As you might have already noted, there is a pdf of our care-sheet here. You will find the information below - and more - there.
Storage of Your Mayan Hammock ~
When transporting your hammock, we recommend using a common plastic grocery bag. The size is ideal, and the price is right. Use it as follows: hold the hammock by the end loops and feed it into the sack, bed first. Stuff in all of the hammock up to, but not including, the loops. Pass one handle of the bag through both end-loops, then tie that handle to the free handle. This will keep the end-loops from becoming fouled or tangled in the end strings, and will allow you to remove the hammock quickly from the bag.
If you store it in a plastic bag, be certain it is thoroughly dry. Mildew and mold can grow quickly if you store your hammock damp and relatively airtight.
If you want to allow your hammock to ‘breathe’ while stowed away, you can hang it in a closet on a hanger as shown here, but take care not allow it to become snagged on the buttons or hardware of neighboring items.
Repair ~
Broken threads: If a thread should break, repair it immediately with a square knot, using as little excess as possible. If the thread has worked its way out of the weave, you can reweave it by observing the orientation of neighboring strings and following the classic ‘over two, under two, turn and repeat’ pattern that is easy to see within the weave. Then tie the loose ends together.
Snags: If a thread should happen to snag, begin at the point where it "loops out" of the weave. Follow the thread each way along the weave, observing how it has tightened. Pull most of the loop back into the weave at the nearby cells, and a little bit less as you move away from the point of snag. You may have to go in both directions if tightening has occurred on both sides of the snag. Brush and shake the weave as you go. This is easier and more effective when the hammock is hanging.
Cleaning ~
Having never washed a Mayan hammock (except in a washing machine – which I do not recommend), the following is purely theoretical. They don’t really need washing unless you spill something on them or practice particularly poor hygiene. Spills can be dealt with by spot cleaning, preferably while the hammock is hanging up. But if you insist:
Hand wash by immersing in a bucket of cool water and a little mild soap. Hold the hammock by the end loops, and lower it in, bed first. Knead the hammock in the soapy water, but keep the loops out of the wash (tie them to the bucket handle, your belt, whatever). Squeeze out the soap, string it between two posts, and rinse with a hose or a few buckets of water. Allow to air dry by spreading it apart with a long stick.
