Horse Blankets - Tips on Washing and Drying

Horse blankets are great when you need them, but keeping them clean can be a chore. Like little kids, horses tend to get their clothes dirty! Then the challenge is how best to wash and dry them. Melinda Freckleton, DVM (Firestar Farm, Catlett, Virginia) uses blankets on her horses and says it is important to wash them properly and carefully. “You don’t want to take the waterproofing off, or they are useless. I usually send my heavy blankets out to be washed, but wash the lighter ones myself. These can be washed in a regular front-loading washing machine, and then you want to dry them correctly,” she says. The first challenge is to get them washed, since horse blankets may not be the best thing for your washing machine. “I have a big, front-loading washer and wash the sheets and lightweight blankets in it. For the larger blankets and the heavy ones, I send them to a friend who has a business washing horse blankets. She has big, commercial front-loading washers and a large, well-ventilated space for drying them. In many cases it is easiest to hire it out rather than try to do it yourself, as long as it’s someone who does horse blankets and understands what is needed. You don’t want to wash and dry them at a typical laundromat, because this can really stink up a washer,” she says. The laundromat might not want you washing horse blankets, especially if the next person to use the machine has a child that is allergic to horse hair. “Depending on where you live, you might have access to laundromats that do welcome horse people and have certain machines dedicated for washing blankets. If not, your best bet might be to hang the blanket on a fence and use a hose and a scrub brush,” says Freckleton. Heat can damage some of the modern materials and destroy waterproofing, and melt the glue that holds laminated portions together, so it’s not a good idea to put them in a clothes drier. Avoid hot water when washing them, also. “They need to be hung somewhere to dry, where there is enough air flow, so there is no risk for mildew or bacteria multiplying in damp conditions. What I do with my lightweight blankets is throw them over a fence on a sunny day, to let them dry.” The UV light also helps hinder bacteria. “Putting them out on the fence isn’t always possible, however, if its midwinter and the blankets turn into icicles, or if it’s a rainy day. In those situations I try to hang them in a protected place with good air flow, like my front porch, or indoor arena/ring—someplace with a

roof, but lots of air. A tiny shed or your basement might not work, or your tiny 6-stall barn that has a small narrow aisle with no air flow,” says Freckleton. “I almost always hang the blankets inside out, so the part that’s against the horse’s skin gets a lot of UV light and air flow to get thoroughly dry. That’s the side where you don’t want microbes growing. If it’s a heavy blanket you may need to eventually flip it over so the other side can get thoroughly dry as well,” she says. Dry-cleaning is not recommended because most of the newer blankets are Gore-Tex or other technical fabrics that would be damaged by chemicals in the drycleaning process. Gore-Tex is a lightweight, waterproof, breathable fabric invented in 1969 to repel water (and act as a wind-breaker) while allowing water vapor to pass through, designed for all-weather use. “This material, and the next-generation types of fabric used in horse blankets, won’t do well with chemical cleaning,” she explains. On a damp day, it might be helpful to create some air flow with fans or some type of forced air to help dry hanging blankets. “This would work in a compromised space with high humidity,” says Freckleton. “I was at a stable a few months ago that had a really nice set-up for drying blankets. They board a lot of high-end horses and have a lot of blankets to clean. What they did was use an old-style metal gate and hung it flat (like a big rack) from the ceiling, with hooks all over it. This made a great way to hang blankets for drying,” she says.

