Canvass Tarps?

[DaveLevenson]

I've been looking for commercial WDF accounts -- but have to be careful what I wish for...

A contractor dropped by and told my attendant that he would be bringing in "a couple hundred" canvass tarps over the next few weeks, to be washed, dried, and folded. They haven't started to arrive yet, and I'm not sure what kind of dirt to expect, or how clean he expects us to get them. He told us they're big and heavy.

So...I'm looking for suggestions on how to wash large pieces of canvass. I did a couple of them for another contractor last month, and as I recall, we had to rearrange some furniture to make a space large enough to fold them, and folding the big ones took two people. They had some varnish or paint stains on them; the owner said he didn't care whether or not we got them out (we didn't). Is there a recommended way to handle such pieces? Any pre-treatment? What detergent to use? Should I bleach them?

Thanks in advance.

[Fishtown]

I recently heard about a laundromat here in Philly that was doing tarps for a contractor and ran into a problem. They loaded a 75 lb. washer with tarps and everything was okay until the spin cycle. The washer in spin almost broke the mounting bolts. Either the bolts were loose or they overloaded the washer. Be careful not to overload the washers.
When we have done these tarps, I always shake them out before we put it in the washers because they might have nails, paint chips or plaster pieces and it avoided problems in the washer. I charge a premium price to do tarps because of the increased drying times. We also use Lestoil in the main wash cycle.
Good luck!
Andy

[Buddy_Amoroso]

Before I would commit to a price I would do a few to see how long it takes and the condition of the tarps.

I would also reserve the right not to wash a tarp that is overly greasy or has tar on it.

Getting tar out of a dryer is a killer.

buddy amoroso