Marquee installations, weathering the events, taking them down again for the next hire – when all is said and done not much more can fit into a day in the life of a tent. As tenting seasons begin to draw to a close, there should be a little more time freed up between events. You may even be ready to moth ball your shelters until next year.
As you get time to finally put your feet up, ask yourself one question – is it really time to kick back? After all, your tent needs to be able to come out next year (or your next hire date) looking great. Wouldn’t this be a great time to get your fabric cleaned, so as to not have to rush around later? Or, worse yet, hire out a filthy shelter?
Tools of the Trade
Celina Tent has spent many years researching exactly how our tent fabric, DuraTop, can best be maintained. This includes what you should use and what you shouldn’t use when making sure your marquees are being prepped for their next outing.
DO: Mild Dish Soap, Warm Water, and Soft Brushes/Rags
Odd as it may seem, your standard dish soap has many properties can come in handy when giving your marquee fabric a scrub. Its ability to clear away water-resistant oils is great for getting off any harder-to-remove, stuck on grime. Combined with the warm (not hot) water and a soft rag, most common accumulations can be removed without any damage to the fabric.
DO NOT: Abrasive Cleaners, Chemicals, and Hard Scrubbers
Abrasive cleaners can greatly reduce the life of your fabric. The roughness can wear down the outer layer of PVC and possible begin to expose the scrim, or internal woven structure. The same goes for stiff-bristled brushes, which can also simply create tears. Especially if you’ve used some kind of mildew prevention treatment, harsh and hard cleaning will always take away from the fabric, and never help it.
On Printed Tents
One of the main concerns we’ve come across in the realm of cleaning deals with having a printed tent. Can they be washed? Should they get wet? Can you pack or store them without cleaning? Is cleaning going to remove the ink?
To be frank, both the fabric (select DuraPrint in the Celina Tent Knowledge Center for more) and the printing processes and inks are formulated to be able to withstand most common tent practices. Just as with your standard vinyl, warm water and mild soaps should be able to handle the vast majority of soils that may accumulate. Whether you have a Fast Shade or standard frame or pole tent, take care not to scrub too hard with any implement (soft or hard brushes alike) to make sure your print lasts. In most cases, no special care is needed beyond the basic strategies we’ve outlined.
With your top fabric newly cleaned, always be sure to dry it completely before storage to stave off any bacterial or mildew growth. You can be proud of your shining top no matter where it’s installed! If you have any other questions or concerns dealing with tent cleaning, feel free to contact us through our on-site chat boxes (located in the lower right hand corner of any Celina Tent website), or by emailing us at UK@CelinaTent.com.
Squeaky Clean PVC: Getting your Tents Looking their Best and Brightest