# Suede Half Chaps... Cleaning?



## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

Ok, I've got another cleaning dilemma, lol. For everyday riding I have a pair of black suede half chaps. They are kinda beginning to smell like my horse, and I think one of the barn cats has been using them to catnap on , so I think they deserve a cleaning of some kind, lol. What is the best way to clean them without harming the suede, or the elastic and velcro components? I'm not overly concerned about "test spot first" solutions, these are just my cheap, old, barn bummin' half chaps, but they do need to be cleaned, hopefully deodorized, and the elastic still needs to work at the end of the day.
Thanks!!!!


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## dynamite. (Jun 21, 2008)

I've never tried this, but I've heard that many people put them in the washing machine on a gentle cycle for a few minutes, then letting them air dry. If you're not comfortable with that, you could soak them in some water with some detergent, then scrub them with a brush after. Good luck with cleaning them!


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## Jumpers (Jul 1, 2009)

^ Soaking them works quite well.

I've always taken a hard brush and brushed mine down, then soaked them. Just don't use bleach- bad idea on my part.


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## maggiesshowjumping (Jan 3, 2013)

oh! oh! oh! pick me! pick me!
I had a pair of ariat endurance (or whatever they were) chaps... they were my summer run around and sweat and do dirty things chaps... you are gonna kill yourself when you read this- its sooo easy!!!
ready?
*Put them in the washing machine! *
haha it is PERFECTLY fine for the suede- it often comes out looking more suede-ie than it did before and because its going in a washing machine, with laundry detergent, it gets rid of all the nasty smell and greatly reduces the ammount of hair and debris and will take away some of the stains too! once I found out suede is machine washable it made a lot soooo much easier! I have done it a million times and I promise it works. I did it with my light blue ovation halfchaps and my beige ariat halfchaps and even a pair of full chaps....I did it on my half chaps on a regular basis. you may think "how in the world is machine washing not going to do anything to my suede" but it honestly really dosnt. I did it all the time and it kept them in great shape!


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

I have a lovely pair of suede half chaps that got _very_ muddy on an endurance trail. I brushed off the majority of the (now dried) mud before putting them in the bath to soak with a little shampoo. You could probably use a washing liquid suitable for wool as well, but I tend to find shampoo is nicely mild and doesn't destroy the softness of the suede. I then left to airdry slowly for a few days. It's important not to dry them in front of a heat source or in the sun as they'll harden, best dried in the shade where there's a bit of breeze.


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