need advice on re-waterproofing a turnout sheet

[Drive NJ]

This wsa a good quality sheet but 5 years of wear and washing have had an effect and its no longer waterproof

I have a bottle of Nikwax - is this something I can use to re-waterproof?
Anyone who has done so have any tips?

Im not sure I want to put either the sheet OR the nikwax in my new front load washer - - - can I just do this in a large tub?

THANKS

[Percheron X]

My barn management experience with boarders re-waterproofing their sheets (using various stuff) has always resulted in my not trusting the sheet for turn out in wet weather. Typically the re-waterproofing lasts a couple of weeks, so the boarder goes out and checks the horse in wet weather, puts a hand under it, finds that the horse is dry underneath, and declares the re-waterproofing a success.

But I still don't trust the sheet, because they never hold up in my experience. So I end up having to watch that horse like a hawk in the rain or snow, until inevitably one day the horse is standing in the pasture looking cold, and I go out there to find a very wet horse that I need to bring in, put on a cooler, warm up, and dry off.

I go back to the boarder and say, your horses sheet doesn't keep him dry, you need to buy him a new one so I can turn him out all day without having to worry about him getting soaked.

The moral of the story is if you need to be sure your horse will stay dry, buy a new sheet.

Note that the original water proofing of cordura fabric is a plastic like, coating on the inside of the cloth. When the water proofing goes, it's because the plastic coating is cracking and crumbling. I don't think it's a realistic prospect to restore that coating to its original factory condition....

[BeastieSlave]

I use Nikwax (Reproof?) on a couple of my sheets that were starting to become less wp. By that, I mean that the beastie would get wet patches after prolonged rain. I think it helped, but the shhets aren't "like new". Usually I use Nikwax on all the turnouts every other year or so just to because it seems like I should and the ones that got the extra treatment were pretty old....

Lots of folks on here have raved about using Thompson's Waterseal. I tried that on an old style Weatherbeeta sheet last year. It didn't help at all.


The moral of the story is if you need to be sure your horse will stay dry, buy a new sheet.
I agree with this totally! There's no harm in trying to get a bit more out of a turnout, but in my experience, once they start to go - they're never as good as they were.

[ryansgirl]

I've never had any luck w/ re-waterproofing a turnout sheet/blanket either. I just end up buying new ones every couple of years and then use the other ones for non-wet days or for layering. :)

[Buffyblue]

I always take my blankets (Rambos) to Whitey on Zion Road for cleaning and repairs. If they need rewaterproofing, he does it.

[sid]

Actually, I was just investigating this. Go to www.mcnett.com (http://www.mcnett.com), go to "Gear Repair", then to "re-weatherproofing". You'll find a product called" ReviveX" that is used to restore Gore-Tex and other weatherproof outerwear/equipment that lose their shield with wear -- but need to be able to "breath" when re-treated...like horse blankets do.

Anyway, looks easy to use as well. It actually prints full instructions/explanation. You can search stores which carry it. REI and other outfitters do.

[EventerAJ]

Agree with PerchX. Once a blanket has lost its original waterproofness, I've never seen it successfully restored. I've known people to use aerosol cans of Camp Dry, gallons of Thompson's WaterSeal, and other topical applicants. *MAYBE* the horse will stay dry in a gentle shower, but any kind of prolonged rain and the horse is soaked.


That's not to say I go out and buy new blankets every 2-3 years. I take mine to be professionally cleaned and my 1999 Rambo Wug is still 100% waterproof in any weather. I know other Rambos 10 years old and still trustworthy. Buy the quality blankets, take care of them, and you will get what you pay for.


I don't know what the pro cleaners do (or *don't* do) to blankets, but mine always seem to last much longer than people who wash theirs at home. I know one boarder who washed all their Rambos in the home machine (following Rambo instructions with Rambo Wash) and none of their 4 blankets/sheets were waterproof after that. Every instance of "home cleaning" I've known has resulted in despair... enough to scare me into paying $15/year per blanket for the pros to clean it for me. :D

[andylover]

Well after having stocked up on my water proofers and having 15 blankets to do, am most dismayed :( .. may just move to Phoenix for the winter..

[sublimequine]

Well I guess I've been lucky, I've been successfully re-waterproofing sheets for awhile. Then again, none of my blankets last more than 4 or 5 years before I have to get a new one anyways. But I redo the waterproofing every year, and maresie stays bone dry. :)

I use the waterproofing spray at Walmart, in the camping section.

[Percheron X]

Actually, I was just investigating this. Go to www.mcnett.com (http://www.mcnett.com), go to "Gear Repair", then to "re-weatherproofing". You'll find a product called" ReviveX" that is used to restore Gore-Tex and other weatherproof outerwear/equipment that lose their shield with wear -- but need to be able to "breath" when re-treated...like horse blankets do.

