floor protection cloth

construction people use kraft paper and tarps to protect wood floors during renovation. What is the cheapest cloth type breathable fabric I could use for covering hardwood floors for a long storage time..??? I need to cover about
900 sq ft with a washable reusable cloth ...??links

 

What's wrong with painter's drop cloth?

 

Yeah, if you want something washable, go to a paint store and look at the various sizes of canvas drop cloths they have. IMO runners are so handy to have, I always wish I had more of them. They are 4' x 15' or so. You can certainly get bigger ones to cover more area, but I wouldn't want to stick them in MY washing machine! If you wanna wash them, smaller might be better. And tape the edges to the floor with masking tape. On the tape, be sure you get tape that is guaranteed to release without leaving residue after X weeks, where X is the amount of time the tape will be on the floor.

 

I'm not sure if this meets your requirements, but I'll throw the idea out there and you see what you think of it.

I say, contact the local carpet retailers in your area and ask for the SCRAP carpets they pull out of people's houses.

Install 3 pound foam chip underpad over your hardwood floor and then put these scrap carpets (right side up) over top of the cheap underpad.

I say right side up because if you turn a dirty carpet upside down, then all the crap that was in the carpet falls out of it, and you'd be amazed at how much dirt will fall out of an old carpet once it's upside down.

The cheap foam pad will prevent movement of the carpet on the floor, which is important for traction. A drop cloth on a smooth floor can be easy to slip (or trip) on.

I'd phone around to see what the cheapest foam chip pad you can buy is, and buy only the pad. Most carpet retailers will give you the scrap carpets they take out of houses unless they're suspicious of what you want it for.

 

I like cardboard boxes myself. They give good protection, stay put, are cheap (free) and easy to dispose of. They are not washable.
The bigger the box the better. Washer, dryer, refrigerator boxes cover a lot of area. Even better are windshield boxes. Some, furniture is moved in boxes. Look around and pretty soon you will figure out where to get the largest boxes. They can also be custom fit. I would say they are breathable.