Dr. Bob Coleman, State Extension Specialist at the University of Kentucky, says the important thing is to read the label that came with the blanket. “When you bought it there should be some instructions for washing and drying. This will tell you what you can or cannot do. If you no longer have that label and are not sure, go online and find the blanket company, and ask them,” says Coleman. When washing or drying a horse blanket in a machine, gather and secure all the straps so the hardware isn’t clunking around, catching on things and possibly tearing the blanket or damaging the inside of the washer or drier. “I don’t recommend washing horse blankets at home unless you have a super heavy-duty machine, especially for the heavier blankets. Some of the quilted blankets are really heavy when wet, and may overload the washer with more weight than what it’s designed for,” says Coleman. “In many localities there are commercial laundromats that do horse blankets and saddle blankets as their business. They have machines that can handle the washing, and the facilities to dry them properly. There are a couple of businesses in this area that not only will wash and dry your blankets but also have a repair service. If there are any tears in the blankets they will sew those up for you,” he says. “Some people might not want to pay $25 for this service, but the results are better than if you’d try to do it yourself. It’s also better to have the commercial people do this for you and not have to replace your washer because you wore it out. This is also better than taking your blankets to the local laundromat and using their heavy-duty machine. No one wants to follow someone who just washed their horse blankets because the machine will still have some horse hair and dirt,” says Coleman. If someone is allergic to horse hair, this would not be a good thing. “Rather than try to wash horse blankets at home, I value my time and efforts and prefer to use a commercial service that does this really well. Having it done correctly will also add to the longevity of your blankets. This is similar to taking our own special clothes to the dry cleaner rather than the laundromat, and let them do it because they are professionals and do a good job. If something goes wrong, they may make it right, and replace it,” he says. When washing heavy western saddle pads, a person might just hang them on the fence and use a power washer or take them to the car wash. “You can hang saddle pads on the mat hooks and wash them downward so you don’t soak them clear through, and just wash the top parts. Then you can lay them over the fence in the sunshine to dry. This could also work with horse blankets. The car wash might take the first layer of mud and manure off, if the horse rolled in the mud,” he says. “Another option might be to lay them out on a driveway on the blacktop and use a pressure washer or spray attachment on the end of a hose that will put some pressure on it. This will clean off external mud and grime. You may not have to worry much about the inside, if your horses are pretty clean when you put their blankets on.” Once you get a blanket washed, a simple way to dry it would be to hang it over a fence, unless it’s snowing or raining outside. If you need to hang it indoors, use a well-ventilated area. “The old style wooden drying racks can work to keep the blanket spread out and open. If you have to dry the blanket in an enclosed area, use a fan to create air movement. If it dries more quickly on the outer side, then turn it over. The main thing is to have the air circulation; it doesn’t have to be warm,” he says. “I don’t use very many horse blankets but we do use a couple with our equestrian team and we use the local blanket-washing service because they do a really good job. They will pick up your blankets and bring them back clean and repaired, and keep your investment going for a lot longer. Supporting a local business is also a good thing, because when you do need them they will be there.”

Horse blankets are great when you need them, but keeping them clean can be a chore. Like little kids, horses tend to get their clothes dirty! Then the challenge is how best to wash and dry them.

Melinda Freckleton, DVM (Firestar Farm, Catlett, Virginia) uses blankets on her horses and says it is important to wash them properly and carefully. “You don’t want to take the waterproofing off, or they are useless. I usually send my heavy blankets out to be washed, but wash the lighter ones myself. These can be washed in a regular front-loading washing machine, and then you want to dry them correctly,” she says.

The first challenge is to get them washed, since horse blankets may not be the best thing for your washing machine. “I have a big, front-loading washer and wash the sheets and lightweight blankets in it. For the larger blankets and the heavy ones, I send them to a friend who has a business washing horse blankets. She has big, commercial front-loading washers and a large, well-ventilated space for drying them. In many cases it is easiest to hire it out rather than try to do it yourself, as long as it’s someone who does horse blankets and understands what is needed. You don’t want to wash and dry them at a typical laundromat, because this can really stink up a washer,” she says.

The laundromat might not want you washing horse blankets, especially if the next person to use the machine has a child that is allergic to horse hair. “Depending on where you live, you might have access to laundromats that do welcome horse people and have certain machines dedicated for washing blankets. If not, your best bet might be to hang the blanket on a fence and use a hose and a scrub brush,” says Freckleton.

Heat can damage some of the modern materials and destroy waterproofing, and melt the glue that holds laminated portions together, so it’s not a good idea to put them in a clothes drier. Avoid hot water when washing them, also. “They need to be hung somewhere to dry, where there is enough air flow, so there is no risk for mildew or bacteria multiplying in damp conditions. What I do with my lightweight blankets is throw them over a fence on a sunny day, to let them dry.” The UV light also helps hinder bacteria.

“Putting them out on the fence isn’t always possible, however, if its midwinter and the blankets turn into icicles, or if it’s a rainy day. In those situations I try to hang them in a protected place with good air flow, like my front porch, or indoor arena/ring—someplace with a

roof, but lots of air. A tiny shed or your basement might not work, or your tiny 6-stall barn that has a small narrow aisle with no air flow,” says Freckleton.

