Cleaning Grooming Supplies...

Hey guys. I was just wondering if any of you clean your grooming supplies and if so, how often?

I brought all of my horse stuff home (with the exception of my saddle which is STILL at the custom saddlery dude) in anticipation of changing barns, so I decided to clean up my grooming bag and brushes etc.

So, how often do any of you clean your stuff? What do you use to clean your brushes and picks etc?

On a side note, I just put my grooming tote in the washer... NOT A GOOD IDEA lol

I clean most of the grooming supplies once a month at least, it depends how muddy it's been & stuff. :) For most of the brushes I just use soap & warm water, they come pretty clean!

I clean my grooming things 3 or 4 times a year. Usually as the seasons change. All my brushes and combs get put in the bath tub in very hot water with Mr. Clean. They soak for at least an hour. Then I rinse them out really well with warm water and make sure all the hair and dirt are out of them. I then lay them out on the floor, bristles down, on a towel near a heat vent. I then take my grooming box and rinse it out with hot water, wash with soap and water and rinse again.

This works really well for me. Some of my brushes I have had for 16 years now and they still work great. Just make sure you keep the brushes in a place that is warm and not damp until completely dry. If not then they will get a bit mouldy.

Every horse should have a separate grooming box. Supplies should then be cleaned when used on a different horse. That way skin diseases and such aren't as easily spread.

I clean mine several times a year. More frequently before a show, when it was a particularly muddy day (like mentioned) or when used on a different horse.

A small amount of bleach is good to sterilize grooming supplies, but should be carefully monitored so that it can't irritate your horse's skin. Otherwise, use a mild soap or shampoo for touch ups.

Make sure to use a metal curry-comb on your brush bristles before washing to remove excess hair and dirt. Make sure you get all the soap off.

To dry, put them in the sun. The sun will kill any bacteria if there was any left.

I clean my brushes, hoof picks, etc every 1-2 months. Usually I just fill a big bucket with warm water and a squirt of dishsoap and let the brushes soak overnight. In the morning I rinse them out and then I let them dry in the sun (if it's out) during the day or until they're dry.

Didn't know you were changing barns! Man I'm out of the loop!

I'm the worst when it comes to cleaning supplies. I usually clean my stuff about2-3 times a year. All I do is throw everything in the washrack and let the stuff soak in hot soapy water for a couple of hours. I hose them down hard with the pressure hose then I repeat the socking one more time.

Let air dry.

Changing barns have been in the works now for at least a month. I though I had a pretty good place nailed down, but now I haven't been able to get a call back from the owner, so we'll see. There are a couple of other barns near me that I have to get out to and take a look.

I cleaned all of my stuff yesterday, I enlisted the help of my little man, he enjoyed cleaning up my helmet. Thanks all for the tips, I am STILL waiting for my tote to dry ahahahah... I've also added a first aide kit and some towels into my grooming tote, so yay!

I normaly use brush therapy from smartpak but some times I use dish dish soap.

Well hopefully you can find a good barn to go to my dear :)

I have also read on here of some people to use bleach for their brushes. Not something I would ever consider doing. Can't imagine how much it would damage your gear and the smell, yuck

When they are looking in need of a wash, I just throw them in the washer (preferably with a numnah or something squishy) and then leave them by my radiator to dry I used to wash them in warm water but it took too much effort. Oh and don't put any washing powder in the washer ;)