How To Remove Mold From Tent

How To Stop Mildew From Spreading

How to Remove Mold Stains on Canvas Tents | CanvasCamp

Mildew can break the fibres of canvas and create black stains which are hard to remove. It is essential to protect your tent against mildew and its ability to spread when left unchecked.

Always properly dry your tent before storing

Clean your tent regularly and after each use
Store your tent in a cotton canvas bag, not plastic
Store all ropes, pegs and other tent accessories in a separate bag, not with the tent

Ensure you have plenty of ventilation if cooking inside the tent to avoid condensation
Be careful with all dishwashing products, sunscreen and other lotions as they may adversely affect the waterproofness of your tent

How To Remove Mold & Odors From Tents Using Revivex

Even after cleaning your tent, whether you simply use soap and water, or one of the DIY mold eliminating methods above, you may still notice a foul, moldy odor coming from your tent.

Revivex eliminates odor-causing bacteria like mold, mildew, etc, with water-activated enzymes that penetrate the pores of your tent fabric.

After thoroughly washing your tent, heres how to use Revivex to further eliminate mold and any odors.

Fill a large washbasin with 20 gallons of water.

Mix in 0.5 ounces of Revivex.

Open tent flaps and unzip the zippers.

Soak the tent in the solution for up to 5 minutes. Your goal is to drench the tent with as many microbes as possible so that they can consume the odor-causing mold present.

Dont rinse the tent. Doing this will wash away the bacteria. Also, do not apply any heat as it can kill the microbes.

After soaking for 5 minutes, remove the tent and allow it to air dry. The odor will diminish as the tent dries.

Revivex is most effective right after mixing the solution with water, when most of the bacteria are still alive. As time goes on, these microbes consume themselves, making the solution less effective. Therefore, make sure that you soak your tent immediately after mixing Revivex with water.

The longer you leave your tent out to air dry, the more the microbes can do their job. Try your best to air dry the tent in a cool environment away from direct sunlight.

Diy Remedies For Removing Mold On A Tent

If you discover mold or mildew on your tent before leaving for a camping trip, you have more options to clean it using common household ingredients.

Although the following DIY methods effectively clean and kill the mold in your tent, they may also affect your tents lifespan. While they both entail cleaning with natural products, you should use them with discretion.

Get The Right Specialized Cleaners

Specialized cleaners are recommended for considerable mold or mildew buildup on the tent.

Soap soap might be one of the simplest cleaners to use to remove mold and mildew from a canvas tent.

Sodium Hypochlorite cleaners these are potent no-scrub cleaners, ideal for heavily impacted canvas.

Essential oils-based cleaners a natural solution that doesnt stain or impact canvas is found in mold cleaners made with essential oils.

Key Insights & Takeaways: No More Moldy Tents

No one wants to spend their camping trip in a moldy tent. That is why it is so important to make sure you clean it, dry it, and store your tent properly.

You are supposed to get longevity out of your tent, and if it ends up with mold and mildew it can shorten that span. Mold damages your tents material and makes it unusable, so taking care of it is important.

The tips we have provided are to help you get the most out of your camping equipment, and prevent this unnecessary moldy event from happening while on your next trip.

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Deep Cleaning A Very Dirty Tent

Although mold and mildew prevention is always the best method for maintaining your tent mold stains do occur, especially in warm, flora and fauna rich environments. If nature has outpaced your tent maintenance routine and youve got a very dirty tent on your hands, there is still hope!

First and foremost, keep these things in mind at the outset:

Set a realistic expectation: mold stains are extremely difficult to remove entirely. The tent will never look brand new again, but with some hard work and patience a good cleaning can add to the life of your tent.

Deep cleaning is hard work and will take a long time. You may need to repeat a few of these steps depending on how dirty the tent is, or how much soap you have to rinse out.
Enlist some help! Tents are heavy, wet tents are really heavy.
If you perfect this process and want to start a bell tent cleaning business in your area let us know! There is a demand!

What Not To Use On A Canvas Tent

An overlooked topic, when it comes to cleaning a canvas tent is what you shouldnt use. Knowing what you shouldnt use on canvas, is just as important as what you can use. As the consequences can be just as adverse as leaving mold on your canvas tent. So learning what you shouldnt use is something you need to know.

One thing I see a lot of people suggesting when it comes to cleaning a canvas tent is bleach. Bleach on a canvas tent is a horrible idea as its corrosive, which can eat away at your tent. It will either wreck your waterproofing, which will require you to put a coat on or, worse, ruin the fabric and create a hole.

Something else people recommend is things like there dishwasher detergent or clothes detergent. Again these are bad and can cause damage to the waterproofing and fabric as well.

There are two more things that I dont recommend using, which is hot water and a high-power washer. Both of these can ruin your canvas tent and end up costing you money in the long run. As you can see canvas tents do have a few weaknesses when it comes to cleaning them. But if you treat them right, youll have an amazing tent for years to come.