Anyway, looks easy to use as well. It actually prints full instructions/explanation. You can search stores which carry it. REI and other outfitters do.

In the description it says "Though rain isn’t leaking all the way through the garment, it may feel and look like it is.". This seems to indicate that it only prevents the fabric from getting soaked on the surface.

We have some older blankets that get soaked on the outside, but are still water proof in that the horse does not get wet at all. That is because the waterproof coating is a flexible plastic like coating on the inside of the fabric.

If you have a sheet with a mesh liner (or no liner), you can see the coating on the inside of the cloth, it's looks kind of shiny, and rubbery. When they start to leak, that coating turns white, gets cracks, and starts to flake off.

This product looks like the same sort of water proofers that I have seen used. I have not known any to last for more than a few weeks.

"How ReviveX® Works

All rainwear is factory treated on the outside with a special water repellent spray called DWR (Durable Water Repellent”). Over time that treatment wears off causing outer fabrics to “wet out.” Though rain isn’t leaking all the way through the garment, it may feel and look like it is. This is beacuase “wet out” reduces breathability and creates excess interior condensation making you damp and cold. ReviveX® water repellents are unique because they bond to both the fabric and any remaining factory DWR creating the most durable water repellent finish available."

[Percheron X]

Well I guess I've been lucky, I've been successfully re-waterproofing sheets for awhile. Then again, none of my blankets last more than 4 or 5 years before I have to get a new one anyways. But I redo the waterproofing every year, and maresie stays bone dry. :)

I use the waterproofing spray at Walmart, in the camping section.

Were your blankets truly leaking and getting your horses soaked before you treated them? Or were they just getting soaked on the surface as implied in the description of ReviveX® from the website link from sids post?

[GrayCatFarm]

I went to Fin and Feather, to the section for waterproofing human clothing. They sell a really good product in two parts. The first is the "detergent" and it is critical to get ride of any standard laundry soap - that kills the waterproofing. Then, after the blanket is clean, I pour half a bottle of the second product - the waterproofing - into the front loader for another complete cycle - it doesn't wash out. Then, you activate the product by throwing the blanket in the dryer for at least 30 min. It has kept its waterproofing for two years and in the last torrential rain my horse was the only one of 12 that did not have to be stripped and dryed. I think the name is Grangers, but I can't be sure. If your interested, PM me and I'll call the store here. I swear by it, and it certainly beat buying a new blanket. And I do it all at the local laudramat. Another benefit - the blanket resists mud and grass stains better!

[sublimequine]

Were your blankets truly leaking and getting your horses soaked before you treated them? Or were they just getting soaked on the surface as implied in the description of ReviveX® from the website link from sids post?

Didn't click the link so I don't know what you're talking about, but I guess my trick has been I rewaterproof them every year whether they need them or not. I think if you wait until the blanket/sheet is totally soaking through, it's too late to rewaterproof.

[BeastieSlave]

Yup! I think that's the trick. I start with the best turnouts I can afford and do all I can to maintain them.

My herd is mostly in Rhino, Triple Crown, and Baker turnouts. There are also a few Rider's that I didn't buy but think they are a good value (the Weatherbeeta came with a lease horse - he has a Rhino now ;)). As I said before, I reproof every other year or so and I have Rhinos that are going strong heading into their eleventh year. I wash my horse clothing myself, though I did use the regular people laundry that washed equine clothes in the past. Initially, I used regular detergent, for the past several years I've been using Ivory soap.

I expect a turnout not to leave wet spots on the horse's back. I haven't had any experience with mine 'sweating' and honestly, I don't think I would find that acceptable...

[Percheron X]

I think this answers the question pretty well.....

From the weatherbeeta web site:

http://www.weatherbeeta.com/USA/FAQ/faq.asp#Q5

"Do I need to re-proof my Turnout Rug/Blanket?

Your WeatherBeeta Rug/Blanket may benefit from reproofing every so often. The age of your Rug/Blanket will dictate how regularly you need to do this. If the water no longer ‘beads off’ the Rug/Blanket, this may suggest that it needs reproofing. It must be remembered however, that although re-proofing will help keep your Rug/Blanket waterproof, it isn’t a permanent waterproof coating."

I've never re-proofed a blanket.... but for the purpose of maintaining the the ability of a blanket to "bead off", it does seem to make sense.

I typically hang wet blankets to dry, but if I keep the surface waterproofed, they should dry out a lot faster.

I'll need to look into this....

But as far as some kind of treatment making a blanket "permanently waterproof again", I don't think that's really posable, and that has been my experience when people have tried....

[sublimequine]

I think this answers the question pretty well.....

