Tourism is a great hobby! Anyone who has gone camping at least once will return to such rest again and again. But tourism and travel are not only photographs and memories, but also care for tourist equipment, including a tent.
Damp weather and rain can cause mold, unpleasant odors, deterioration of color and condition of portable housing. Sure, the tent needs washing or cleaning. And about whether it is possible to wash the tent in the washing machine or whether it is worth giving preference to manual cleaning, we will talk further.
How to get rid of dirt and smell
After expanding the tent after a vacation or camping trip, did you see lumps of dirt, spots and smell bad? Definitely, the tent requires a "big wash."
What is the risk of machine wash? If you send the tent just like that into the CMA drum, you can wash off the protective layer that does not allow moisture and wind. Therefore, manufacturers strongly discourage mechanical exposure of the product so as not to damage this layer. Yes, and experienced tourists with skepticism look at washing in a machine and resort to this method only in critical situations.
But there is good news! If you follow the rules, the product can survive machine wash, and not even one. If the impregnation is washed off, then only in the places of bends - but this is a fixable thing: with the help of a special spray, you can eliminate losses.
How to wash tents
Whether tents are erased automatically, there is no doubt. But washing tips all give different. We will give you the most tested rules. Following our recommendations, you will clean the equipment from dirt and odors, keep its functionality and attractive appearance.
So, we will consider how to erase a tent in an automatic machine:
- First check if the product will fit in the CM drum. Make sure that the weight is not more than the permissible maximum value of your machine. If the washer is rated at 6 kg and the product weighs 5.5 kg, wash. And if the values are equivalent, think about it, because the fabric will get wet in the water and become heavier.
- Then lay the fabric on a dry and clean surface. It can be a lawn in the yard or a garage.
- Arm yourself with a spray gun and sprinkle the cloth with plain water on one side, then rub with ordinary 72% household soap. Repeat for the second side.
- Without folding the product, send it to the CMA drum.
- Choose a mode that does not involve heating water and spin. The drum rotation speed in the selected mode should not exceed 500 revolutions.
- Do not use normal detergents or washing gels.
- Wait for the cycle to end and remove the tent. After the water drains, place it in a ventilated place to dry.
- Inspect for scuffs or damage, spray them to restore the protective properties of the fabric.
Attention! Even if you have expensive and high-quality equipment, do not wash the machine more often than 1-2 times during its entire service life. Frequent washing will lead to the complete destruction of the layer, and none of the sprays will help you anymore.
How to restore the protective layer
If, while washing, the protective layer is slightly damaged, do not panic! Get a tool for restoration of a protective dusting and return to a product former properties. The market now has a ton of options for such tools.
Consider the most popular of them:
- Nikwax. It is considered one of the highest quality impregnations. When using it is important to observe safety precautions and conduct work away from open flame. This tool can be either sprayed or applied with a sponge, brush and even a cloth. Do not discard the bottle after processing - you will need the product to restore awnings, overalls, jackets and other tourist equipment. For half a liter you can give an average of 700 rubles. This is enough to soak 7 square meters of fabric.
- Mcnett Tentsure. Good impregnation, designed specifically for fabrics such as tent. It is applied by roller or brush. It is best applied in two layers, allowing each to dry. Thick layers during application are unacceptable, otherwise the effectiveness of the product will be lost.
- Waterproofing spray. This impregnation is made on the basis of silicone and belongs to universal remedies. It is used widely and actively for the restoration of tent tissues. The downside is high consumption and small packaging displacement, only 0.3 liters. The bottle is enough to process only two "squares". One such spray can costs around 500 rubles. Suitable for handling minor bending damage.
Handwash
If you use the tent as inveterate tourists - a lot and often, and the product has already reached the limit of washes in the CMA, then try hand washing. Unlike a machine, hand washing can be carried out more often - once every 2-3 seasons.
Important! If you value your tent, do without laundry. But if there is no other way, obey all washing rules.
To wash the tent with your hands, proceed as follows:
- Spread the product in the yard on the grass.
- Pour water, gently rub with laundry soap.
- Call a partner: one should water the fabric, and the second should rub the fabric with a soft sponge.
- Turn over the tent and repeat all the steps from the back.
- Rinse off the foam.
- Dry.
- Treat with a special spray for unpleasant odors (the choice in tourist shops is huge, for example, you can use Toko Proff - it will eliminate the smell of soap, mold). If smells are not a problem for you, you can not splurge on the spray.
- Restore the protective layer with one of the sprays listed above.
Dry clean
We got to dry cleaning - the most gentle and harmless way to handle a tent. Cleaning has its pros and cons. On the one hand, the protective layer is safe and sound, on the other hand, odors and dirt can remain.
So, let's start cleaning:
- Immediately after the trip, hang the product for drying.
- Spread the product, look for spots.
- Clean the cloth with a soft brush or sponge. You can locally stain stains with soapy water.
- Organize drying in a ventilated place and pack the tent until the next tourist season.
We conclude that in theory it is possible to wash a tent in the AGR, and maybe this will not even be a big deal. But always remember the risk when sending equipment to the drum. It is advantageous to restore the protective layer only locally, if it deteriorates completely, it will be easier to buy a new tent.
Resort to machine or hand wash only if dry cleaning does not bring the expected result. Have a nice trip!