The Chronicle of the Horse has 2 articles on cleaning your tack. The first posted here is relative non-leather items. The second covers cleaning leather.
Bits: Use bit wipes (flavored) for a quick wipe down after a ride. 1-2 xs a month put bits in a bucket of water with "Bit Therapy Effervscent Cleaner" (it fizzes) and leave in for 8 minutes. A polish paste like "Simichrome Polish" can be used on the rings (use bit wipes on the mouthpiece) and on your irons. Or use "Nevr-Dull", a wadding polish, on metal hardware. White Pads: use Arm & Hammer complete cleaner freshener/whitener powder. Remove the black residue at the bottom of the pad by putting Shout stain remover on the dampened pad and scrubbing with a toothbruch before washing. Suede requires suede specific cleaners that are sprayed on. Also use a brush or a "suede block" (eraser) to remove light grime with circular motions and then brush to restore the nap. Sheepskin: use Leather Thearapy Laundry Solution. Take a quart size Ziploc bag, make a little hole in it, put the leather through and secure the bag with a twist tie to protect the leather; wash the sheepskin by hand being careful not to get the leather wet. Elastic on a breastplate: let elastic portion sit in water, then give it a thorough cleaning later with Woolite. Be careful to avoid getting metal polish on the leather, and clean & condition the leather around the buckles regularly, by taking apart the tack.
Beyond Saddle Soap—Cleaning Non-Leather Equipment The Chronicle of the Horse
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