just found out my light turnout rugs from last year to keep my horses protected from the wind and rain as they live out all year but they are kinda stinky as theyv been storred in the yards shed, the writing on the tag has wore away so i cant see what it says about washing them?they are amigo light turnouts.do you wash yours in any particular way? and what do you use to wash them in?
usually we send our rugs to special rug n carpet washing places, and i think it's really difficult to wash them by yourself , so find a good place and send it .
I get them professionally cleaned; they do an amazing job and it's not that much money. Maybe talk to your feed store and ask if they know anybody who does it?
Professional cleaning for turnout rugs is something like ?12 a go ( but they often run special offers so it's worth checking it out) locally I can get them washed, repaired and reproofed at the same time. Washing them at home involves bins, scrubbing brushes and a really long time to dry - not something I'd recommend, the money you'd save by doing it yourself really isn't worth the hassle involved. The stable rugs, coolers etc all go into my washing machine.
They should be washed regularly to help keep your horse's coat clean and healthy. This is every rug - indoor, outdoor, fleeces, sheets etc. The easiest way to clean it yourself is to get a big tub (a bath will do!) and fill it with hot water and soap flakes (get something suitable for washing baby clothes in and make sure it is non bio) - I use something called Granny's Soap Flakes, get them in Tesco :). Put the rug in the water with the soap flakes and use a brush or a stick or something to move it round and clean it thoroughly. You might want to leave it to soak for a little while first. If it's really muddy, I suggest hosing it off with the hosepipe first to get the worst off. Then once you've cleaned it as much as you can in the tub, rinse thoroughly and hang out to dry. You may need to wash it more than once if it's very dirty. They will need to be re-proofed at least every other winter or they will not keep your horse dry. To be honest, I find it easier to get my rugs cleaned professionaly. Most places offer a collection/delivery service and it's not expensive - usually about ?12 for a turnout wash and ?10 for a stable. That's not bad when you consider how much time and effort you have to put into washing it yourself! Plus they get them much cleaner!!
My lightweight Amigo rugs fit in my washing mashine. Use a 30C wash and Nikwak rug wash. I then like to add an extra rinse cycle before washing in Nikwax rug proofer on a 30C wash. ( no need to dry between treaments) I hang them over a rotary airer to dry. The specialist wash liquids cost about ?7 per rug whereas local rug cleaners charge ?18 to wash and reproof and you do have to reproof turnout rugs. If the rugs are really filthy I do a prewash with non bio wash liquid and then give an extra rinse cycle.
