Previously we published an article on this site about the mobile cloth washer, which was developed by Hopmans Verhuur from Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands, for cleaning foliage pulling cloth. With a patented 'boiling hot water technique' disinfection and washing are simultaneous and no chemicals are required when washing. The capacity of the cloth washer is about 1200 metres per hour on average, dependent of course on the degree of dirt and the length of the cloth.
"We only hire out the machine with a staff member in order to achieve optimum cleaning of the cloth" Toon Hopmans says, who for the first time this year has a stand at the Tuinbouw Relatiedagen in Gorinchem, the Netherlands. A grower who is connected to Veiling Hoogstraten told me, that with them the washing of cloth is controlled by the GMO-arrangement 2012." In this article Frits van Wijk, Gert-Jan Franken and Robert Prins talk about their experiences with the mobile cloth washer.
Frits van Wijk, Stargrowers (Hoek van Holland)
Via the Groentennieuwsbrief, a Netherlands based news source for growers, Frits van Wijk got to know about the mobile cloth washer of Toon Hopmans. "I phoned him, Toon visited us and we immediately arranged a date. He was here for four days himself and one of my employees has assisted him." The area of tomatoes on the vine at Stargrowers is 8 HA and the cloth has a length of 165 metres each roll. Washing really was a great success. This week we rolled the cloth back. It is amazing how dirty the cloth is after a year, but now everything is nice and clean again. Toon should come back next year!"
Gert-Jan Franken, Kwekerij Franken (Poortvliet)
Gert-Jan Franken rented the mobile cloth washer for the first time this year in order to clean his foliage pulling cloths after disinfecting them himself for a period of three years in a disinfecting bath. In eight hours the cloths, 120 rolls of 60 metres, were washed, said the grower, based in the South West Netherlands. "And you can see for yourself the rubbish which comes out of the rolls and how clean they end up!"
"Hopmans is close by and the big advantage for me is that the cloth comes at location. One is at least sure that one gets his own cloths back," Gert-Jan says. The grower is happy with the extra light produced by the cleaned cloths. Light does something with the plants and a clean cloth of course gives more light to the plants!"
the cloths back in the glasshouse at Prinsland Luttelgeest
Robert Prins, Prinsenland Luttelgeest
Also Robert Prins of Prinsenland Luttelgeest used the mobile cloth washer for the first time on his 9 HA tomato on the vine nursery. 320 rolls with a length of 150 metres each went through the cloth washer of Prinsenland Luttelgeest this year. The grower is satisfied. "This is the first time that we had cloths washed. The cloths are reasonably nice and white."
"The most important part for us is that we start the new cultivation clean. The cloth is to be disinfected without using chemical means" Robert says. Just for this occasion he requested Hopmans to clean the electro carts as well this year. "That worked well. I expect Hopmans to visit again next year!"
For further information:
Toon Hopmans
Hopmans Verhuur
498, Huybergsebaan
4625 DM Bergen op Zoom
Cell: 06-54328817 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 06-54328817 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
www.hopmansverhuur.nl