Tent cleaning suggestions?

[Rage]

If we don't want are nylon dome tent to serve as a playa only tent, how do we clean the dust off of it?

[AntiM]

I threw my good tent in the washer, cold water, mild detergent and vinegar, gentle cycle, hang dry. So far so good. Of course, it wasn't a cheap tent, that one is next. I'll let you know if it falls apart.

[Badger]

Wash it twice or do this in your bathtub at home.

On 'gentle' cycle and 'cold' temperature in one of those large tub washers at your local laundry mat, add 1/4 cup(max) of washing soap and 2-3 cups of vinegar.

Second washing add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Woolite and nothing else.

Air dry.

Should take care of it. I've been washing my trusty North Face dome tent like this for 15 years and the thing still looks brand new.

[theBrooke]

Don't forget to lube up the zippers, or the bastards will fail on you ... probably next time you hit the playa.

B

[Quickener]

What do you use for zipper lube? WD40?

[theBrooke]

WD-40 would work, I just used some Honda General Purpose Lube... it was closest to me.

This stuff looks promising, but don't lube plastic zippers with it.

http://www.mcnett.com/page.cfm?pageID=539

Oooo or this stuff, I need this stuff!

http://www.mcnett.com/page.cfm?pageID=538

[theBrooke]

303 (aerospace protectant) should do the trick too.

[unjonharley]

Scrub the zipper up and down with a carpenters pencil. I will be to right amount of graphite. Wipe off with a paper towel. Old trick by Heloise.

[Badger]

If you have a YKK zipper then do NOTHING.

[baubles]

This is wonderful advice, too bad my tent is in our storage unit in Reno, next year I'll definately bring it home & give it a good cleaning. Meanwhile, would ya'll be so kind as to bring all this stuff out to the playa next year, and I could do a little cleaning before I get in it? Better yet, a big tent washing camp, can't we just hook a hose up to a spicket out there, spray um down? I'm sure there would be others. : )

Just Fantasizing!

[Quickener]

If you have a YKK zipper then do NOTHING.

You made me curious as my, and most other high quality tents are made with YKK zippers these days, so I did a little googling. From the YKK website (http://www.ykkindia.com/abzip/main.htm)

SUITABLE METHOD OF CLEANING
A zipper should be closed and the slider fixed before cleaning. Left open, the tip of the stopper may damage the fabric or the tape may become stretched or may shrink. Strong alkaline detergents or chlorine bleaching agents used to remove oil or bad stains dissolve paraffin or oily film and must be used with care. If a zipper does not work smoothly after cleaning, apply paraffin or the lubricating spray "FastenerMate", and work the slider up and down several times until it works smoothly.

I noticed that the zippers on my brand new tent were not working as smoothly by the end of the week. I haven't cleaned the tent yet (I'm a professional crastinator), so I don't know if they'll be back to normal after a cleaning. I would expect that a number of years of use at BRC would wear on that paraffin stuff that they talk about though.

[Badger]

That's where the mild detergent followed with the Woolite wash comes in. I've never lubed my zipper in all of these years. However, one thing I didn't mention is that after removing the tent set it up - or let air dry completely - and then take a toothbrush ('soft') and scrub the entire zipper assembly with a little vinegar and water.

[Badger]

Oh and don't toss into a heated dryer as it will cause your seam sealer and to scale and your waterproofing on the fly to peel.

[Ibby]

I either take mine to the big washer at the laundromat like others have suggested, or fill the bathtub and go nuts with a (clean) plunger. The best thing I've found to use on the zippers is parrafin wax. Lastly, I hit the thing with a bottle of Nikwax tent spray, if I figure it needs it. Hope this helps!