Blog / When it’s time to wash up

July 26, 2018

We all dread when home improvement projects have come to an end, but cleaning up is the next step. Brushes are one thing, but drop cloths? Often oversized and made of different materials, it’s tempting to do a quick rinse or shake and be done with it.

That’s a good way to increase your supply budget and decrease the reusability of your cloths.

Here are some cleaning tips for the five most commonly used drop cloths:

Canvas:Often a simple shake-out is good for a cotton canvas drop cloth, but if your cloth is coated with drywall dust or wood shavings or something similar, give it a shake and throw it in the washing machine (by itself!). Machine wash warm, tumble dry low.

Vinyl: With a backing that’s 31 percent more slip-resistant than a traditional plastic drop cloth, Trimaco’s Stay Put® Vinyl Dropcloth is easy to clean; the Stay Put® technology will help keep it flat while you wipe away paint spills. Simply spray with a multi-purpose cleaner and wipe clean with the Leak Resistant One Tuff® Wiper. These absorb stains and paint splatters like a sponge without leaving lint behind.

Butyl: Standing up to heavy duty traffic and long jobs, consider Trimaco’s Eliminator® or Rubber-Duckie® Dropcloths. A lighter weight butyl like the Rubber-Duckie drop cloth can be machine washed in cold water and line dried.

For a heavier duty butyl drop cloth like the Eliminator, clean with One Tuff® Durable Absorbent Wiper Cloths. Engineered with a tough patented fiber, Sontara®, these wipers have a competitive edge. A special process spins the fibers together, creating Trimaco’s most durable wiper yet.

Polypropylene: Often a simple, through rinse will clean these covers. Trimaco has a Polypropylene Toilet Cover that is held in place with elastic, so treating spots with cleaning products is a cinch!

Plastic: The most economical type of paint drop cloths, Trimaco offers coverings in different weights and sizes; cutting to size is also easy. For a little more durability, consider the SuperTuff® Paper/Poly Dropcloth. Use with the poly side down and the paper side up. Depending on the amount of clean-up needed, these are often best to toss and replace.

For additional product details on painter’s drop cloths, carpet shield, or floor protectors, check out Trimaco’s catalog here.