13 Laundry hacks to make every equestrian’s life easier

Laundry sucks and there is plenty of it if you are a horse person. Horse slobber and hair on your clothes, filthy horse blankets, sweaty saddle pads, tangled polo wraps, etc.

Simplify your life by using these super handy laundry hacks to save yourself time, money and energy:

1. Vacuum hair off of saddle pads and blankets before washing them. It will keep your washing machine cleaner and do a better job of getting the hair out of your blankets.

2. To get wrinkles out of dry show shirts or polo shirts in a flash, put them back in the dryer with an ice cube or two. This steaming magic is quick, easy and more effective than breaking out an iron. Alternatively, if you don’t have any ice cubes on hand, just throw a damp washcloth in with the clothing that needs to become wrinkle-free.

3. If you are in a hurry to dry freshly washed breeches, shirts, saddle pads, coolers or any other items that can go in the dryer, throw in a DRY towel with the load before you turn the dryer on.

4. Save money and get rid of static by using aluminum foil in place of dryer sheets.

5. If your horse has a colourful wardrobe, add half a cup of vinegar to the wash load to prevent colours from running. Or if you don’t have any vinegar on hand, you can use a teaspoon of salt.

6. Use two hampers and keep whites separate from coloured items.

7. Stay on top of washing saddle pads and wraps by using the “quick-wash” setting on your machine to save time.

8. For the ultimate stain remover for white show clothing, use a mixture of one part Dawn dishwashing liquid mixed with two parts hydrogen peroxide. Use a brush to rub it directly into the stain on dry clothing. Let it sit for an hour. Then launder as usual. Voila, the sweat stain, horse slobber stain, grass stain, etc. will be gone.

9. Follow this must-read guide on how to wash your hats (because riders love hats) without ruining the shape.

10. Use these protective bags to wash polo wraps so they don’t end up in a massive knot-ball.

11. Send your horse’s winter blankets to a professional blanket cleaning service. Regular washing machines are not cut out for the task.

12. Regularly spray your helmet with Charles Owen Helmet Deodorizer so it does not smell like hockey equipment.

13. Clean your washing machine regularly. You can clean a top loading or front loading machine with white vinegar or bleach. Follow the instructions for your specific machine.