Hi
Last year we camped under a tree and at the end of our stay there was a sticky resin on the tent.
we packed the tent away without cleaning it (and hope it's alright).
If the tent is alright when we unpack it, hopefully around Easter, what is the best way to wash it. (Warm soapy water?)
also if we wash it, would we need to use some sort of waterproofer on it afterwards?
It's a Vango Avington 2 years old and we've used it twice for 10 nights each time.
Thanks
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hopefully the sap will have dried out and stopped being sticky, and will just brush off. Rather than wash it I think I'd try a plan of carry on using it and see if, during your next camp, the weather will remove it naturally.
Thanks for your replies.
So it sounds like I should leave it and let dew and rain just wash it off naturally.
But I'll have to get it out as soon as possible to check mildew hasn't attacked over the autumn and winter months.
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Yes, you could use a soft brush to brush it off when you get it out, or just let the wind and rain do it naturally. As previously said, soap will ruin the tent. Even if the sap doesn't brush off it will only be cosmetic and not damage it. You would have to reproof the tent if you used soap, which then has to be done every year or two.
I tend to leave bird poo too to the weather, rather than rub and scrub the canvas (would just flick off the worst)
Thanks for all your advice. I will put it up around Easter time to hopefully dry the resin and see if it brushes off. If not, it will have the rain treatment and hope it washes off!!
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Hi!
Resin is not easy to remove. Never try to wash it off with soap, it won't disappear and your tent will start leaking if you put soap on it. ( if it is a canvas tent)
The stains don't look nice but don't harm either. I would just leave them. I can give you one advice if you really want to have it removed:
freeze the resin stain with 2 ice cubes on both sides of the cloth, then you can scratch it off carefully with something sharp.
Good luck with it!
Ab Kerkstra
Dutch Quality Canvas Tents
Yes you can use ice to make the resin hard enough to scratch it off, but I use my thumbnail rather than a blade!
For bird poo I wipe the thick of it off immediately, taking care not to rub it into the brain of the fabric, then brush when dry and rinse with plain water. You can get tent friendly cleaning agents by Nikwax, and I have used copious amounts to sponge mud off after s boggy trip.
You should always put tents away clean and dry as it lessens the risk of tent-killing mildew. If you do find a patch of mildew treat it with a 10% solution of Milton sterilising fluid to kill the spores. It won't remove the marks but it stops the spread.
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Topic: Cleaning a tent
