I just purchased a used felt pad that’s still got plenty of life in it, however, it is really cruddy on the bottom. How can I clean this without ruining the fibers and messing up the pad? Thanks in advance!
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metal curry any hair off and hose it. Hang over a fence to dry.
do not fold, wring, bend, or otherwise mess up the shape. If you have to use soap, wool cleaner or baby shampoo usually works.
I have a felt pad from the 90’s still going strong.
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Curry comb, or better a block like this https://www.amazon.ca/Shedding-Grooming-Cleaning-Removing-Original/dp/B0C6CVGCTH love mine.
Then a sensitive attack with a pressure washer, never use any soap. Throw on a gate or panel as it sits on a horse, and wait a few days for it to drip dry!
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I had this question a while ago and I found several good youtube videos.
I use the curry comb and rinse method others have suggested, and for me it’s good enough. But, if your pad is still grungy after currying and rinsing, 5 Star makes a saddle pad and tack cleaner. I’ve never used it, so can’t say how well it works, but it should be safe to use on a felt pad.
I’ve had really good luck laying my felt pad on the garage floor and vacuuming it. If the hair and grunge are really packed, curry first.
Used to lay mine flat in a well drained area, like washrack or patio and put a small lawn sprinkler on very low pressure on it then leave it to soak and rinse itself out. Then would stand on it to squish the water out and hang it over a fence for a day or so. Obviously this is weather dependent and, be warned, if it is really bad it smells like the years of sweat coming out of it. Putting it where the sun hits it seems to help neutralize that as well as speed drying.
Not very elegant but it worked and cost nothing but your time. For years I did this every summer, twice if I got a neglected used one.
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If the pad is real cruddy I’ll soak it overnight in a muck bucket to loosen the crud. The next day scrub the crud with whatever tool it takes, rinse the pad then hang to dry. My Diamond wool pad is 20+ years old and still in great shape.
