The Holidays Are Over. It’s Time To Clean Up
Marie Kondo might not be trending anymore, but Heels Down Mag is here to remind you that yeah, you still need to clean up your stuff.
Looking for a kick in the pants to organize that horse trailer after the end of show season? How about finally digging into those old trunks in the tack room that have been collecting dust for ages?
We asked some of the best in the business – the industry’s top grooms and professionals – on how they stay organized. Here are some of top tips and advice.
Wash Your Helmet
Helmet hair is one thing, but think about all the moisture inside your helmet (and liner), building up ride after ride. Just gross. When was the last time you actually cleaned your helmet?
Plenty of helmet brands offer their own line of helmet cleaning products. And if you’ve got a liner, they’re generally removable and washer safe. Payne Equestrian Barn Manager Courtney Carson said she used to run her Charles Owen helmet through the dishwasher back in the day. But helmets with leather pieces may not stand up to that kind of washing, she warned.
To help keep helmets smell-free and clean, she buys odor pods from sporting goods stores meant for sports helmets or even shoes. They kill fungus and knock out the smell. Some of these products come in spray form, too.
“We also hit the helmets with dry shampoo in between cleans,” Courtney said.
She also offered this advice: “Try to keep your helmet stored in an open-air place, like the tack room and not inside a bag, backpack or tack trunk. Even in the trailer, the padding is prone to breaking down because of the high temperature and humidity.”
Organize Your Tack Trunk
Tupperware is king when it comes to keeping all the things organized inside your tack trunk. From the little things – like gloves, a cross-country watch, hair nets, bit keepers and braiding bands – to the items that come in pairs or fours, like boots and wraps. Courtney says having these individual, contained spaces inside the trunk helps ensure nothing gets lost or tarnished right before you need it most.
“Get some in the container section at Walmart or Target,” Courtney says. “It’s my favorite aisle.”
She recommends using the types that press and lock, to ensure they stay sealed.
“You can stack them on top of each other (inside the truck) and label them with Duct tape and Sharpie,” Courtney explains.
Hear more of Courtney’s tack trunk and other organizing tips on Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast episode 75 here.
Deep Clean Your Trailer Storage
The dreaded trailer tack room. If you’re anything like me, then you know your trailer is where you store literally everything that can’t find a home in the actual barn – from extra tack to the overflow of your insane saddle pad collection. It can get out of hand pretty fast. Courtney spends a lot of time on the road, bussing horses to competitions across the country.
Courtney says it’s important to organize the essential stuff that goes with you to every horse show in its own designated spot. Either a trunk or set of drawers can help organize these things, like hooks and bridle racks. They always go back into the same spot after every event.
Courtney also uses Classic Equine travel bags and coordinates items into each bag – cleaned boots go into one bag, dirty laundry goes into another. Scrims and blankets have their own bags. The stuff she knows is clean and can stay in the trailer for the next show will be packed deeper into the trailer – like the gooseneck – for safe keeping.
The stuff that has to come out right away – like dirty saddle pads, wraps, and towels – will be stowed at the front. As soon as she gets home from the show, she removes the dirty laundry and feed buckets to clean and get ready for the next time they’ll be used.
Clean, Store, And Repair Your Blanket Collection
Storing blankets can be a challenge unto itself – they take up so much space! Supergroom Anne-Marie Duarte describes her system for storing and rotating blankets by season:
“My shelves are organized in the order of the seasons so I start with fly sheets and work my way around the room until heavies,” she said. “Duct tape labels on the shelves indicate what type of blankets are stored there and then I use duct tape on any blankets that don’t have bags indicating the size.”
She continued: “Storage wise, if you bought the blanket new and can keep the original blanket bag that’s ideal. That bag will be just the right size for that blanket and is already labeled with the size, style, etc. If you’ve lost the bag or maybe bought the blanket used I suggest label the folded blanket with duct tape indicating the size so it’s easy to grab when you need it. I’ve seen some amazing blanket organizing systems, but mine is very low tech – plastic shelves in a clean, dry room.”
Clean Your Brushes
You’re not going to get a horse clean using dirty brushes. And dirty brushes can spread bacteria from one horse to another. Once you realize how easy cleaning your brushes really is, you’ll have it on your regular cleaning routine in no-time.
Here’s how it’s done: Fill a tall bucket with hot water and mix in dishwashing detergent designed to lift out grease and rinse well (we like Ivory because it’s mild, but any type will do!). If your brushes are synthetic with plastic handles, you can add a splash of bleach to the mix. Since bleach can be drying to natural-bristled brushes with wooden handles, don’t use it to clean wooden brushes unless your horse has a known skin disease or other illness. You can also use liberal amount Listerine® mouthwash and warm water to sanitize brushes. It smells fresh and kills bacteria!
Soak the brushes for several minutes, shaking and stirring the bucket to loosen dirt. Rinse and repeat the process until the water is no longer discolored and you don’t see any suds. Rinsing thoroughly is very important. Spread your clean horse brushes on a towel in a warm location where they can drain and dry thoroughly before returning them to their storage container. Voila! You’re ready to start grooming with fresh, clean brushes.