Clean
How to clean a tarp and a Tarpestry is very easy and very similar. You can treat a Tarpestry like a tarp! For example, you can shake it out when it’s dirty and easily rinse it off with a hose when it’s really dirty = just like how to clean a tarp. We recommend that if you would like to wash your Tarpestry that you use a machine without an agitator. For the best results, use a cold machine wash cycle with very mild soap and always hang to dry. Many of our customers have protected their Tarpestry when cleaning and kept the urethane coating from breaking down, by using a wash-in outdoor gear cleaner like Nikwax instead of the household detergents.
Treat
It’s important to keep in mind that harsh detergents of any kind and the agitation of a machine wash cycle will eventually break down the inner coating on the Tarpestry that keeps its water-repellency. It’s most likely that you wouldn’t be able to visually see the deterioration but you may notice a decrease in water-repellency when you use it the next time. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be inevitable and if there is a noticeable difference in functionality, you can just re-coat the Tarpestry with any waterproofing spray you would use for outdoor gear.
Store
As with any outdoor equipment, smells tend to show up over time. Air circulation will ensure a fresher smelling Tarpestry the next time you use it. The best thing you can do is hang it up indoors – it is beautiful to look at after all! Or you can store it once it has air-dried any moisture, then loosely pack it in a breathable state, to help prevent moisture that leads to mold and mildew. We do not recommend you store your Tarpestry in a musty basement or uninsulated garage. Your Tarpestry will fare better being stored in a bedroom or hall closet instead of a garage, basement or attic.
Water Repellency
In order to maintain the awesome combination of a tarp and its water-resistance and the beauty and comfort of a tapestry, it’s important to keep in mind that Tarpestrys are not fully waterproof. The Tarpestry is highly water-repellent, so to get the most out of your Tarpestry’s water-repellent features here are a couple of tips that we have found work best: If you lay your Tarpestry down on the damp grass with the water-repellent base facing down, then you will stay high and dry. Lay your Tarpestry down in a puddle, and it will eventually saturate and you will have a soggy bottom. If you want to use your Tarpestry for rain protection, then you can hang it at an angle making sure that the water-repellent base is facing the rain so that the water can bead up and roll down. Be sure to not allow the water to pool in this case because it will eventually soak through your Tarpestry.
Color
Our one-of-a-kind Tarpestry products bring together the best of both worlds with our combination of an outdoor tarp’s water-repellent nature and the indoor tapestry’s nature of beautiful, unique designs and soft fabric. Our Tarpestry is still made out of fabric and though it is made for outdoor use, the fabric can fade over time. If you plan to keep your Tarpestry outside 24/7, then we recommend our Rugged and Artist Series Tarpestry because they’re UV treated on both sides, and therefore will last the longest. Our other Tarpestrys like the Classic style have a cotton upper that is printed with vegetable dyes, so the vibrancy may fade but the functionality will not!