Soak to Activate: The Key to Deep Cleaning Your Saddle Pads
At 5 Star Equine Products, we believe that keeping your 100% pure wool pad clean is crucial for maintaining optimal performance, comfort, and long-term durability. That’s why our 5 Star Saddle Pad & Tack Cleaner is powered by advanced enzyme and microbial technology that goes far beyond the surface.
Why Soaking Matters
Our cleaner is designed with a dual-action system, providing immediate results from surfactants and enzymes, as well as long-lasting effects from billions of proprietary microbial strains. These microbes are formulated in a spore (seed-like) form that only activate when introduced to water and organic matter – the kind found in sweat, hair, and grime deep in your saddle pad’s natural wool fibers.
Once activated, they immediately penetrate deep inside the fibers and begin complete degradation of residual soils and odor-causing bacteria. This process lasts up to 24 hours, giving you a deeper cleaning that simply cannot be achieved through surface washing or spot cleaning alone. The longer your pad soaks, the better the microbes work.
What Happens During a Soak (and Why It Works)
Our cleaner combines three layers of advanced cleaning technology that fully activate during soaking:
- Surfactants begin the cleaning process immediately, loosening dirt and sweat from the surface and within the wool fibers.
- Enzymes kick in to break down organic residues such as oils, proteins, and sweat.
- Microbial spores, numbering in the billions, activate when soaked and exposed to moisture and organic matter. Like seeds, these microbes awaken in water and begin digesting deep-set grime and odor-causing bacteria embedded in the natural wool fibers.
- Odors are encapsulated, bound, and eliminated—not just masked.
- The cleaner continues to work throughout the 24-hour microbial life cycle, providing long-lasting deodorizing and deep-cleaning action well beyond the initial soak.
Soaking is what allows the surfactants, enzymes, and billions of microbial spores to penetrate deeply and work together effectively. The longer your pad soaks, the deeper and more effective the clean. While 5 Star Saddle Pad & Tack Cleaner still works better than other soaps with spot washing, soaking unlocks the full depth and duration of its cleaning power.
Proper Soaking Instructions
To get the most out of your soak:
- Mix 6–8 oz of 5 Star Saddle Pad & Tack Cleaner per gallon of warm water.
- Fully submerge your saddle pad and let it soak for at least 20–30 minutes.
- For deep grime or odor issues, extend soaking time up to 24 hours.
- Agitate occasionally to help work the solution through the fibers.
- Rinse thoroughly and hang to dry in a ventilated area. (Drying may take up to a few days)
What Makes 5 Star Cleaner Different?
- Superior cleaning with dual surfactants for fiber-safe performance
- Immediate odor control through odor-binding agents
- 24-hour microbial action that continues to work after rinsing
- Biodegradable & eco-safe formula with low suds for easy rinsing
- Safe for users, horses, and the environment
- Effective on all natural wool fibers
Soaking allows all these features to function as intended, especially microbial activity, which needs moisture and time to penetrate deeply.
Beyond Saddle Pads
While soaking is recommended for a deeper cleaning for your 100% pure wool pads, this versatile cleaner works wonders on:
- boots, wraps, blankets, and fly sheets
- Furniture, carpet, vehicle interiors
- Horse trailers, trash bins, and more
Use it to remove: Sweat, manure, ground-in dirt, grass stains, mud, grease, pet accidents, bugs on vehicles, and more!
Bottom Line: Soak It to Clean It
If you’re just spraying and rinsing your pad, you’re only scratching the surface. A proper soak using 6–8 oz of cleaner per gallon of warm water is the only way to let the enzymes and microbes penetrate, activate, and truly clean your gear.
Don’t just wash – SOAK. Let science do the work.
Because clean tack means a healthier horse, a longer-lasting pad, and a better ride.
