TAKE CARE
We want your brand spanking new picnic gear to bring style and sass to your outdoor adventures for many years to come.
Read on for some easy-peasy tips to ensure your picnic rug lasts the distance (and then some).
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
- Make sure your Really Big Picnic Rug is dry before folding and storing
- Wipe spills clean with a damp cloth
- Hose down next-level messes
- Line dry
- Avoid ironing, drying in dryer or washing in washing machine
TEN TIPS TO ENSURE YOUR REALLY BIG PICNIC RUG LASTS YEARS (AND YEARS)
1. BEWARE OF STORING WHEN DAMP
Had your rug sitting on damp grass and it’s still a bit wet when you pack up?
No worries.
Just remember to lie it out flat or hang on the washing line when you get home until any excess moisture evaporates, before folding and returning to its snazzy carry bag.
2. TACKLE STAINS ON THE SPOT
So the rug's covered in food mess, again (thanks, kids!) and you’d rather not deal with it til next year?
The DuPont Teflon© stain and water resistant top side fabric encourages liquid to bead and makes it harder for stains to stick and easier to remove, making your Really Big Picnic Rug the perfect portable table cloth.
But any mess left untouched for long periods can be harder to remove.
Don’t let it marinate and instead wipe clean with a damp cloth. For stubborn stains, add a little laundry powder and rinse off as soon as is practical.
Or, blast it with the hose and hang up to dry.
3. AVOID WASHING IN THE WASHING MACHINE
Prefer to throw your picnic rug in to the washing machine at the end of a long, messy day picnicking? Avoid the temptation and your rug will thank you for it.
There are a couple of reasons your rug isn’t specifically designed to be best friends with the washing machine:
- It’s, well, really big, and is not designed to fit in most household washers.
- The repeated washing, spinning and high temperatures normally experienced in a washing machine may over time agitate and cause the top side of fabric to separate from the bottom side of the fabric. In all our testing we haven’t seen this happen, but we have been warned.
4. STEP AWAY FROM THE DRYER
For much the same reason as your rug is not designed to be machine washed, you may also have a hard time fitting it in most household dryers. High temperatures combined with tumbling are not recommended. Stick to drying flat in the sun or on the washing line if need be.
5. AVOID THE DRY CLEANERS
Just like machine washing and drying, your rug can, but isn’t designed specifically, to be dry cleaned.
6. REMEMBER, THIS IS A (MOSTLY) IRON-FREE ZONE
The topside can be ironed to a max of 120 degrees C (“Cool” iron) if you’re that way inclined but be sure you don’t iron the PVC underside directly. It will melt!
7. DON'T BLEACH
One of the most easiest ways you can prolong the life of your picnic rug? Skip the bleach.
8. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS TOO MUCH SUN
While your picnic rug is super-durable and is designed for everyday outdoor use (duh!), it’s not made to be outside in the elements 24/7. It may eventually fade with prolonged and out-of-the-ordinary exposure to the sun, so it’s a good idea to keep it out of direct sunlight when not in use.
9. KEEP IT OFF THE ROCKS
Your picnic rug is not padded and is not recommended for use on rocky surfaces. Keep the waterproof underside safe from rips or tears and don't lay your picnic rug down on sharp gravel.
10. MOULD BE GONE
While our rugs are stain resistant, they are not stain proof. If your rug has been folded up when damp and developed super stubborn mould stains, you have a couple of options.
Combine 4L's of hot water, 2tbls of bi carb soda and Morning Fresh dishwashing liquid. Scrub the rug, hang up on washing line or over the edge of the balcony and hose it off with water. Combine 1/4 tsp oil of cloves with 500ml water in a spray bottle to mist over the rug and leave for 20 minutes. Wipe off the excess and leave to dry in the sun.
Still no luck? Bring in the big guns.
We have had success with a product that is formulated for treating curtains and caravan awnings. The minimum pack size we’ve found is 2L as it’s designed to remove large areas of mould from multiple large fabric surfaces at a time. But, if nothing else has worked for your stain, then we’d recommend Curtain Magic Mould Remover.
P.S. we are not affiliated in any way.