Tomato ketchup .... really?? Is this a wind up? (or should I try it?) ...

[Greylegs]

Had the farrier out today to shoe my new mare, who is a cob type with 4 whites, but not a heavily feathered traditional type. I did brush off all the dry mud etc so she was in a fit state for him to work on, of course, but her white bits are looking decidedly grubby after a winter of muddy turn out. Farrier owns a nice traditional cob with huge (white) feathers and gave me his tip for getting them white again, which is ...... (yes really!) ..... wash off the worst of the dirt/mud with shampoo and water, rinse thoroughly, towel dry, then lather the feathers/white legs in liberal quantities of tomato ketchup, leave for about half and hour and wash off with lots of clean water. Result ... beautiful, white legs/feathers. He swears he is not winding me up and that it works beautifully!!! So ... before I make a total idiot of myself .... Anyone tried it? and does anyone else use unfeasible household condiments, or other strange substances, as grooming products?

(I'm tempted to try it ..... ... I'll report back ....)

 

[SEL]

Never tried it, but heard the same tip - please report back!!

 

[Equi]

Yea it’s a well known thing

 

[Nasicus]

It's a thing. Usually the cheaper the better is recommended. I think it might be to do with the vinegar content, but I could be misremembering.

 

[J&S]

Ketchup has remarkable cleaning power. See what happens if you drop an old penny into it. we used to use it for cleaning old brass beds. Yes, I would suggest it is the vinegar. Should also help make the feathers sleek and shiny, my mother used to rinse her hair in vinegar after washing to get a shine.

 

[Birker2020]

Yep, true. Its good for bringing tarnished stainless steel around sinks or on furniture. Leave on for 5 mins then wipe off and buff up. Also works on copper, brass and stuck on food on pans, garden tools too.

 

[Flamenco]

Red is the opposite of green on a colour wheel so this might explain why it neutralises grass stains

 

[phizz4]

Given all of these replies, what does it do to the inside of our stomachs?

 

[Keith_Beef]

I've heard of using ketchup to get skunk spray off dog fur, supposedly it works because of the acid content.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

yep, tomato juice is great at neutralising eau de dead fox and skunk. Not sure about whitening, tried some purple shampoo?

 

[snowangel5]

for a tail

 

[Nasicus]

Given all of these replies, what does it do to the inside of our stomachs?

Vinegar has a ph of 2-3. Our stomach acid can reach a ph of 1-2. I really wouldn't worry about the teeny amount of vinegar you put on your chips or that you find in ketchup.

 

[windand rain]

I use it a lot and have loads of photos from filthy to clean and shiny but her tail is cream so not such a clear white she was washed in ketchup in my avatar photo

 

[Highmileagecob]

I've heard of using ketchup to get skunk spray off dog fur, supposedly it works because of the acid content.

Yep - years ago the whippet rolled inside (!) a dead sheep carcass. Ended up with a red whippet, but he didn't smell of dead sheep....

 

[Beamish]

I was once told the ketchup trick for the old lab that loved to roll in fox poo. I tried it once, after shampooing, layering on most of a bottle of ketchup, rubbing then washing off. The dog just smelt of fox poo and ketchup. It wasn't a pleasant mix!

 

[Merrymoles]

I have used it when the dog has rolled in fox sh!t with great effect in terms of smell but never got round to trying it on white manes or tails. New mare has both so may well invest in a bottle of the Aldi version that my OH won't touch!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Or you could try some Henny feather soap which is sold for feathered heavy horses.

 

[[139672]]

Don’t know but I’ve used it on my hair. Dye my hair blonde at home. Left it on slightly too long and hair was a bit yellow. I put ketchup on it, rubbed it in and rinsed. It made my hair go light blonde, a really nice colour ?

 

[ycbm]

Vinegar has a ph of 2-3. Our stomach acid can reach a ph of 1-2. I really wouldn't worry about the teeny amount of vinegar you put on your chips or that you find in ketchup.

? who puts a teeny amount of vinegar on their chips? I swamp mine ?

 

[Greylegs]

Thanks for all the replies. I have to hold up my hands and admit I thought he was pulling my leg, but it seems not.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

It’s a well known trick for bleached blondes who swim in chlorine a lot and go yellow ish..so I could see it working ….

 

[Nicnac]

Yep it works. Also great on fox shit and skunk spray on dogs.

Cheap purple shampoo works just as well though. Not sure which is better for their skin!

 

[Lois Lame]

This is interesting - I've never heard of tomato sauce doing this.

I don't think it's the vinegar though, I thinks it's the acid of the tomatoes.

When i was young, my grandmother used to rinse my hair in vinegar after washing it (with soap) to get all the soap out. I lived with her for 18 months from the age of 10 after my grandfather died. And that's when I met my best friend in the world.

 

[TheLoneWanderer]

It works!! My mare has so much tail it goes into 5 plaits. I've done it a few times with her and it always works

 

[Colivet]

Swarfega is brilliant for white socks, so I presume it would also work on manes and tails.

 

[Marigold4]

I tried it once - looked really grim on tail and made zero difference. I decided it was a hoax. Still looking for the answer to orange tail problem. Tried everything!

 

[rextherobber]

I tried it once - looked really grim on tail and made zero difference. I decided it was a hoax. Still looking for the answer to orange tail problem. Tried everything!

Same! I have a mare with a disgusting tail. Oddly, I've noticed it is at its best after prolonged heavy rain, so maybe rainwater is the answer, and someone told me to use a leave in conditioner, to help stop staining in the first place, but have yet to get the tail clean enough to try this. Maybe after Storm Eunice....

 

[Highmileagecob]

I tried it once - looked really grim on tail and made zero difference. I decided it was a hoax. Still looking for the answer to orange tail problem. Tried everything!

Soak the tail in a solution of biological soap powder and warm water for five minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

 

[windand rain]

you have to leave it in for twenty minutes or more for it to work but it might be just how porous the hair is. I always leave in some conditioner, Washing soda crystals will soften the water in hard water areas that makes it more like rain water. Also hot water is better than cold

 

[spacefaer]

Doesn't work on urine stained tails. Bought a horse who'd obviously been in on an inadequate straw bed for a length of time and his tail was thoroughly stained from from halfway down with shades of pale yellow to a dark orange. Nothing worked although I did managed to get it to fade. Ended up cutting it short and waiting for it to grow ( obvs not an option with a trad cob tho)