem with it. If your machine can turn the rug with plenty of room to spare then you should get an even coverage of the re-proofer, if not it will have a patchy finish. I have 2 big industrial machines so rugs have plenty of room. The re-proofing should be done on a separate cycle, thats how I do it. I charge £17.50 for a wash and re-proof. Good luck with it!
 

acorn92x

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I did it! It looks like the re-proof has taken as I tested the rug by pouring some water on it this morning and it just slid straight off! :D I left it to dry inside overnight and it looks so much better for a wash and reproof so really glad I did it! My mother in law is going to repair a small tear on the rug but I'll test it out later this week - so far so good though, very happy! I would just say though that despite the fact that I have an 11KG washing machine, there was not THAT much room left in the drum once I had put the rug in there so I would definitely not want a drum any smaller than this to comfortably wash rugs in! As Izzwizz said, I'm not sure the re-proof would have taken if I didn't have so much room left in there. I'll confirm when I've tried the rug but so far, I would most definitely rather wash and reproof myself than send my rugs away.

Izzwizz, I live in an expensive area of the country which is what I put it down to. I lived in Essex when I was a child and things were considerably cheaper there (Although we are talking 5-10 years ago too as I'm now 23). Where abouts are you?
 

Tiddlypom

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Glad it worked! I know what you mean about having plenty of room left in the drum. My no fill rugs are fine in my 9kg machine but the 200g rugs were a bit squashed, although I can get them in and out of the machine easily enough. The results with the 200g's were not as good.

Also, I put all rugs and horsey items in a horseware wash bag, to protect our lovely state of the art new Miele from errant surcingles, buckles and hair etc. This probably reduces the efficacy of the rinse cycle a bit, but as it's our only household washing machine, I daren't not. Even so, I tend to do the majorly dirty stuff on a day when OH is not at home :D.

I'm also not too sure whether rug proof is septic tank friendly, I suspect not..
 

acorn92x

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Also, I put all rugs and horsey items in a horseware wash bag, to protect our lovely state of the art new Miele from errant surcingles, buckles and hair etc. This probably reduces the efficacy of the rinse cycle a bit, but as it's our only household washing machine, I daren't not. Even so, I tend to do the majorly dirty stuff on a day when OH is not at home :D.

I'm also not too sure whether rug proof is septic tank friendly, I suspect not..

Hahaha! I brought one of them bags too for the very same reason except I live with boyfriend and his mother and neither would be impressed if their washing was covered in black white horse hair :) I do the same - when they go out, everything gets hauled out of my car and stuck in the wash! I didn't bother putting the rug in the bag to wash and reproof though as I didn't know how it would take so just risked the potential moans and put it on a 90 degree wash after I had got my rug out! :D
 

criso

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I pay £16 to get a rug washed and reproofed where I am. With the no fills, I have some cheaper ones that only cost £25 in the first place so it doesn't make sense to send them to be done. They come out really well in my home machine. Luckily I live on my own so no one to complain.
 
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