Along with the instructions for my drum carder came the tip to use what we here in Australia call a Chux wipe or Jiffy cloth stretched over, and pushed down onto the carding cloth. Its easily replaced and helps keep the carder much cleaner after blending different colours or types of fibre.
Much as I tried, I couldn't get anything to stay down over my carding cloth,
, and when I ran into jaquiew elsewhere, she suggested using a dish-washing brush or scrubbing brush to push the Chux down. It works! I stretched the cloth (which is a sort of woven paper) over the drums, after trimming it to size, and thumped it down into position with a nail brush. Problem solved!
A big thank you to jacquiew, and a suggestion that others try this.
Cheers, Caroline in Adelaide, who is about to put her malamute blend through her drum carder now she can easily clean up afterwards!