“I almost always hang the blankets inside out, so the part that’s against the horse’s skin gets a lot of UV light and air flow to get thoroughly dry. That’s the side where you don’t want microbes growing. If it’s a heavy blanket you may need to eventually flip it over so the other side can get thoroughly dry as well,” she says.

Dry-cleaning is not recommended because most of the newer blankets are Gore-Tex or other technical fabrics that would be damaged by chemicals in the drycleaning process. Gore-Tex is a lightweight, waterproof, breathable fabric invented in 1969 to repel water (and act as a wind-breaker) while allowing water vapor to pass through, designed for all-weather use. “This material, and the next-generation types of fabric used in horse blankets, won’t do well with chemical cleaning,” she explains.

On a damp day, it might be helpful to create some air flow with fans or some type of forced air to help dry hanging blankets. “This would work in a compromised space with high humidity,” says Freckleton.

“I was at a stable a few months ago that had a really nice set-up for drying blankets. They board a lot of high-end horses and have a lot of blankets to clean. What they did was use an old-style metal gate and hung it flat (like a big rack) from the ceiling, with hooks all over it. This made a great way to hang blankets for drying,” she says.

Dr. Bob Coleman, State Extension Specialist at the University of Kentucky, says the important thing is to read the label that came with the blanket. “When you bought it there should be some instructions for washing and drying. This will tell you what you can or cannot do. If you no longer have that label and are not sure, go online and find the blanket company, and ask them,” says Coleman.

When washing or drying a horse blanket in a machine, gather and secure all the straps so the hardware isn’t clunking around, catching on things and possibly tearing the blanket or damaging the inside of the washer or drier. “I don’t recommend washing horse blankets at home unless you have a super heavy-duty machine, especially for the heavier blankets. Some of the quilted blankets are really heavy when wet, and may overload the washer with more weight than what it’s designed for,” says Coleman.

“In many localities there are commercial laundromats that do horse blankets and saddle blankets as their business. They have machines that can handle the washing, and the facilities to dry them properly. There are a couple of businesses in this area that not only will wash and dry your blankets but also have a repair service. If there are any tears in the blankets they will sew those up for you,” he says.

“Some people might not want to pay $25 for this service, but the results are better than if you’d try to do it yourself. It’s also better to have the commercial people do this for you and not have to replace your washer because you wore it out. This is also better than taking your blankets to the local laundromat and using their heavy-duty machine. No one wants to follow someone who just washed their horse blankets because the machine will still have some horse hair and dirt,” says Coleman. If someone is allergic to horse hair, this would not be a good thing.

“Rather than try to wash horse blankets at home, I value my time and efforts and prefer to use a commercial service that does this really well. Having it done correctly will also add to the longevity of your blankets. This is similar to taking our own special clothes to the dry cleaner rather than the laundromat, and let them do it because they are professionals and do a good job. If something goes wrong, they may make it right, and replace it,” he says.

When washing heavy western saddle pads, a person might just hang them on the fence and use a power washer or take them to the car wash. “You can hang saddle pads on the mat hooks and wash them downward so you don’t soak them clear through, and just wash the top parts. Then you can lay them over the

fence in the sunshine to dry. This could also work with horse blankets. The car wash might take the first layer of mud and manure off, if the horse rolled in the mud,” he says.

“Another option might be to lay them out on a driveway on the blacktop and use a pressure washer or spray attachment on the end of a hose that will put some pressure on it. This will clean off external mud and grime. You may not have to worry much about the inside, if your horses are pretty clean when you put their blankets on.”

Once you get a blanket washed, a simple way to dry it would be to hang it over a fence, unless it’s snowing or raining outside. If you need to hang it indoors, use a well-ventilated area. “The old style wooden drying racks can work to keep the blanket spread out and open. If you have to dry the blanket in an enclosed area, use a fan to create air movement. If it dries more quickly on the outer side, then turn it over. The main thing is to have the air circulation; it doesn’t have to be warm,” he says.

“I don’t use very many horse blankets but we do use a couple with our equestrian team and we use the local blanket-washing service because they do a really good job. They will pick up your blankets and bring them back clean and repaired, and keep your investment going for a lot longer. Supporting a local business is also a good thing, because when you do need them they will be there.”