Tent care, cleaning and maintenance |  |  | |
Products: clean with Fabsil Universal Cleaner; proof with Fabsil Universal Protector or Fabsil Gold
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Cleaning your tent
| | First things first, put up the tent on a nice dry day
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1. First of all, it's important to pick a dry day. You need to allow the tent to dry before you can proof it, so allow yourself plenty of time.
2. Put the tent up. The best way to clean a tent is while it's up, so you can see what you're doing. It's advisable to apply the cleaner and proofer outside too, and you'll want to leave the tent up for as long as possible.
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3. Spot-cleaning. Help, my tent is...
...sappy
If you have sticky tree sap on the tent, scrap as much as you can off with a sharp knife.
Remove what's left with a little white spirit, turps or neat Fabsil Universal Protector (not the cleaner) on a clean cloth. Solvents will soften and remove most of the tree sap, then you can wash as normal with Granger's Fabsil Universal Cleaner.
...mouldy
If there are spots of mould or mildew on the tent fabric, you have to get rid of this before cleaning the tent. Mould is a living organism, so you have to kill it before the cleaner can break it down.
To get rid of mould and mildew, make a 5% solution of hydrogen peroxide. (That's 125ml in 5 litres of water.) Sponge the solution onto the mould and rinse / hose it off; don't soak it. When the mould is history, you can wash the tent as normal.
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| | Dilute the Fabsil Universal Cleaner with water |
4. Add 100ml of Fabsil Universal Cleaner to 5 litres of water. Sweep this onto the tent with a clean sponge and hose it off. Clean one panel at a time to avoid tidemarks.
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Proofing your tent
| | Universal proofer is more economical that Fabsil gold for cleaning large areas |
Fabsil Universal Protector isn't water-based so you must allow the tent to dry properly before proofing. For areas of high wear on the tent, you can use the aerosol Fabsil Gold. Fabsil Gold is also suitable for proofing rucksacks and gaiters, but for proofing larger items, Fabsil Universal Protector is more economical.
1. When the tent is dry, get a plant spray and fill with Fabsil Universal Protector. Adjust the nozzle to produce a coarse spray. This is important, because a fine spray isn't absorbed well by the fabric and will just sit on the surface.
| | 2. You should aim to spray the proofer evenly over the fabric, including seams and corners, aiming to wet the fabric, but not to saturate it. Why the light touch? Well, the tent proofer is basically a mix of white spirit and silicones. The white spirit penetrates the fibres, then evaporates, leaving the silicones behind, keeping water out. If you soak the fabric too much, the white spirit won't evaporate fully and the silicone won't 'cure'.
3. After proofing, the tent will be touch-dry in three hours. Leave for 24 hours if possible, but if you have to put the tent away after three hours, fold it lightly so that the air can circulate. Job done!
Take me back to the Grangers care section.
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| | Discuss this article, 1 of 11 messages, read more: |  Kevin Pittman | |
| Posted: 28/04/08 19:13:44 44 | Does Anyone Know Where I Can Buy Hydrogen Peroxide For Getting Rid Of Mould Off A Cotton Canvas Tent, Does It Come Under A Brand Name? Also What Strength Should One Purchase For The Job ?
Many Thanks If You Can Help Me. Kevin
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