Canvas cleaning

[timj1440]

I recall seeing a thread about cleaning of canvas to clear discoloration/mildew. I can’t seem to find it. Someone posted about a solution, possibly organic, and they had great results.

Anyone care to help me find or recall that?

Picture of top of flybridge canvas, dark discoloration has grown.

Thanks.

 

[Bacchus]

The Library - Misc - has a Sunbrella Cleaning & Care file that includes using a bleach solution for cleaning. I do seem to recall other comments but have never used anything but the Sunbrella recommended mild soap (not detergent) & bleach.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Yes, you can bleach Sunbrella. At the Annapolis Powerboat Show a year ago Glen Raven had a booth. They had a piece of Sunbrella in a bottle of bleach sitting there to show that bleach does not hurt it.

 

[Russell Clifton]

3/4 cup bleach
1/4 cup mild laundry detergent (I use Deft)
1 gallon of water
I use a sponge that is covered with a nylon mesh (like a bug sponge)
Rinse thoroughly and let air dry.

I find that it may look like this is not working but as it dries you will see the mildew disappear.

 

[tiltrider1]

White Vinegar. It’s organic and it won’t bleach out the zippers.

 

[rsn48]

 

[Gmarr]

White Vinegar. It’s organic and it won’t bleach out the zippers.

I too use white vinegar mixed with some water and tea tree oil. I also toss in Some eucalyptus and lavender oils as well to try to keep Spiders at bay. The other cleaner mentioned IS sunbrellas recommended wash agent as well when thouroughly giving it a wash

 

[tiltrider1]

While sunbrella is indestructible (almost), it’s the thread and zippers you need to concern your self with. Most the time the thread is not an issue but test it first before you ruin something. There is a lot of variation in zipper material, make sure you have something that won’t be damaged by bleach.

If spiders are an issue, we’ll some one just gave good advice on that.

 

[Comodave]

Anybody that has canvas either made or makes it themselves and does not use Tenara thread is crazy. It is indestructible also. And now you can get zippers made out of Sunbrella material. Of course that doesn’t help with older canvas but if you are doing any new canvas work, use the best.

 

[BrianG]

How about machine washing? These tips sound like hand washing techniques. I have a sail cover looking yucky.

 

[Comodave]

I would not use a washing machine. It will put a lot of rubbing and wear on the canvas. I would do it by hand so you only use as much scrubbing as necessary.

 

[tiltrider1]

Anybody that has canvas either made or makes it themselves and does not use Tenara thread is crazy. It is indestructible also. And now you can get zippers made out of Sunbrella material. Of course that doesn’t help with older canvas but if you are doing any new canvas work, use the best.

I agree with you but it is amazing how much canvas is made with cheap accessories.

 

[Comodave]

A spool of Tenara thread costs about $125. A spool of poly thread less than $20. But a spool of Tenara will do several enclosures easily, if not more. So the incremental cost may be $50 per enclosure. But it never needs to be resewn. I think that one of the problems is that a lot of commercial fabricators don’t use it is because the Tenara is more slippery and the machine will have to be reset to have more tension. They don’t want to mess with it. I had one fabricator tell me that. The only thread that goes into my machine is Tenara. I use a hot knife to cut my Sunbrella and if I have sewn it already the Tenara thread will come out the back of the hot knife intact about half the time unless I go really slow with the hot knife. That is impressive to me.

 

[Bacchus]

How about machine washing? These tips sound like hand washing techniques. I have a sail cover looking yucky.

IMO I'd try just the recommended mixes with plenty of soak time. When I had "canvas" I usually cleaned them in the bath tub. Slosh around some and let it soak for a couple hrs... slosh again and rinse multi times on the line outside with a hose.
The addition of bleach helped with the really dirty stuff.