As owners of an older van, Mrs Calder and I have over the years had many struggles with the weighted mesh fly screen that runs in a continuous strip around our pop top. (No effete little mesh triangles for us!) Prior to dropping the pop top it is recommended that you tuck the lower hem into the aluminium roof channel though it never wants to cooperate and always pops out at one corner just as you think you've cracked it.

The problem was that the mesh had yellowed with age and accumulated lots of grey mould marks. It really was disgusting.

So, when I noticed Dr Beckman's original 'Glowhite Ultra' on sale in Lidl, I pounced. You add a sachet to your normal wash, magic happens and the mesh emerges from the machine looking like new.

Would it fit back into the Eriba though? Would it hell! The top strip that attaches to the pop top with Velcro went on fine but the bottom hem that contains lead-weighted cord was now much shorter and cannot be tucked into the pop top channel ready for closing. Cue much struggling, swearing and domestic disharmony.

In the end we decided to remove the lead cord and fit new. When SWMBO started to unpick the hem to remove the cord she found that an opening had been left during manufacture so it was a simple job to pull it through. Our cord measured 6 metres and we reckon that we need 6.5 metres or so to do the job properly so we can only presume that the fabric in the weighted cord must have run-up in the wash.

Curtain weight is sold by weight per metre and length so I've just ordered 10 metres of 50gm/m cord for £12 delivered off eBay which wasn't too painful.

Fingers crossed that refitting it will be an easy fix.

According to the boss it was 60°C (I know nothing of such matters.)

I must admit I would have done 60c to kill any bacteria/mould spores Eco stuff and low temps will not do the job.

Colin

Although the bottom hem weighted cord has probably always been a bit short, hence the difficulty stowing it prior to departure, what I think has happened is that the fabric outer covering of the cord shrank in the wash making subsequent stowage impossible.

The net flyscreen has not been affected.

This is the cord referred to:

Weighted cord.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)