InTents October/November 2019 - 40

much stronger chemicals, and if it doesn't
come clean after that, it gets cut down
into a smaller size or gets discarded."
Once clean, linens are folded
and placed on a shelf. While most
rental companies use hangers,
shelves work better for A1 because
the linens get shipped out via UPS
rather than on their own trucks.

DELICATE TENT LINERS

An Elisa Floral print, a blush Paisley
Lace, and a black Glimmer linen of
sequins stitched on taffeta, all available
from A1 Tablecloth Co., have different
laundry and care requirements.
A1 provides both general washing
instructions for its linens and directions
speciﬁc to each type of fabric. Photos
courtesy of A1 Tablecloth Co.

Tent liners, drapes and pole covers
come with their own set of challenges
with regard to stains and laundering.
"Common stains are from insects
homing in liners at long-term installs
at venues or golf tournaments,"
says Christopher Whitlow, owner of
Structure | Liners LLC, a liner manufacturing company based in Acworth, Ga.
"Everything from spider droppings to
mosquitoes laying eggs on the liner."
Rust becomes a problem when fabric
rubs against hardware, and mildew is
another threat. "When liners are installed
at long-term venues over the summer
months in high-humidity locations,
mildew can present problems when
the liner remains in a damp condition,"
Whitlow says. "The same goes for
storage of liners in un-air-conditioned
warehouses. It is recommended that

you store in air-conditioned space
to avoid mildew development."
Tent liners are considered a
delicate fabric, he adds. "Laundering
in a commercial washing machine is
recommended with standard Tide®
laundry soap. Use of stain removers via
commercial injection systems is not
recommended. We always recommend
adding OxiClean with baking soda
and spot treating soiled areas prior
to washing with liquid OxiClean."
Michael Tharpe, national sales
manager for Rainier Industries, Tukwila,
Wash., says that in addition to using a
large-capacity machine for tent liners,
it's important to not overload the
machine. Rainier Industries is the U.S.
distributor of Baytex Tent Liners.
"Use a small amount of laundry
detergent that does not contain chlorine
or bleach," Tharpe says. "Chlorine will
cause the Velcro® and vinyl hub(s) to
yellow. Excess detergent that does not
rinse out will leave a white residue
that will show up when the liner is
installed. If in doubt, rinse twice."
To prevent the liner's Velcro from
snagging the seams and fabric during the
washing process, Tharpe recommends
folding each liner section in half prior
to laundering, with the right/face

GOT RUST?

T

ry these methods for removing rust stains from tent liners:
"Place the stained area over a folded clean white towel and spray the area
with Tent Wash 101 and apply baking soda to the stain. Rub vigorously with a white
Scotch-Brite™ sponge, then rinse thoroughly before washing. If it is a stubborn stain,
you may have to scrape vigorously with the edge of a plastic spoon."
-Michael Tharpe, Rainier Industries
"We recommend using 105-110 degree (F) water with OxiClean™ and Resolve®
cleaners. Let the stained area soak for ﬁve minutes and use cotton towels to pull
the stain out of the polyester in the direction where the stain came from. (Think of
soaking up soda out of carpet with a cotton towel.) Scrubbing or rubbing hard on
the stain will only set it further."
-Christopher Whitlow, Structure | Liners LLC
40 intents

oct-nov 2019
InTents October/November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of InTents October/November 2019
