Things You'll Need:
- Bleach
- Hot water
- Soap
- Elbow grease
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Step 1
Keeping your horse healthy is a large part of horse ownership or care-taking. One of the simplest methods is to make sure the equipment you use every day is clean of infectious disease. There is no need to buy expensive antibacterial soaps or equipment. Start with bleach, a sponge, and hot water.
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Step 2
For general cleaning, such as buckets, stall walls, trailer walls, floor mats, and other living area items - use a 10% bleach/water solution. Make the water as hot as you can, add the bleach, mix it up well, and either spray, sponge, or splash the items you want to clean. It is best to let the item air dry, and then rinse it. But if you need to, you may rinse it right away.
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Step 3
If you have had a horse with an illness, you will need to make the bleach solution stronger. Use a 25% bleach/water solution, and make sure you wear gloves and other protective gear - like a mask to avoid breathing in the bleach fumes. For really nasty infections, like strangles, you will need to use a 50% solution and let it air dry before you rinse.
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Step 4
Use your natural resources as well. Good hot sun does wonders when combined with bleach water or soap. When sterilizing winter blankets, wash them in the hottest water you can get, then either take them to an industrial strength dryer (make sure they are not wool, as this will shrink them!) or let them dry in the summer sun. Hot sunshine will kill mold, mildew, and many bacteria.
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Step 5
If you feel the need to buy a disinfectant, Lysol is still the brand of choice. Spraying your equipment with Lysol will kill bacteria and viruses, just be aware that it will wreak havoc on anything made of leather.
