Washing stinky stable rug in machine at home?

[HelenBack]

Does anybody do this and does the machine survive/ the next load suffer/ your other half complain?

My horse is really vile in his stable and his rugs just get caked in sh*t. He's probably had his current one on about six weeks now and it's just revolting. No chance of it getting to the end of winter before it needs washing.

I'd usually use a rug laundry but with the amount his rug is going to need washing it will just get expensive and inconvenient.

Will it be really terrible to wash it at home with all that poo on it?

 

[AmyMay]

Is your machine actually big enough?

 

[Tiddlypom]

I wash stable rugs (Rhinos up to 200g fill, 6'9")in my domestic 10kg washing machine. It's best to hose the worst of the caked poo off and allow to drip dry a bit then put it in the machine. I often run the machine a second time with no detergent to give the rug a thorough rinse.

 

[JBM]

I wash stable rugs and liners in one of those orange wash bags saves anything going in the washing machine

 

[Snow Falcon]

I'd pop it in an old duvet cover turned inside out. I do occasionally wash other rugs this way.

 

[MereChristmas]

I think, but I’m not sure, that detergent kills the waterproofness ( is that a word? )
You have to clean the machine drawer and either use nothing or a special wash liquid.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

My 10kg drum easily takes horseware liners and stable rugs up to 300gm, I even put their Rhino no fill outers in on a cold non bio wash. I always wash them separately even the 100gm ones rather than overload the machine and like Tiddlypom once done I run the machine through with nothing in it to clean the pipes and drum.

Edit to add they are all 6ft rugs.

 

[HelenBack]

Thanks for the tips. I do have one of those orange bags so could use that or the old duvet cover tip is a good one.

It's only a 100g rug and not terribly chunky so I think the machine will be big enough.

Possibly a good suggestion to give a pre wash hose though!

 

[Ceifer]

Personally I wouldn’t - I know others do as above but if depending on your machines capacity you’re putting extra strain on it if it’s a big heavy rug. You risk clogging up the drainage pipes and filters which is going to cost you more in the long run.

When I worked at a competition yard we used to put stable sheets under all the rugs and wash those once a week.Maybe putting a cheap rain sheet on top would work? Easier to hose down and if you did want to machine wash it, it’ll be lighter

 

[Fjord]

They've never been particularly sh*t caked but I've washed lw stable rugs in the machine. I get the caked on poo off the fillet string and usually wash something like old jeans or old towels afterwards.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have a top loader for horse and dog things I would not wash it in the human a
washer unless you both do jobs that are outside .

 

[onemoretime]

Ive got an 11kg machine in the garage which is kept for horse rugs. It easily takes my rugs and has saved me loads in rug laundry costs. I think the machine was about £320 about 6 years ago.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I tend to wash batches of horsey stuff one after another, in an orange bag if necessary, and then finally run the machine empty on a hot hygiene wash before putting human items in again.

I haven't the space for a second machine, so it's use this one or take everything to a rug laundry.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I wash stable rugs and liners in one of those orange wash bags saves anything going in the washing machine

This is what I do or your washing machine gets filthy.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I've got a small drum on my machine so know I can only do small loads.

Is there a laundrette in your area you could use?

We have a washer/dryer unit at my local motorway services. There are two drums a 5kg and a 10kg, plus a spin dryer. I've been down there in the dead-of-the-night doing my rugs.......... ohh the shame. Used to do it years ago at the local laundrette until the Operative got wise to what we were doing (i.e. bunging up the machines with a lot of horse hairs!!).

 

[poiuytrewq]

I was mine in the machine all the time, I do have a separate one supposedly for horses and dogs but OH and Daughter use both for clothes
If a stable rug was really manky though I’d just send it to a proper horse rug wash. It’ll come back like new and stable rugs don’t cost much to do.

 

[Palindrome]

could you hose it off first to get the worst off?

 

[Sossigpoker]

Mine wears 6ft and I'm able to wash fleeces and sheets at home but anything bigger I take to the launderette (the owner is fine with it). I've made myself a giant wash bag as even the XL ones that you can buy isn't big enough for a rug to turn around inside it. This keeps all the hair inside so protects the machine. I wouldn't do it without a bag , yhd hair will wreck the machine and future washes will have horse hair on them.

 

[criso]

I wash the 100g and the not too thick 200g stable rugs in my 7kg machine as well as fleeces, coolers etc. I once did some lw turnouts but by the time I'd bought special detergent and reproofer, it wasn't much cheaper. Also do things like headcollars, saddlecloths and xc boots.

