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After a camping trip, your tent is probably a little dirty. Follow the steps below to restore your tent to a more civilized state of cleanliness.
You Will Need:
- A vacuum
- A garden hose
- A soft-bristled brush
- Non-detergent soap
- Tent cleaner
- Margarine
- A clothesline
Steps to Clean the Tent:
- Set up the tent in your yard and use a vacuum hose to remove dirt and debris from inside the tent and along the tent walls.
- Use a garden hose to spray the outside walls of the tent. Do not spray the inside of the tent with water or you might remove the water repellent coating.¹
- Use a soft-bristled scrub brush to scrub any dirty spots.
- Use a non-detergent soap, such as soap flakes or vegetable soaps like castile soap, or use a tent cleaner.² Canvas tents that do not have a water repellant coating will require more scrubbing.¹
- If there is any tree sap on the tent walls, rub the sap with some margarine until the sap is gone and clean the margarine from the area with a wet, (non-detergent) soapy cloth.³
- Rinse the soap residue from the tent walls thoroughly.
- Allow the tent to dry thoroughly outdoors or hang the tent on a clothesline.
- Be sure the tent is completely dry before packing the tent for storage to prevent mildew.
- Apply a water-repellent to the tent walls if needed.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Place a shower curtain underneath the tent when camping to further waterproof the bottom of the tent and prevent dirt.³
- Use dental floss to mend any small tears or holes in the tent or place a piece of duct tape over the inside and outside of the torn spot.⁴
- If you are having trouble getting a tent to fit back inside the tent bag, use an old pillowcase as a tent bag instead and thread a piece of rope through the pillowcase hem for a drawstring.³
Sources
- The Cleaning Encyclopedia by Don Aslett
- Cleaning Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin
- Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs & More by Earl Proulx
- Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things by Reader’s Digest
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