Hi all,
This is my 1st post.
I have recently purchased a secondhand 2019 Keswick Air TC 600DLX polycotton tent.
When I have erected the tent I've noticed that the marks to inside of the roof panels were more extensive than described.
I've wiped the inner roof with warm water and micro cloth, and I was shocked to see how much dirt was on the cloth. However there are stains that I could not remove. I belive they are water marks and small patches of mildew.
I have read online that using diluted Milton sterliastion fluid will work, but I am worried that this will reduce the waterproofness of the polycotton material.
I have also read that Nikwax's tech & solar clean and Nixwax's Cotton Proofer will work.
I'm new to polycotton tents and so I am unsure what's best, and I would welcome any experienced feedback / sugestions.
Thank you
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Personally I put nothing but water on my canvas tents. Brush of dirt with a very clean brush (I have just washed my dustpan and brush ready to take camping this week), gentle rub with a detergent-free cloth or sponge, and let sunshine take care of stains.
My worry with any washing substance that then requires proofing might mean that proofing interferes with the natural breathability of the tent.
I haven’t got a polycotton tent but cotton canvas tents rely on the fibres swelling to keep them waterproof, so applying a proofing substance could prevent that. So your tent is then forever reliant on constant re-proofing. But it may be that polycotton is more suitable for such products.
I've always used water and brush to clean my polycotton tent but I think I might need something better for the next season. What did you use in the end to get your's clean?
I have a small, wooden nail brush which I use to clean off bird lime, mud, etc, with a spray bottle of ordinary water to clean my polycotton tents. On stubborn, hard to remove stains, I use a simple bar of soap that has a neutral pH. I have stains on one of my tents which were caused by the previous owner, wrapping the flysheet around the unprotected, alloy poles. The result was some serious black marks on the roof. Try as I might, I cannot shift them and I'm reluctant to try chemical products. I can, however, recommend Nikwax Cotton Proof. I have used it on the stained tent and it's never leaked and rain simply beads and runs off. So long as you can live with the marks, as I do, it's got to be better than potentially ruining it.
------------- What? Me Worry ?
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The replies will hopefully be useful to someone else who uses the search facility, though. There are a lot of first-posters who never come back but at least this thread wasn’t started 10 years ago, like some that are dug up.
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Topic: Cleaning Polycotton Tents
via mobile 30/5/2022 at 10:24pm
