Hi folks. We are going on a 2 week trip in a week's time so got the tent out today to check it over. It's not bad with only a few mould marks here and there.
I like cleaning with anti-bacterial spray and a sponge but held off in case this might damage the waterproofing of the tent. Any advice please?
Sharon (super-excited!)
------------- July 2015 - first big trip (2 weeks) to Cornwall...it rained a lot!
If you only used your tent for two weeks in Cornwall in 2015 and it has been stored in a dry place then it should still be in good condition and shouldn't need waterproofing. If it only has one or two mould spots then you have done well.
If the spots worry you and they are on the inside (usually are) then just wipe them over with a damp cloth and leave them. If they are on the outside you may do more harm than good trying to get them off.
If we have any more really hot weather the sun will do the job for you...it's the best bleaching agent there is and kills off mould spores.
We were surprised how little mould there was so will take your advice and just wipe with water. Fingers crossed for that sun :) Thanks for the advice x
------------- July 2015 - first big trip (2 weeks) to Cornwall...it rained a lot!
After erecting my tent on a recent camping trip I noticed quite a large area of white spots on the roof and front wall which alarmed me a little because I didn't think I had put my tent away damp from a previous trip only a couple of weeks previously.
They turned out to be on the inside so I wet a cloth with plain cold water and set about washing them off. That seemed to remove or fade most of them but a few still remained. However, I noticed later in the day after some quite hot sun that they had all disappeared...much to my relief.
I am not sure if that was mould or just water stains. I am hoping I caught it in time before the mould set in. I have never suffered with mould in tents before so that was certainly a surprise.
I understand from many other comments on these boards that mould can be eliminated with a 10 to 1 solution of Milton sterilising fluid. I don't think any harm can come to the inside of a tent by washing it down but as previously mentioned, I would hesitate at washing down the outside of the tent because that probably would wash off the silicon protection and then you may have to reproof with something like Fabsil.
If there are marks on the outside I would prefer to let the weather (rain or shine) do the washing/bleaching for me.
...and let's face it...if you have a pristine looking tent everyone will think you are a newbie
My partner has just sprayed 2 spots of our brand new tent with anti-bac as there was cat urine on it.
Now I’m in a panic...will it damage the tent? He didn’t tell me until we packed it away
Quote: Originally posted by Jduck3t on 09/8/2020
Hi,
My partner has just sprayed 2 spots of our brand new tent with anti-bac as there was cat urine on it.
Now I’m in a panic...will it damage the tent? He didn’t tell me until we packed it away
yes its highly likely, but if only a few days ago then get the tent out and rinse it well with just plain water (hose pipe) and allow to dry throughly, NEVER use anything other than water to clean a tent, no matter what the source of the muck (pee)
In general, don’t put anything in your tent except water.
No soaps, no sprays, no detergent.
And no decent tent should need proofing after a few weeks use, if ever.
Canvas tents: just re-weather them if a fine spray is coming in, (I.e spray with a hose or leave in rain and then dry) as this causes the fibres to swell and become watertight again. Also detergents destroy the surface tension making leakage more likely.
If a polyester tent is properly leaking it is probably done for. Fabsil is a spray that causes the water to bead and run off. It won’t help the polyurethane coating in the inside.
Best not to use aerosols in your tent either: the residue can damage the waterproofing as well as making the tent more flammable.
Most muck and stains can be dealt with with brushing, water, sunlight.