Mine is dirty with some oil stains. So can I stick it in the washing machine or best by hand?
Some mild soap and a sponge might work wonders.
A small washing drum will have the risk of the fabric rubbing too much, can weaken the seams.
And modern washing machines are water optimized, even more rubbing….
Ideally, send it back to the maker ? They usually offer this and you can also have the seams checked ;-)
Alternatively, a cleaning service for tents or sailmakers – using larger equipment and more water.
Horse chandlers are used to handling nasty stains in canvas! Some have a dedicated washing machine.
I have used a normal commercial laundry. They do mostly stuff for hotels and factory work clothes. Tell them to wash it at a low temperature, about +30C, otherwise it will shrink and then it takes ages to get back to the right size. I normally do this when the plane is at the Annual.
It helps greatly if one cleans the upper part of the plane before putting the cover on. That also minimises window scratches, due to the cover getting thrashed about by wind and rubbing abrasive particles into the windows. And anytime the cover even touches the tarmac it must be washed; you can forget your windows if you drop it on the ground and put it on the plane!
