Author Topic: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?  (Read 3402 times)

shambasarfi

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Is there anyway to do this by setting a low temperature?  I don't really have the facilities to wash it by hand, i.e. in a large tin both or bucket, as I have none of these.  The edges are covered in mud.

We don't have an allotment anymore but grow vegetables in our back garden and I have cabbages and broccoli to go out soon and will sow some turnips direct.  This garden has been a Godsend during this time.
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saddad

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2020, 13:35:20 »
Sorry you had to let the allotment go... have never tried to wash Debris netting.. so not much help sorry...
If the mud is dry most of it can be rubbed off by hand.

ancellsfarmer

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2020, 14:12:22 »
"Not in this house" I've just been told!

If I had to clean my netting, which has never been necessary, I suppose one could fold it down into a large polythene sack and soak it overnight. Perhaps add a dose of Jeyes fluid to sort any algae or mould. Rinse before use. Its bound to rain again someday.
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shambasarfi

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2020, 15:06:09 »
We purposely gave up our allotment in 2015 because, with both of us working, it became a noose around our necks, always having to go there every weekend to weed, water every other day after work.  We dug up the weedy grass we had in our back yard, I downloaded a garden design app and played around with it for a year before coming up with a design my partner approved of.  Then 2 years ago, we got a landscape gardener to come and level the back garden off and we now have a lovely patio and four vegetable beds. 

There is a trellis on either side of the concrete slabs path, which screens the vegetables from the patio and we've just planted climbing scented roses to go up these trellises. 

In the past we've had runner beans growing on the veg bed side and clematis on the patio side.  I now have various sized pots with hollyhocks, foxgloves and other flowers and it's beginning to get a Mediterranean feel.

So if we have to water, it doesn't take very long and weeding isn't a chore either.

I had a framework for the debris netting but it was too big so my partner has cut some of the aluminium pipes to fit and we have a lovely framework now that will fit the 2 larger beds.
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JanG

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2020, 18:24:12 »
I've never tried washing debris netting as I've only acquired some fairly recently, so not much help either. I have washed Thermacrop/Envirotect though and that washes very well. It's made of polyethylene, which debris netting might perhaps also be made of - but I'm guessing.

I think some of the previous ideas are good but if you do try the washing machine I think its a good idea for the sake of the machine to get rid of most of the mud first and just use the wash to freshen it up. 


Obelixx

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2020, 20:43:53 »
I would give it a good banging and shaking to remove as much dried mud and debris as possible and then take it to the launderette - assuming they're open - and use one of their machines on lowest temperature.
Obxx - Vendée France

Deb P

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2020, 22:07:01 »
I use a lot of green netting; I purchased a whole roll 2m wife from Amazon and have used it as ‘curtains’ draped around sweet pea frames and outdoor tomatoes as well as covering raised beds for brassicas etc. They do get muddy and a bit mouldy one the edges, I hang mine up to dry in the lottie greenhouse then the mud just rubs off when they are fully dry.....I roll mine up and leave them in different blue Ikea bags sorted by size so I don’t have to rummage looking for the right sizes bit!
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

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shambasarfi

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2020, 22:12:56 »
Thank you for all your suggestions and help.  I think I'm going to drape it over the outdoor clothes line and try and wash it there.  I wanted to cut and stitch it into a rectangular net, but it stretches so much, it is impossible to measure accurately and also cut, as one way is quite easy to see the straight line but the other way is very difficult.

That is a good idea to keep different sizes in different IKEA bags.  Thanks Deb P.
« Last Edit: May 12, 2020, 22:15:06 by shambasarfi »
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pumkinlover

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2020, 07:50:34 »
If anyone does wash debris netting it would be better for the environment if this was done in an old baby bath etc as then the water could be put on the garden. As well as watering the garden it would prevent micro plastics getting into the waste water and eventually the sea.

Obelixx

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2020, 13:44:32 »
Good point.  Our butterfly netting is good stuff so we hang it over the washing whirlygig and hose it down to remove any mud before letting it dry and then be folded away.  Well, I do, but OH just squashed it all down over to one side of the hoops when he went in to weed the cleared beds the other week and didn't put it back so it got filthy.  However, a good downpour of serious rain this weekend sorted that out after I'd planted my new babies and put the netting back.
Obxx - Vendée France

shambasarfi

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2020, 18:26:07 »
I bothered to wash the net I had in one of those garden bucket things with handles, tipping the dirty water over the plants.  Meanwhile, my partner was tidying up the shed and said that there was still a roll of unused debris netting there.  We measured it and it was way too big so I've cut a bit off it and now have a brand spanking new piece of netting.  The old one was full of holes and had been mended several times so it's going to the tidy tip on Friday as we've booked a slot.

I have been zigzagging up the black tie loops with my sewing machine, as the holes there are big enough for a butterfly to get through.
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Tiny Clanger

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2020, 11:27:18 »
Buy some cheap lining material or similar to make up a draw string bag large enough to hold the netting. If the netting is small enough volume, put it in a pillowcase, fasten top with a bag sealer. Wash on delicates, or maybe wool at 30 or maybe 40 deg. Could try a pre wash first if reall filthy.  Bag should stop netting from tangling ad being abraded too much
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Deb P

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Re: Can you wash green debris netting in a washing machine?
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2020, 20:20:58 »
Had a load of dry mud on a bit of netting today, soon got fed up and grubby trying to rub it off with my hands, so chucked it on the floor and rubbed it on paving slabs with my Crocs, got the mud off very quickly!
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

 

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