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Soap And Water Method

For any of these methods, you should spot test somewhere on your tent to make sure that the solution youre using wont stain or damage the material of your tent. The first step is to pitch your tent, as it will be much easier to clean when it is set up.

Next, brush off any mold that you can with a soft-bristled brush or a cloth . If you have a canvas tent, use a stiff-bristled brush, but still scrub gently. Then you will use a mixture of warm water and non-detergent soap to gently scrub at the mold or mildew. Rinse with clean water and allow to dry in a shady area.

Great for use on tents, fly, backpacks, awnings, boat covers, umbrellas, patio furniture, and panniers
Water based, biodegradable, and contains no PFCs, VOCs, optical brighteners, or added scent

Adds UV protection to prevent sun damage and double the lifespan of gear works best after application of Nikwax Tent & Gear SolarWash
Spray-on application

How To Remove Mold From Nylon Tent

Removing mold from a Tent Trailers vinyl fabric

Mold can be removed from nylon tents with a mold remover solution that isnt petroleum-based. Spraying and scrubbing the affected area are recommended. Nylon tents tend to dry quicker than canvas tents which means they can be packed in the tent bag sooner after mold has been removed and the tent is dry.

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How To Prevent Mold

The best way to prevent mold is to keep your tent as dry as possible while camping and always make sure it is dry before you are storing it. In addition, never store it in a hot or damp place.

Of course, its not always possible to keep a tent dry while camping. There may be rain or snow and other wet debris such as leaves, mud, dirty, or insects that fall onto the tent.

However, try to dry out your tent during the day if you know it got wet. Then do a thorough inspection and clean any areas that were affected by the water.

Also, make sure to keep the tent well ventilated. Make sure the flaps or screens are open, so moisture doesnt get trapped inside.

After camping, follow the instructions above for cleaning the tent. Make sure its dry and then store it. Periodically you may want to coat the tent with water repellent in case the mold or cleanser used damaged it.

How To Know If There Is Mold In The Tent

In case you dont know if there is mold in your tent, then by thorough inspection, you will be able to know about it. Not all unclean spots are mold.

Dirt can be easily wiped off, but it will hang onto the fabric or surface and will take deep cleaning. Molds can form due to humidity.

Therefore you can feel the moisture in the environment around you if there is mold contamination. You can observe the color and tell if its a mold.

Molds are greenish, bluish in color, the color and create soggy patches around them. The smell is distinctive, too molds have a pungent smell.

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Wont The Sun Prevent Mold

Lots of moisture and sunshine provide an excellent environment for plants to grow, and dead plants and moisture provide the ideal environment for mold growth. Over millions of years many types of mold have adapted defenses to damaging effects of sunlight. Additionally, UV light degrades the treatment on the tents, exposing the canvas to the elements, making it more susceptible to mold penetration.

Dont rely on the sun. Keep your tent clean and retreat it as often as needed.

How Do I Know If I Have Mold

The Best Way Remove Mold and Mildew From Your Camping Gear

You will usually notice visible mold as black, green, or blue-grayish spots on the tent material. Also, a musty smell or foul odor similar to that of rotten vegetables or mildew odors is a sign that you likely have mold. When checking your tent for mold, be sure to check hard-to-reach places like seams and in the folds of the tent fly.

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Deep Cleaning Detergent Method

This should be your primary cleaning method if youre trying to clean mold on an expensive tent. Its designed for tent fabrics, wont damage waterproof coatings, and a bottle of Revivex Pro Cleaner isnt that expensive. Plus it will save a lot of time since you can skip all of the gentle cleaning methods listed above.

Spot Clean With Soap and Water: Spot clean dirty areas with a sponge and soap and water.

Fill A Tube With Warm Water and Revivex Pro Cleaner: Fill up a small tub with warm water and add 2 fl oz of Revivex Pro Cleaner

Soak Your Tent In The Tub And Hand Wash: Submerge your tent in the cleaner and hand wash the outer fabrics

Dont Damage The DWR Coating: Dont scrub the underside of your rainfly since it can damage the waterproof coating. If thats where the mold/mildew stains are located, you will need to apply a DWR spray once your finished cleaning the tent.

Rinse With Warm Water:Rinse with water until the soapy residue is gone and save the mixture for the following step.

Pitch Your Tent And Spot Clean: Pitch the tent outside and check to see if you missed any spots of mold or mildew. Use a soft bristle scrub brush to spot clean problem areas.

Dry The Tent and Check For Odors: Give your tent at least 6 hours to dry and check to see if youve removed mold and mildew odors. If theres a lingering mildew odor you will need to soak the tent in an enzymatic deodorizer.

Prepare Your Specialized Mold Remover

There are a number of different companies out there that sell mold removers that you can use to rid your precious tent and other important gear, like your rain jacket, of mold and mildew.

