Top Tips How to Clean Your Horse Grooming Brushes

Remember the steps to clean natural bristle brushes will be slightly different from synthetic bristles.

5 Easy Steps to Cleaning Your Horse Grooming Brushes

1. You will need
   • A bucket
   • Mild soap or horse shampoo
   • A scrub brush
   • Towel
   • Horse Safe Disinfectant (optional)
2. Start by removing as much loose hair and dirt from the grooming brushes. Your fingers or a curry comb works well.
   For synthetic brushes you can tap them on a hard surface to dislodge any dirt and debris.
   For grooming brushes with natural bristles Take EXTRA CARE and be gentle with natural bristle brushes so you don’t damage them.
3. Rinse brushes
   Give your brush a quick rinse, then prepare your bucket with a small amount of horse safe disinfectant or horse shampoo.
   For synthetic brushes: Use warm water to soak your synthetic brushes to remove the oils and dirt. You can run your fingers through the bristles to make sure you are getting all the dirt out. Soak synthetic brushes for around 15 minutes. Use a scrubbing brush to clean between the bristles, this helps remove any stubborn dirt.
   For natural bristles: DO NOT soak wooden backed or natural bristle brushes!!
   Take the horse shampoo and gently rub into the bristles use your fingers to dislodge the dirt, remember we don’t want to get the wooden backs too wet.
4. Thoroughly rinse grooming brushes: Make sure to rinse the bristles under running water to remove all the soap residue. Rinse them thoroughly to prevent any skin irritation when using them to groom your horse.
5. Drying your grooming brushes:
   Now shake off all the excess water and lay them on a clean towel, natural bristles can go on their side or stand them on their bristles to keep the water off the wooden backs.
   Allow them to air dry, do not put them in direct sunlight as this can cause the natural bristles to become brittle and snap over time. Once they are completely dry, they can go back into your grooming kit.

To help prevent the growth of mold keep your grooming kit in a clean, dry place in your tack room. Its also a good idea to give your grooming bag a regular clean out. No point in putting lovely clean brushes back into a dirty grooming bag!

Buy A New Grooming Kit bag

How often should you clean your grooming brushes?

it's good practice to give your grooming brushes a quick clean once a week. Check the condition of your grooming brushes and replace any that are damaged, or the bristles have worn out.

Summing Up

A clean grooming kit is an essential part of your horse care routine, for a happy, healthy horse. It's important you take the time to clean your brushes on a regular basis. To keep your brushes looking and working their best, just follow our tips and advice.