After investing a week in the outdoors, it absolutely feels like everything requires a good scrubbing. My hair, my clothing, my skin, my kids, our shoes, and also yes, even our tent. Yes the tent! So can I wash my tent in the washing machine? Read on.
A lot of the time our tent is just dusty, but in some cases it requires a bonafide wash down. It’s times like this that I want nothing greater than to throw the entire point in the washing machine (or ditch it totally and get a brand-new one).
Sadly, to properly preserve a tent, it needs to never be washed in a leading packing washing machine. If you absolutely must, you can clean it in a large, commercial size front packing washing machine on a mild cycle, hang dry it, and retreat it with weatherproofing as well as UV proofing sprays– yet I actually do not suggest it. Washing makers tear materials as well as wear down safety coating. In fact, I don’t suggest “washing” a tent in any way, a minimum of in the typical sense of the word, unless it has essentially been dragged through the mud.
The best method to cleanse a tent is to take energetic initiatives to keep it tidy while on your trip. If you maintain your footwear, dirty clothes, treats, as well as open container beverages on the outside of the makeshift sanctuary, your inside will continue to be spotless. If you have accessibility to a water source while you are camping, you can hose pipe down the outdoors as well as allow it to air completely dry on your last day at the site, which will certainly maintain whatever in good shape. Prevent the growth of mold and also mold by utilizing protective sprays and also allowing the tent to completely dry completely prior to saving.
Regretfully, if you’re right here reading this short article, you might already be in a situation where your tent seriously needs to be cleansed. Right here are some instructions for correct tent treatment and upkeep.
What Materials Should I Use to Wash My Tent?
This will rely on what sort of tent you have, as well as how much cleansing you need to do. For a nylon or polyester tent that is just mildly dirty, a tube and also a microfiber towel will certainly do the trick. If your tent wants a much more serious cleaning, there are particularly formulated cleansers on the marketplace.
Nikwax is one of the most common brand names, and also they develop a selection of tent cleaning as well as weatherproofing items. If you can not get your hands on a cleanser that was made for tent cleaning, a light hand soap or child soap will suffice. You do not intend to utilize anything that has heavy cleaning agents, as this can strip any type of weatherproofing that you have and also wear down the fabric.
Besides a water hose pipe, microfiber towel, and light soap, you might require any one of the following:
Just how to Wash a canvas tent
Canvas outdoors tents are made from cotton and are a terrific investment for insulation as well as longevity if they are taken care of effectively. Due to the fact that these tents are not made with artificial plastics like nylon or polyester, they can’t be wiped down. Instead, you ought to drink them bent on get rid of excess dust. You can use a vacuum brush add-on to eliminate additional debris from the exterior and also the inside of the tent.
If your tent is need of a much deeper cleaning, you can completely submerge it in a bathtub or an additional large container. Use a microfiber cloth or a sponge as well as a light soap (such as child soap or Nikwax) to spot tidy. You might require to repeat this process relying on how unclean your tent is.
If your tent has actually established mold or mildew, you ought to mix one part vinegar to 4 parts water as well as directly deal with the affected areas. Let the service stand for numerous minutes, then scrub with a sponge. Withstand need to deeply scrub, as this can start to endure the textile, instead going with quick, soft activities on the surface. After you have rubbed the location, you need to wash the vinegar with cozy water and completely dry. Skip to the next area to learn more about how to dry out a tent.
Nylon and Polyester Tents
Outdoors tents made from synthetic materials are light-weight and functional, making them terrific for backpacking. They are likewise extremely easy to keep clean! The majority of the moment an easy hosing will do. If you do require to complete a deeper tidy, set up the tent and also utilize a washcloth, big container, as well as light soap to detect clean the areas that are incredibly filthy. You can additionally submerge the tent and also clean it if you need an even more “all over” clean (like if it was actually dragged through the mud). See to it that the tent is totally dry prior to storing, paying specific focus to the joints, which can retain moisture longer than the rest of the tent.
Exactly how to Dry a Tent
Even if you overlooked my suggestions and chose to machine-wash your tent, never ever before machine dry a tent. It exposes your fabric to warmth damage, in addition to all the various other no-no’s that machine washing exposes the material too. The most effective means to dry out a tent is to air completely dry. As a matter of fact, that’s almost the only means. However, there are variants to how you air completely dry it.
Outdoors
The very best area to dry your tent is outdoors, for noticeable reasons. The fresh air will assist dry out the material faster, and also you can save on your own the possible mess of drip drying a tent in the middle of your living room flooring. There are two basic approaches, plus a benefit approach, to dry your tent outdoors.
The first as well as most obvious method to dry your tent outdoors is to leave it pitched and permit it time to air completely dry. If you can evacuate a dry, tidy tent, directly from your camping area, you will conserve yourself a number of headaches. This “pitch-dry” method functions very well for nylon as well as polyester camping tents, specifically if it is a windy day.
These lightweight tents can dry entirely in less than an hour in the appropriate problems. Canvas outdoors tents can additionally be dried by doing this, yet remember that they are made from cotton, which holds water well. It will absolutely take much longer, however it is still worth the wait, given that canvas outdoors tents are much more prone to mold and also mold build-up than their artificial equivalents.
Hang Dry: The second-rate technique is to hang completely dry. Make sure that your tent is UV protected, then hang it in a sunny and windy area to allow it to dry. This works well with both canvas and nylon/polyester tents.
Other Tips: You may also try laying out the tent fabric on a warm, sun-exposed rock near a cliff’s edge. The heat radiating from the hard surface will help to dry the tent more quickly.
Indoors
If it’s been raining for ages and it’s going to rain for a million years more, you might be forced to dry your tent inside. If this is the case, you will need to find a good location to place it. Basements and garages make great locations because you have plenty of room to hang or pitch the tent and allow it to dry. Draped over a shower curtain could work as well, depending on the size of the tent. I have even heard of people spreading it over a dining room table and allowing it to drip dry there.
Wherever you choose to put it, make sure that you create the right conditions to help it dry. Warm, circulatory air will help it dry. This means that having a space heater near the tent and a fan (or several fans) blowing directly on it, can drastically decrease your drying time.
If the tent is hanging or pitched, just let it be. But if, for whatever reason, you needed to lay it out somewhere (like your dining room table), be sure to rotate and flip it every few hours to make sure that every inch of the tent gets dry.
How Often Should I Wash My Tent?
Like I said in the beginning, you really shouldn’t wash your tent at all. Dust, hose, and spot clean? Sure, if you need it. But if you are thinking of a full-on tent-bath, think again. You really don’t need it. Not only does it do more harm than good to your tent, but also it’s a serious pain in the butt, and for what? You’re just going to put it back outside to get dirty again anyway.
There’s no set rule for how often a tent should be cleaned. This depends largely on you, your camping style, your tent brand and fabric, and how dirty your tent gets on your camping trips. I recommend routine tent maintenance after each camping excursion. This doesn’t always mean a full wash. Sometimes it is just a shake out. Sometimes you need a little elbow grease. When in doubt, read your manual for specific details on the best methods to clean your tent.
So I’m guessing we answered the question. Can I wash my tent in the washing machine quite thoroughly. More tent questions, let us know in the comments below.
