Cleaning
a Winter Blanket © 2008
Cherry Hill ©
Copyright Information While the blanket is still on the
horse, brush the outside of the blanket to remove any mud or other debris.
If the outside of the blanket is fairly clean except for a few manure or grass
stains, you can spray the spots with a solution made with your regular blanket
wash product. Let the spray set for 30 seconds and then scrub with a textured
sponge. This is easiest to do on the horse.
Remove the blanket from the horse and lay it out in a clean area such as on the
rubber mats of the grooming area. Brush the wither fleece to remove any
hair or debris and to fluff it so it will wash more thoroughly.
Brush the inside of the blanket with a stiff-bristled brush to loosen patches
of hair. Since hair is one of the most damaging things to your washing machine
and since it will just spread in the wash water and distribute itself over the
whole blanket, the more hair you can loosen and remove, the better your blanket
will look coming out of the washer and the longer your washing machine will last.
If you have a vacuum, it will make the
job of removing the hair from the blanket lining much easier and more thorough.
Unbuckle all leg straps, chest buckles,
and untie tail cords. Clean the Velcro
if necessary by using a darning needle to lift the hair pads and duct tape to
remove stragglers. Then seal the Velcro with separate pieces of Velcro kept
on hand specifically for wash day. You can buy Velcro by the foot off the
roll in varying widths at any large fabric store.
Cover all buckles with a sock to protect the inside of the washer tub from chipping.
You can tie or rubber band the socks onto the buckles.
Always read and follow the blanket manufacturer's washing instructions.
Add the laundry products to the wash water. Then load the blanket into the
machine in a specific fashion. If the outer shell is water resistant or
water proof, it is best to fold the blanket inside out. Otherwise the waterproof
shell would prevent water from flushing through the blanket and there will be
an unevenness of washing: dry spots, dirty spots, unrinsed areas and places that
are soaking wet at the end of the cycle. If the outer shell in not waterproof,
you should load the blanket with the dirtiest side facing outward. Use a
front load machine without an agitator whenever possible. If necessary to
use a home machine, carefully lay the blanket around the agitator in a circle
trying to keep all of the straps inside the blanket.
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