I use a program with a pre wash and and extra rinse. I also switch the spin to a lower level so as not to put so much strain.

Not had trouble with the machine smelling after but i do need to empty the filter regularly.

 

[criso]

I've got a small drum on my machine so know I can only do small loads.

Is there a laundrette in your area you could use?

We have a washer/dryer unit at my local motorway services. There are two drums a 5kg and a 10kg, plus a spin dryer. I've been down there in the dead-of-the-night doing my rugs.......... ohh the shame. Used to do it years ago at the local laundrette until the Operative got wise to what we were doing (i.e. bunging up the machines with a lot of horse hairs!!).

I've done that but as i found out when my washing machine was on the blink, launderettes aren't cheap. Prices were between £5 -, £9 depending on the size of the machine plus at least £1 in 20ps for the dryer. That didn't get things dry but enough to take them home to finish drying there.

 

[Gloi]

I was sweet itch rugs then run a quick wash with the machine empty afterwards. If I'm being good I empty the filter.

 

[Surbie]

I wash stable rugs and sweet itch rugs in mine (the latter in a bag) but not turnouts. Not had an issue so far and I've been doing it for the last 5 years.

 

[meleeka]

I’m surprised that washing machines are dirty after they’ve finished washing. I’d worry about their ability to clean clothes if that’s the case.

My washing machine has to cope with OH’s work clothes (he’s a mechanic), so a dirty horse rug is no problem. I do give them (work clothes and horsey items) an extra 2 rinses and I make sure I’ve got most of the hair off any rugs, but my washing machine should be clean as that’s literally it’s job

 

[Birker2020]

Does anybody do this and does the machine survive/ the next load suffer/ your other half complain?

My horse is really vile in his stable and his rugs just get caked in sh*t. He's probably had his current one on about six weeks now and it's just revolting. No chance of it getting to the end of winter before it needs washing.

I'd usually use a rug laundry but with the amount his rug is going to need washing it will just get expensive and inconvenient.

Will it be really terrible to wash it at home with all that poo on it?

Its not so much the washing of the rug but the drying of it that pongs. It still retains the smell of urine. So if you drape it over a radiator to dry it smells strongly.

 

[criso]

Its not so much the washing of the rug but the drying of it that pongs. It still retains the smell of urine. So if you drape it over a radiator to dry it smells strongly.

I don't have radiators but yes it does smell a bit when left out.

I do it overnight (on cheap rate) and take it up to the yard that day. It can finish drying up there if needed. I find the smell doesn't linger once the rug is removed.

 

[Surbie]

Its not so much the washing of the rug but the drying of it that pongs. It still retains the smell of urine. So if you drape it over a radiator to dry it smells strongly.

I do mine quite regularly so they aren't that bad (not suggesting you don't, just that it works for me) but if the rug gets a bit awful I do one cycle with bio detergent and then one non-bio. It gets rid of most of the stenchiness.

 

[Kaylum]

I jetwash mine sometimes at the car jet wash put in a storage box to take home roll it tight wring to get the water out and hang to dry. They come out lovely and clean. Much better than the washing machine.

 

[Birker2020]

I do mine quite regularly so they aren't that bad (not suggesting you don't, just that it works for me) but if the rug gets a bit awful I do one cycle with bio detergent and then one non-bio. It gets rid of most of the stenchiness.

That might be where I go wrong then, i just did one wash with non-bio. To be honest its probably better to wash it in a duvet like someone previously suggested. I was washing a 6ft 9 summer sheet in a laundry bag and it was probably too small for it to open up in the wash.

Not convinced our machine is very good either, the dogs flashing jacket and my mobile have both survived the 30 min 30 degree wash and worked immediately after!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Does anybody do this and does the machine survive/ the next load suffer/ your other half complain?

My horse is really vile in his stable and his rugs just get caked in sh*t. He's probably had his current one on about six weeks now and it's just revolting. No chance of it getting to the end of winter before it needs washing.

I'd usually use a rug laundry but with the amount his rug is going to need washing it will just get expensive and inconvenient.

Will it be really terrible to wash it at home with all that poo on it?

Id pressure wash it Put your washing liquid in the canister and away you go, wash then rinse , leave to drip dry

 

[Birker2020]

Id pressure wash it Put your washing liquid in the canister and away you go, wash then rinse , leave to drip dry

My Dad pressure washed one of mine, it was a disaster. Opened up all the weave.