As a general rule, you should always follow the manufacturers directions when using specialized mold removers. However, youll likely find that they recommend filling up a bathtub or bucket with warm water and mixing in some mold remover to prepare the solution for your tent.

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How To Clean Your Gear

First, it might seem obvious but kill the mold.

Using a soft hairbrush or toothbrush, brush the mold and mildew from the material.

Wash the affected area with a solution made up of 1/2 cup Lysol to a gallon of hot water.

And/or rinse with a solution of 1 cup of lemon juice and 1 cup of salt to a gallon of hot water.

Allow the material to dry completely in the sun.

Next, bleach the mildew stain.

Wash or soak the affected area with one of the following, depending on the material.

For most fabrics, you can use a non-chlorine bleach.

For colored fabrics, use a solution of 1 cup of lemon juice and 1 cup of salt to a gallon of hot water.

For color safe fabrics, use a solution of 2 tablespoons of bleach to a quart of water.

Allow the bleached area to dry thoroughly.

Tips:

Brush the materials outdoors so as not to leave mold spores in the house.

Be sure your camping gear is dry before stowing it away.

Store your camping gear in a dry, ventilated area.

How To Help Prevent A Tent From Becoming Moldy In The Future

Tent Cleaning ð?ï¸? Mold & Mildew

You should altogether avoid the issue of cleaning a moldy tent by learning how to prevent the problem in the first place. The following tips will help you out.

Pitch the tent correctly

Make sure you set up your tent the right way. This means no folds and depressions that can hold and seep in water without your knowledge.

Do not touch the tent with grease

Grease affects the waterproof of the tent, and you should, therefore, avoid touching it with oil or have it pour on the rent.

Avoid all sources of condensation

Any time you cook in the tent, condensation takes place, and if you dont take note, it will be a cause of molding when you store your tent.

Do your washing outside the tent

Dishwashing soap is a detergent that affects a canvas tent. You can avoid this by being very careful as you wash dishes or completely washing them away from the tent.

When storing the tent keep each part alone. This means you separate your tent from the guy ropes, groundsheet, and rings since these might harbor some form of dirt that you dont notice.

Do not touch the tent when its raining

If you touch your tent in the rain will seep water that it will retain. This means some parts will be dry while other patches are wet and you might think its all dry

Completely dry the tent

Water is the primary cause of mold, and you should, therefore carefully inspect the tent to ensure the tent is totally dry before you store it.

Reproof the tent

Store it in a well-ventilated room

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How To Wash A Tent Footprint

Because tent footprints are placed beneath the tent, directly on the ground, they can get dirty pretty quickly. Luckily, they are easy to clean.

Rinse off the tent footprint with a hose and warm water.

Use a soft cloth or non-abrasive sponge and a non-detergent soap.

Scrub the footprint, gently cleaning both sides.

Rinse off the soap.

Hang up the footprint to dry. Allow it to dry completely before folding it or packing it away.

These are a few additional tent cleaning tips that we recommend you keep in mind:

Use a non-abrasive sponge or cloth or scrub dirty areas.

Use a non-detergent soap.
Do not use bleach to clean a tent.
Do not use laundry detergent.

Never put a camping tent into the laundry washing machine.
Never put a tent into the clothes dryer machine.

How To Clean Tent Zippers

Over time, dirt, sand and particles will build up in the zippers of a tent. When this happens, the zippers can become unsmooth, stuck, and difficult to use.

How to clean tent zippers in 5 simple steps:

Use warm water and a small brush.

Scrub along the zipper teeth to force out any trapped debris and dirt.

Once removed, allow the zipper to air dry.

Test the zipper to see if it has improved.

If it is still not zipping smoothly, repeat the process, scrubbing thoroughly.

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How To Clean The Mold Of A Canvas Tent:

A Canvas tent is a type of tent which is made of woven material cotton. This tent has a demerit to it too that if the fabric of this mold is affected with then it is almost not possible to clean it but we can stop the mold from spreading.

So, to clean the canvas tent you must clean it in the following way.

First of all, use a type of vinegar known as distilled white vinegar on the area affected by mold. Then dry the wet area. Then use a stiff-bristled brush on the affected area with a mix of two ingredients two cups of which half consists of lemon juice and half consists of hot water. Use a canvas treatment namely DRY GUY on the affected area of the tent.

How Do You Clean A Canvas Tent

When it comes to cleaning a canvas tent of mold it is best to scrub it with a soft bristle brush. Avoid using solutions like bleach or detergent soaps which can be harsh on the canvas material.

Those cleaning products can be very difficult to wash and rinse off afterward. It is best to use methods like soap and warm water, lemon and salt, or vinegar and water when cleaning your canvas tent. Always let it dry and leave it out of the sun after you finish cleaning.

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