Cleaning / Washing Barkcloth ?

Hi, I found some nice yardage of NOS vintage barkcloth in the back of an old shop, but there are a few stains on it from being in storage for so many years and from being tossed around.

Any recommendations of the best way to wash it?  I would prefer to handwash - is that realistic?

Thanks!

Sure, I think you should be able to hand wash it just fine.  I would use a bath tub filled with lukewarm water and mild dish detergent.  Unfold it in the water, agitate it slightly with gentle hands, drain water and re-fill with plain, cold water.  After rinsing, try not to crush or wring the cloth too much and air dry flat. 
Even if you're very careful, some barkcloth tends to disintegrate after years of storage, but you could always save what you could and make pillows.   

Thanks Irene for the advice.

I found more barkcloth yesterday so I'll get busy and get it all washed!

Thanks again.