How do you wash your dark 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.

[Geert]

Ditto. Use a wet wipe to freshen the cloth.

Another one here.

It keeps unwanted passers-by at a good distance.

G

[Wally]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

I visited their site, got an email through the "contact us" page, and sent off my question. No response back yet.

I'm going to wipe the silvery coated ripstop side with clorox wipes to staunch any mildew, and wait for a response from the maker. Failing a reponse, I'll hand wash.

By the way, the weights seem to be lead (they clunk like lead, and are small for their weight).


// Wally

[Michael Gordon]

I'm told that mine smells like garlic (one fo my staples). Why would I wash off a pleasing aroma?

[John Jarosz]

Ya know, I should start thinking about warshin my dark cloth too.

Think it needs it after 25 years?

john

[Bill_1856]

1/2 cup of TIDE, set to warm wash, cold rinse. Dry on Perm Press. Repeat every 20-40 years.

[Tim Povlick]

One particularly rough critic of my work pee-ed on my dark cloth. Even after washing, being underneath it was like sticking one's head in the cat's litter box. I thought I was going to have to pitch it, until some of the stuff for removing pet odors really did work.

I guess my artistic ability has improved as my cat no longer uses my dark cloth as a litter box but in fact goes bonkers rubbing her face on my backpack after returning from a day of shooting.

_ .. --
TiM

[Shen45]

And tell me girls what do we all use to wash our "smalls"

[cjbroadbent]