Help: removing mold/mildew off canvas tent?

[2Thu]

Unfortunately, my Kodiak had come in contact with moisture and now there is mold and mildew on it. It was so bad that when my SO was setting it up, he got a headache. We managed to pressure wash the side of the tent but the top of the tent is pretty bad.
Google suggested hydrogen peroxide and good old manual labor, and then another article suggested bleach and water.

Does anyone have experience of removing mold on canvas tent? I'm worried that bleach might remove the waterproof coating that is on the tent. If anyone has any insights or suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Sham]

I would definitely do some Googling on that, but I know that bleach would kill the mold and mildew. A water bleach mix, possibly 2 parts water and 1 part bleach in a spray bottle would allow an easy mist. After spraying down, allow the mildew to die, then rinse with a hose within an hour or so.

I use straight bleach on hard surfaces, but materials risks the fading/staining effects from the bleach. I know bleach is used for washing clothes and that must be a diluted mix to keep the clothes from getting ruined. (I've never actually done that myself)

[Popeye]

I'll second what Sham says. A 30% minimum bleach solution is needed to kill mold.
I've never used it myself but waterproof solution is available from Amazon and I've known friends to use concrete sealer on dacron kyaks. Fairly cheap and seems to work ok.

[burner von braun]

I think this is a good example of when it might be wise to test a small, less prominent portion of your tent surface first to see what affect your solution has on it, and its waterproof coating. Also, in addition to the good suggestions here, I'd call the company that makes the Kodiak for their input as well.

[Elliot]

This rather disreputable tent was given to me by a neighbor when he moved away. Sure enough, it had been packed away less than dry, or otherwise been a bit moist. It was a bit muddy, also.

Bleach & water, as described above; rinse diligently with garden hose; then soap & water and scrubbing, and rinse generously again. Turn every which way while it dries to a crisp in the sun.

Took a while, but made the tent perfectly usable. That said... there is always the possibility that bleach will deteriorate the fabric, and/or the thread. But if you don't try this, you have nothing but garbage-can-filler anyway.

Best of luck!

[Token]

Manufacturer has instructions:

http://www.kodiakcanvas.com/faqs/#Mildew

[BBadger]

You can also try vinegar with some dish soap or other detergent if you don't want to use bleach.

[Rusted Iron]

White vinegar and a mild soap. Dilute tea tree oil for any stubborn spots.

[2Thu]

Thank you everyone! I will try a more mild solution first before trying bleach. I will update everyone with the progress.

[Toe]

Grapefruit seed extract is supposed to be pretty good for this kind of situation according to the end of this article: https://moldpedia.com/mold-removal