If you’ve got a horse, especially if it’s on DIY livery, the chances are you’ve got a “horse person’s car”. It could be defined as “quite possibly the dirtiest car you’ve ever sat in” or “a hazard to anyone with hay fever, allergies to pets, dust or – actually – most things”. A fellow horse person probably wouldn’t be quite so harsh, but if they say it’s bad then you know it’s bad. If you’re the owner of one of these cars, you’re in good company – read on and I can offer some help.
I was the not-so-proud owner of one of those cars until I purchased a handheld Shark vacuum (this one is currently on sale at £49.99). When I bought my Golf – after my Fiesta finally gave up on me after many tough years of to-ing and fro-ing to the yard – I had all good intentions of keeping this one clean and suitable for passengers. I even had high hopes of transporting people of the non-horsey variety, such as my mum, who would usually wince if I was the last option of a lift.
Shark Handheld Cordless Pet: -38% Amazon Prime Big Deal
Shark is often tipped as one of the best vacuum brands, and this model boasts powerful suction, a motorised pet tool, a dusting brush and crevice tool, plus washable filter – perfect for a horsey car.
Fortem Boot Organiser: -47% Amazon Prime Big Deal
This collapsible design has a non-slip base, three large compartments and multiple outer pockets.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be. I did make a slight improvement – I no longer transported small bales of unwrapped hay in the boot, and I didn’t squeeze a wheelbarrow onto the backseat this time. But I get it; if you’re transporting horse feed, rugs for washing, muddy wellies, wet riding coats, multiple changes of clothes, it’s a challenge. And then if you have a dog on top, well you’re screwed. When you arrive at your local car wash and the price for a small car is £20, you can be sure that for you it will be a “special price of £45 for this big job”.
However, I’ve learnt that if I can do the occasional mass empty onto the driveway, vacuum out all the dirt, sand and pet hair, then it makes an enormous difference. This might seem obvious, but when you’re faced with a big task it can be hard to 1) know where to start and 2) believe you’ll make it to the end. And trust me, you can get to the stage of offering a non-bio-harzardous lift – imagine that!
If this is you and you’re ready to make the change, now is the perfect time. With Amazon Prime’s Big Deal event today and tomorrow (10–11 October, 2023), there are some great deals to be had. Vacuum cleaners are a big outlay, but if you can find a great deal then you’ll save money on getting your car cleaned and help your car hold its value a little longer, too – it’s a win all round.
What makes a good vacuum cleaner for an equestrian?
I realised what I’d always needed and hadn’t had was a handheld cordless vacuum cleaner. You don’t want to be looking for extension leads and carrying a heavy hoover out to the car – if you’re going to get this job done it needs to be made as easy as possible. If you can park your car close to your house then you have the luxury of choosing between the corded models, too.
Specialised pet models from household names, such as Shark, all have features that go further to clean up when you’ve got pets, which puts them among the best vacuum cleaners for pet hair. If you’ve got a dog who regularly hitches a lift, I’d recommend seeking out a pet-specific model.
Shark Handheld Cordless Pet: -38% Amazon Prime Big Deal
Shark is often tipped as one of the best vacuum brands, and this model boasts powerful suction, a motorised pet tool, a dusting brush and crevice tool, plus washable filter – perfect for a horsey car.
VacLife Handheld For Pet Hair: -22% Amazon Prime Big Deal
With a 4.7/5 rating on Amazon, purchasers have lots of positive comments about this powerful vacuum.
Hoover Cordless Pet: -52% Amazon Prime Big Deal
Massive savings on this vacuum that converts to a handheld device and has pet tools, too.
Shark Stratos Pet Pro: -34% Amazon Prime Big Deal
This powerful vacuum has the Shark Pet Tool as well as Clean Sense IQ, which senses dirt you can’t see and automatically adjusts cleaning power.
Run time is important if you opt for cordless because you don’t want to have to abandon the job before you’re finished, but you won’t need nearly as much run time as you would for a household vacuum – unless you’re looking to double up here. You can either buy a cheaper model, such as the Shark Handheld Pet (currently £49.99 with 38% off) that has a 10-minute run time, and use it just for the car, or you could go for an upright household that you can use for both – the Shark Stratos Pet Pro (currently £329 with 34% off), which will give you 120 mins of power.
VacLife Handheld For Pet Hair: -22% Amazon Prime Big Deal
This handheld options offers a strong 18-minute run time, which beats most competitors.
Shark Handheld Cordless Pet: -38% Amazon Prime Big Deal
Get 10 mins of run time with this handheld option – great for quick jobs, such as the car.
Vax Air Lift Pet: -31% Amazon Prime Big Deal
Don’t worry about run-time with this corded option that is the UK’s lightest lift-out vacuum available.
Special features, including bright lights to help you navigate your way around the footwell, while crevice tools and special sensors will help with the hard-to-reach and tricky-to-see dirt. The VacLife Handheld Cordless is the cheapest deal (at £39.99) I’ve found for a vacuum with a strong light and 20-min run time.
VacLife Handheld Vacuum: -36% Amazon Prime Big Deal
This vacuum features a bright LED light so that you can get under the seats with ease. Or if you know you’ll be cleaning your car at the last-minute the night before you need it.
Bissell Featherweight 2-in-1: -27% Amazon Prime Big Deal
This upright vacuum quickly converts to a handheld for smaller spaces.
Shark Stratos Pet Pro: -34% Amazon Prime Big Deal
This powerful vacuum has Clean Sense IQ technology, which senses dirt you can’t see and automatically adjusts cleaning power.
Extra bits to help with your “horse person’s car”
If you want to go the extra mile, check out these car boot organisers and seat covers to keep things clean for good. Waterproof seat covers are particularly handy if you ever come to sell you car – whip them off and your soft interior will look as good as new.
Drive Auto Products Boot Organiser: -39% Amazon Prime Big Deal
This organiser has optional strap tie-down hooks to stop it sliding around. It has handles, compartments, pockets, reinforcements – and is made of 600D fabric.
Fortem Boot Organiser: -47% Amazon Prime Big Deal
This collapsible design has a non-slip base, three large compartments and multiple outer pockets.
Dog Car Seat Cover: -24% Amazon Prime Big Deal
Made of 600D waterproof fabric, this seat cover comes with an adjustable harness and seat anchor.
How to clean a horse person’s car
- Wait until it’s sunny and dry – these jobs are not fun in the rain.
- Take everything out. Yes, everything, including the seat/door pockets.
- Bin any rubbish and make piles for rehome and return to the car.
- If your ‘return to car’ pile is larger, you must re-sort.
- Use a dustpan and brush to take out any big chunks of dirt you don’t want up your new vacuum.
- Vacuum your car to within an inch of its life using your new vacuum.
- Wipe down the dashboard – it’ll be dusty and hairy.
- Utilise seat covers.
- Put your (very small) ‘return to car’ items back in the car – ideally stored in a boot organiser.
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