Caring for your Whippet's Wardrobe

This time of year here in the UK we have to deal with a lot of rain and MUD - even a short walk will leave you and your whippet caked in mud and suitably soggy. Washing your dog's coat or jumper every single day isn’t best practice, not only for the longevity of the item but it’s not practical when you will return from the next day’s walk filthy all over again.

So, here are a few tips about caring for your whippets wardrobe that I have gained along the way with two mucky pups!

Fleece Items

Our fleece jumpers are the most used items in our household and I’m sure it’s the same for you as they’re so versatile. When your fleece jumper or blanket arrives, it feels so plush and soft and to maintain that softness as much as the fabric allows there are a few things that you can do:

With minimal mud splatters wait until it’s dry and then use a firm brush to brush away the dirt and debris.
Spot clean with a cloth and warm soapy water.
Wash on a 30ºC or lower with a mild non bio detergent and a slow spin speed, we use a Wool Cycle. Washing at high temperatures will cause the fleece to go flat and loose that softness.
Avoid fabric softener, it can be more of an irritant as they are usually highly scented.
Fleeces can be tumble dried on a really low setting but they air dry quickly.

Top Tip – if your whippet has coated the jumper in really smelly stuff, a soak and gentle scrub before the machine wash in your non bio detergent will get it clean for the next walk.

T-shirts

For lounging around at home or chilly spring mornings we love a t-shirt and our beautiful soft organic cotton is easy to care for. Simply wash with a gentle non bio detergent on a 30 degree wash or less and you can either tumble dry on a low setting or air dry. If there are stubborn splash stains on the underneath a soak and gentle scrub in some warm water and non bio liquid usually gets the worst of it out before the machine wash.

Washable Coats

Our washable styles are: Be Seen Hi Vis, Canterbury, Dorset, Norwich, Yorkshire, Hoxton, Shoreditch and Richmond. Treat these coats the same way as our fleece jumpers in terms of care, the key product being a non bio detergent. The Shoreditch and the Hoxton are made from beautifully soft moleskin which is washable and you can even tumble dry it but I don’t advise this coat if you have a serious roller as the way the fabric is woven makes it harder for dirt and stains to come out and it might get stubbornly creased if washed too often.

Wax Coats

Our wax styles are: Wiltshire, Norfolk, and Cumbria. Wax cotton is a beautiful, practical, long lasting fabric but it’s not one for those of us with hounds who like to roll in the smelliest of substances as they are not suitable for washing. A wax coat is perfect for city whippets and oldies who like to plod nicely next to you and caring for wax is actually pretty easy;

To remove any mud simply brush clean when dry and then wipe down with a damp cloth.
To maintain the waterproof nature of the wax cotton it’s best to re-wax your coat every few months depending on how much use it gets, with a re-waxing product and a little elbow grease!

This video shows you how to re-wax your dogs wax jacket:

Whip-It-Away Macs

Styles include: Carlisle, Chester, Chester Light and Cardiff. These coats absolutely changed our lives and our business! Whippets are not lovers of the rain but inevitably at some point you will be caught out by a shower. Most walks it’s wise to be ready for all that the British weather can throw at us! Having a coat that is easy to fold up and fit in your bag to keep your whippet dry is vital. To care for your wondrous whip-it-away coats you need to do the following;

Always wash on a 30ºC or less using a non bio detergent otherwise the coat will lose its waterproof nature.
Air dry and fold back into its travel bag for your next adventure.
A brush is a great tool in the longevity of these coats – when dirt is dry your can brush off the mud meaning you don’t have to wash so often, this will keep the coat looking good for longer. You can also spot clean these coats.

If you have the Chester Mac with the fleece panel underneath brushing off any mud will help go longer between washes.

A brush is a great tool in the longevity of these coats – when dirt is dry your can brush off the mud

Non Washable Wool Coats

Styles are: Lincoln, Winchester and York – much like our wax coats these wool coats are something I only recommend for city trotters and senior plodders they are not suitable for adventurous country hounds due to them not being washable. However, wool is a fantastic and versatile fabric as its naturally antimicrobial and is a lot hardier than it looks.

Let the mud dry and then it can be brushed off – the top or lining.
You can spot clean if you need to with a damp cloth and a little detergent.
To avoid having to clean, wear on dry cold days!

Washable Wool Coats

Styles are: Mycroft and Sherlock – these two coats are washable if you follow the instructions above for the Whip-it-Away macs. A higher temperature than 30ºC will likely shrink your coat and that is never a good look!

Leather Collars

Our leather collars are made of beautiful supple nubuck leather which is suitable for even the most sensitive whippet necks. I have been known to do an emergency wash in cold streams or warm soapy water when there has been a roll to end all rolls in something stinky, this action has a drying effect so, to keep your collar as soft as the day it arrived while protecting the leather I suggest:

Once you receive your collar treat it with a leather balsam to protect it as much as possible, think of it as a new handbag or a new pair of suede shoes.
If you have a whippet that just can’t resist a roll in the stinky stuff wipe clean with a soapy warm cloth until clean, dry naturally then re apply the leather balsam.
Saddle soap is also highly recommended for the longevity of your collar. The colour will darken in time and with each treatment but it is so worth doing.

Why non bio? Well, it’s gentler, it doesn’t contain enzymes that can be an irritant and are generally harsh on clothing. Even the most stubborn mud stains can be dealt with by using a stiff brush – I have a vegetable brush just for this job and even when I felt defeated by mud on George's yellow fleece, it came out with a good brush and wash.

And remember, we want you to get the most from every item you purchase from us; quality clothing is an investment for you, your dog and the planet.

Debbie x