Hmmm... did not think this through....

[*Sez*]

I decided to be all pro-active today and had a tidy up in my tack room. Salsa's stable rug has been draped over my rug rack (and covered in hay) for about a week now, since he's warm enough to wear his fleece at night. So I took it down, shook it up, folded it neatly and crammed it back into it's carry bag :rolleyes: . Then I started thinking "if I put this away somewhere out of the way, I won't remember it's filthy until next winter when I need it", and decided to bring it home for a wash. My rugs generally fit in my washing machine, but as this one didn't I checked on the Weatherbeeta website for how to hand wash it. I figured I might as well do it myself, since the local rug cleaning places (including dry cleaning shops) charge at least £8 a rug and I have five that will soon need cleaning and three to reproof.

An hour or so later, I had the rug in a bath of warm water, handwashing soap all nicely dissolved, and all the dirt coming out really easily. Great, I think, I might wash all the rugs myself. Once it was thoroughly soaped, and clean looking, I drained the bath, gave it a quick rinse and refilled with some fresh water. I hadn't realised the time, and had to abandon the rug to soak for a bit while I went to bring in and feed the boys. When I got back from the stables, I took off my socks, got in the bath and waded up and down on the rug, like when I was a kid cleaning the rugs of my favourite RS pony (they used to let us take home tack and rugs to clean if we were keen... maybe people were just more honest in those days and the schools knew they'd get the stuff back?). Followed it with another rinse and now it's all shiny and squeaky clean :D

I'm just not sure how to dry the flipping thing! My intention was to hang it up on several chairs in the dining room, but it's still dripping wet. I can't possibly squish any more, and it's too cold to hang it outside (it'll freeze!). it's that big and heavy that any make shift line over the bath won't take the weight.... Hmmmm... maybe if I put the chairs in the bath it would drip dry over night.... Any ideas?

[c2b]

I did this recently with one of mine. I hand washed it in the bath and rinsed it like you have. I then hung it on the line for a short while, just long enough for gravity to do its stuff and take the worst of the excess water out. Then I brought it in and hung it over two dining chairs back to back until it was dry. Worked ok for me.

[*Sez*]

I've managed to fit two folding chairs in the bath... fingers crossed it will be dry enough to move to the dining room tomorrow night as I can't imagine us going more than two days without a good soak! :D I wish I'd brought it home yesterday, so it could have been washed and rinsed this morning and hung up outside while it was warm-ish today. :rolleyes:

[domane]

I put Cherry's fleece in the machine yesterday.... gave it what I thought was a good shake beforehand... when it came out, my laminated kitchen floor was COVERED with Cherry-hair!!! I swept it up to get my hoover out and my daughter came downstairs and announced "Mum, there's a dead cat in the corner!!!!" :D

[becs]

We put an airer or two in the bath and / or hang them outside / draped over garden furniture (the flatter the rugs is, the better, or all the water pools in one place) weather permitting of course.

When I've put our ponies' rugs through the washing machine, was bemused by the end result - washed CURLY hairs all over it! It made their fur curl, chuckle... Then ages picking the filter out...