# Washing Winter Turnout Blankets?



## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Many laundromat owners take a dim view of horse blankets.
I wash only in water (same for pads) as I don't want any residue left to irritate the horse's skin. But then I wash on a sunny day, soak in a tub, scrub brush the soiled spots, hang on a fence and spray with the hose. But then I rarely blanket so soiled blankets aren't a problem.


----------



## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I wash my horse's turnout blanket in a front loading washer with regular soap and an extra rinse cycle (I'm lucky that my barn has a washer/dryer) and then line dry. Frequent washing can break down the waterproofing, so I usually only give it a good brushing to get dirt off during the winter and wash before storing it for the summer.


----------



## 2BigReds (Oct 7, 2011)

Some laundromats have heavy duty washers and dryers, have you checked to see if there is one with them in your area? Might help keep from getting on the owner's bad side if you go there often! :lol: I would say no detergent, as really it's the agitation that gets the grime off anyway. Detergent helps a little, but you can actually wash clothes without it and do just fine, aside from maybe heavy stains or odors. If the blankets are waterproof, there's a higher chance of ruining that with pretty much any kind of detergent added.


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Nikwax Rug Wash in Blanket Accessories at Schneider Saddlery

Nikwax Synthetic Rug Proof in Blanket Accessories at Schneider Saddlery

Air dry only if you MUST dry. I take them out of the washer after they've done the cycle and then hang them over a shower door with a towel on the floor. They dry within 24-48 hours depending on humidity. The dryer will ruin the water repellency worse than the washer ever will because of the heat.


----------



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I would ask the laundry owner/manager first before you put a horse blanket in their machines as some won't like it
I am able to wash mine at home and always dry them by hanging them in the mechanicals area of my basement in the winter or outside over a raised pole in good weather - they dry surprisingly quickly. If you have to use a dryer then I'd go for a low heat setting 
Reproof them after washing or use a wash-in re-proofer


----------



## Ale (May 8, 2013)

Thanks for the assistance with the tips my friends. I ended up taking them to the laundry mat and used a hypoallergenic wash because they were extremely dirty from last winter season. I did have to dry them for a very very long time on low/delicates because its gotten so very cold, so very fast that the horses couldn't manage without them. I talked to the laundry mat owner and he allowed me to use his washers and I even offered to clean them out for him; which I ended up doing, although he told me that I did not have to.


----------



## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

I know plenty of people who use laundromats for washing their horsey stuff with no complaints from the owners. Ask before you do, but go elsewhere if they say no. When I was living in a dorm I even used the free dorm washers for all of my horse washing needs :lol:

I've always washed my turnout sheet and blanket on regular wash with regular laundry soap either after the cold season and before putting them in storage, or right before the cold season. I usually just toss them over the fence to dry, mostly because they'll make a heck of a racket in the dryer. Doing this once, maybe twice, a year has never hurt them and if it weren't for my horse ripping a giant hole in one of his blankets I would have had the same ones for the whole 7 years that I've had him.


----------



## Ale (May 8, 2013)

Oh my goodness, they do make a lot of noise in the dries!! It sounds like I was drying four bags of rocks in each dryer lol. Sadly, if I would have air dried them, it would have taken forever in order for them to dry since its been freezing cold outside.


----------



## TheatricalAffair (Jun 15, 2013)

I hope they weren't waterproof because putting them in the dryer will have ruined the waterproofing of the blankets. If you didn't have a choice, then thats ok. I would get them re-waterproofed if I were you.


----------



## Ale (May 8, 2013)

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that before I clicked post on my previous reply. Picking up some waterproofer this weekend to re-do them.


----------

