How do you wash your dark cloth?

[Wally]

I've got a Harrison dark cloth: shiny metallic-like waterproof-looking ripstop on one side, black cotton on the other.
It's begun to smell a bit musty since I switched to using a black jacket for my studio camera last year, and I want to put it to use again, on my field camera.
What's the right way to wash one of these without damaging it? If I use bleach I'm afraid of bleaching the inside black to some shade of gray.

[Vaughn]

I'd give the maker a call or email and ask them...

http://www.cameraessentials.com/index.html

Vaughn

[Turner Reich]

...and what about washing the Calumet dark cloths, as with many they have lead weights in the corners.

[Walter Calahan]

I don't.

[Alan Rabe]

I throw my Zone VI in the wash. It also has lead weights. But Lead don't rust. It just bangs around in the dryer.

[Toyon]

I throw my Zone VI in the wash. It also has lead weights. But Lead don't rust. It just bangs around in the dryer.

Doesn't be too sure that it is lead.

[Bruce Watson]

I throw my Zone VI in the wash. It also has lead weights. But Lead don't rust. It just bangs around in the dryer.

It is highly unlikely your weights are lead. Why? Costs too much. Buying and working with lead in the workplace comes with a host of environmental regulations, OSHA workplace safety regulations, and all the requisite accounting procedures. If you gotta have it, you gotta have it, like in the manufacture of batteries.

Corner weights don't have to be lead, and therefore almost certainly are not lead. Probably some cheap steel they got a deal on. Easy to work, safe, hardly any regulations, cheap to buy.

Your corner weights may or may not rust. If the dark cloth manufacturer got a deal on some stainless scrap, you might be in luck. They also might have coated the weights in something like the vinyl on tool handles -- to keep them quiet and less prone to break things like a ground glass when they get whipped around in the wind.

Now I've thought way more about the weights in dark cloths than is probably wise or healthy. ;-)

[D. Bryant]

I don't.

Ditto. Use a wet wipe to freshen the cloth.

[Alan Rabe]

What ever they are I've had it for 20 years and washed it a few times and there is no sign of rust coming thru. I know a lot of people like the light weight cloths but I prefer my thick heavy ZONE VI. It makes great padding to wrap the camera in. Can be used as a wind break and on occasion I have even used it for a wrap to keep me warm.

[Drew Wiley]

My darkcloths are made of heavyweight black Goretex. Just hose it off and it drys
quickly. Also breathable yet waterproof. What more could you want? Then I added a few brass grommets and a strip of velcro. The only problem is, that I don't know if Goretex is still made in black. I certainly can't find any more. I'd never use linty cotton. But you can get ripstock nylon which is white one on side, black on the other.