From the weatherbeeta web site:

http://www.weatherbeeta.com/USA/FAQ/faq.asp#Q5

"Do I need to re-proof my Turnout Rug/Blanket?

Your WeatherBeeta Rug/Blanket may benefit from reproofing every so often. The age of your Rug/Blanket will dictate how regularly you need to do this. If the water no longer ‘beads off’ the Rug/Blanket, this may suggest that it needs reproofing. It must be remembered however, that although re-proofing will help keep your Rug/Blanket waterproof, it isn’t a permanent waterproof coating."

I've never re-proofed a blanket.... but for the purpose of maintaining the the ability of a blanket to "bead off", it does seem to make sense.

I typically hang wet blankets to dry, but if I keep the surface waterproofed, they should dry out a lot faster.

I'll need to look into this....

But as far as some kind of treatment making a blanket "permanently waterproof again", I don't think that's really posable, and that has been my experience when people have tried....

I NEVER have to let my blankets dry, unless my mare has literally rolled in a massive amount of really thick, sopping mud. I just take the sheet/blanket off, shake it vigorously, and all the droplets of water just fly off. Put it back on, it's bone dry.

When it's encased in goopy mud.. well that's another story. Darn mare! :lol:

[JanWeber]

I used Nikwax blanket wash on my older Rambos and followed it up with their "throw in the washing machine" waterproofing product. Did it on a blanket that hasn't been truly waterproof in years, but it seems like it's doing the job now. One of the secrets to washing your own blankets is to rinse thoroughly, as in a separate cycle of just rinse. For what it's worth, check out your commercial blanket cleaner to make sure they don't powerwash your blankets - that blasts the waterproofing right off and invalidates the warranty in most cases.

[Go Fish]

I have Horse in Black and SympTex (SP?) blankets that are GorTex. Unfortunately, they are out of business. GorTex blankets are permanently waterproof because the chemicals are fused with heat to the fabric. Doesn't matter how often you wash them, they will never, ever leak. I have several of these blankets that are well over 10 years old, been washed numerous times, and still stay dry as a bone.

I'm wondering if any other blanket manufacturer is working with GorTex? I imagine it's difficult because the blankets are pretty expensive. I stocked up on HIB blankets a couple of years ago when I heard they were kaput, but I hope I won't be stuck with the current suppliers of T/O blankets. I think they are all crap. Pay $300 for a blanket that stays waterproof for 1-2 years...YIKES! :eek:

[sid]

If you read the ReviveX and outfitters description of it this product IS the DNR restorer.

This product is used for extreme sports/outerwear...expensive protective clothing. Those folks don't just throw out and rebuy either.

Human, extreme sports protective gear wear and lose their "seal" with wear just like horse blankets.

BTW, they have two products. One for "washing" when the protection is needed in and out, then another for "hard shell" covering.

If it works excellently for a 150 lb. hairless human to rehab their outwear to live in on Mt. Everest for weeks, I suspect it is excellent for a 1,500 lb. hairy horse for 12 hrs. on a cold night in the lower 48...;)

[Percheron X]

Interesting....

http://www.blanketnet.com/fabricfacts.html

"There are primarily two state-of-the-art methods to waterproofing fabrics:

1. Coat the underside of the outer fabric with Polyurethane or

2. Laminate a high-tech film to the underside of the outer fabric.

Polyeurethane coating is a matter of thickness. The more thick, the more waterproof..but less breathable. The less thick, the less waterproof..but more breathable. Quite simple, except for "how waterproof?" "How breathable?" should we produce. The good news is that it is a lot less expensive than films, but the bad news is that coated fabrics typically lose much of their waterproof/breathable features after prolonged use and washing (based on both customer reports and laboratory tests)."

[StellaTMK]

I use a product by Sno-Seal "Silicone Waterguard" It comes in a TINY 4oz bottle with a little sponge applicator. It is a little (total understatement) time consuming when using it on a 81" blanket, but it works great! I don't know if they make it anymore, I used to get it at K-Mart in the camping section, but at one point they had them on "clearance" and my fear was that they were not going to be carrying them anymore so I ran around and bought about 2 dozen. I had some REALLY old Rambo's that I would waterproof every 2 years and my gelding was completely dry even after a soaking rain or snowstorm. I sold those blankets and after 3 years they were still holding their waterproofing for the next owner. And when I found this stuff it was a last ditch effort to try to waterproof the blankets that were just soaking through at the slightest rain, and I had tried most everything else (sprays & wash-ins).

It is time consuming, as the applicator is small and it takes about a bottle and a half per blanket, and you have to be in well ventilated area, but if you can find it it is totally worth the time and effort!

Here it is http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___12301 I told you it was tiny and you now think Im crazy, but if you are at your wits end and tried everything else, I say go for it. It's cheap!