Cheryl asked: How do I clean a handheld umbrella? Once the umbrella is cleaned, do I need to reproof it? If so, how?
If 
your umbrella gets dirty, here’s a simple way to get it clean without a lot of effort or the potential for damage.
General Cleaning
You Will Need:
- Bathtub
- Mild liquid laundry detergent
- Sponge
- Water
Steps to Clean the Umbrella:
- Fill a clean bathtub with enough warm water to submerge the umbrella.
- Add a capful of liquid laundry detergent. Agitate the water to distribute the detergent throughout.
- Open or partially open the umbrella. You can partially open the umbrella if it won’t fit in the tub while fully opened. Place it in the tub, ensuring the water and detergent can flow freely around all surfaces.
- Allow the umbrella to soak for several minutes in the warm water.
- Before the water cools, begin washing the surface of the umbrella with a sponge. Use the same water. It’s best not to apply detergent directly to the umbrella in full concentration.
- Once the umbrella is clean, rinse thoroughly and leave open until it’s completely dry.
Removing Mildew from an Umbrella
You Will Need:
White vinegar
Isopropyl alcohol
Paper towels
Steps to Remove the Mildew:
- First, take the umbrella outside. This is done to prevent the mildew spores from spreading withinbuour home. If the umbrella is currently in an area far away from the door, such as in the basement, put it in a trash bag first to keep the spores contained as you walk through the house.
- Put either white vinegar or isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel and wipe it on a small hidden area of the umbrella to look for any adverse reaction.
- If safe, wipe off the mildew with the damp cloth.
- Wipe the area again with a clean paper towel soaked in the cleaner after the visible mildew is removed to ensure all spores are killed.
- Rinse off the umbrella with water to remove any residue from the cleaners, then dry it with paper towels. It is important to dry the umbrella so that any mildew spores that remain cannot feed off the moisture and grow back.
Additional Tips and Advice
- To remove stubborn stains, you can use a laundry stain remover. Spot test first and read label directions before you begin.
- If you feel your umbrella needs to be waterproofed, use a spray made for the job such as Nikwax Tent and Gear Solar Proof.
- Setting the umbrella out in the sun open for an hour can also help to kill mildew spores if needed.
How to clean oily black stains of handheld yellow umbrella?
Paul,
The best way to remove a stain depends on what the cause of the stain is. However, if the stain is oily, then treating it as an oil stain should work. Use the information in the guide How to Remove Oil Stains from Clothing. Good luck!
My cats peed on my umbrellas!! Is there anything that can get out that awful cat urine odor?
Susanne,
Use a pet enzyme cleaner like Kids ‘N’ Pets or Nature’s Miracle; they can be found on the pet aisle of most supermarkets (usually the dog aisle) or at a pet store. Follow the instructions on the label of your selected cleaner (usually you just spray it on and let it dry). Good luck!