I have read several discussions on cleaning your pop up canvas the more I read the more scared I get. We have a used Flagstaff Mac we purchased late last summer who the original owner did not take care of mainly a leak in the roof vent (now fixed) causing the canvas/vinyl inside and out to have mildrew stains from this leak. The canvas/vinyl is in fantastic shape only finding one small tear that is now repaired. I want to be able to clean the canvas/vinyl inside and out side with out fear of ruining the material. My RV repair person recommended Folex carpet cleaner which he has used on awnings, however he admitted he not wholly versed in pop ups. This is a huge job and would like to work away at the inside of the camper this summer while camping and finish the out side this fall prior to closing it up for the summer. Has anyone used this product before or has another suggestion. Thank you in advance for all your help.
canvas cleaning
- Thread starter Anita B
- Start date
McFlyfi
Super Active Member
I use Woollite and a soft brush.
I just saw this, as Im newer to the site, but if you havent found anything, this is what I use! I use it in my camper, I have a Discovery 180 Hybrid, and I use it on my boat (it stays in its slip year round) .. its a bit tough to stay around, sooo I spray it and leave...works veeeeerrryyy well for us!
ZEP 1 Gal. Mold Stain and Mildew Stain Remover ZUMILDEW128
ZEP 128 oz. Mold Stain and Mildew Stain Remover is a ready-to-use formula that quickly dissolves mold and mildew stains with the power of bleach. This easy to use formula allows you to spray and rinse
www.homedepot.com
You leave it on thanks so muchI just saw this, as Im newer to the site, but if you havent found anything, this is what I use! I use it in my camper, I have a Discovery 180 Hybrid, and I use it on my boat (it stays in its slip year round) .. its a bit tough to stay around, sooo I spray it and leave...works veeeeerrryyy well for us!
ZEP 1 Gal. Mold Stain and Mildew Stain Remover ZUMILDEW128
ZEP 128 oz. Mold Stain and Mildew Stain Remover is a ready-to-use formula that quickly dissolves mold and mildew stains with the power of bleach. This easy to use formula allows you to spray and rinsewww.homedepot.com
Or you could just use diluted bleach, and save some $$$.
The problem is what is your tenting material? Is it canvas, sumbrella, vinyl, or a combo? All have diffrent ways to clean them. Bleach is ok diluted to use on canvas and sumbrella. Vinyl im not to sure. As said up above , start with the least invasive way to clean it first and work your way up. But i don't think I would leave bleach sit on any of them , so wash that off after it cleans or kills the mold.
The problem is what is your tenting material? Is it canvas, sumbrella, vinyl, or a combo? All have diffrent ways to clean them. Bleach is ok diluted to use on canvas and sumbrella. Vinyl im not to sure. As said up above , start with the least invasive way to clean it first and work your way up. But i don't think I would leave bleach sit on any of them , so wash that off after it cleans or kills the mold.
We used Mold Armor spray - green spray bottle from Walmart - I believe it was in the Automotive department. Home Depot also carries it in gallons. We had gray canvas where a roof leak had occurred - prior owner had not repaired it so it had sat for years and gotten literally BLACK in several large spots. Other than the spots the canvas was in great shape. I wet the area first with very warm water then sprayed the Mold Armor on and waited about 10 minutes, then wiped it off using very warm water in a sponge. Then I used an old towel to dry it. It worked amazingly well - spots literally disappeared and the canvas looked like new. To just generally clean, I diluted it about 50/50 with water - if you’re doing the outside in the sun it works much faster. Always wipe it off. And this stuff is pretty cheap. Oh, and after I cleaned the vinyl on the outside, - especially the awning - I would use a little car wax - very light on and off - it keeps the vinyl looking great and rain just beads up and runs off.
ericgregoire
Active Member
I've used Concrobium Duoblast Mold and Mildew Stain Remover in the past with great success.
Vinegar from what I understand kills mold deeper in that's what I used cleaning mine when the vent leaked worked great. I put water and vinegar approx 70% water 30% vinegar in a spray bottle and sprayed directly on the affected area let it soak then we have a small hand steamer used warm water in it and cleaned the mixture off the fabric pulled all of the stains off but the old ones that were there before we bought it. Just make sure you clean it all up good and wipe down everything the vinegar solution touches or it make cause rust/corrosion on metal parts.
I got all my cleaning directions for a blog called PopupPricess. Her directions are wonderful for cleaning. I had a pop up that hadn't been cleaned in nearly 2 decades and looked brand new when I followed her advice! When we sold it the new owners shouldn't believe it's age cause it was in terrific condition. We even had our carpet cleaner guy clean the carpeting inside with his steam cleaner...game changer!
for the vinyl cleaning, I use a product I clean my cars with all the time and I figured I would try and it turned out amazing.
buy a bottle of Mother's VLR (Red bottle Vinyl, Leather & Rubber) and some Magic erasers.
grime on car doors and dashes etc. literally wipe away with little to no effort.
so I tried it on my old vinyl and screen room, everything came out white and bright and looks brand new on-screen room and all green vinyl was shiny and new looking again with not one spec of mold or grease anywhere. spray it on, let it sit for maybe 1 minute if really bad (grease around the lift system areas), then wipe off with the magic eraser.
after I cleaned it all, I let it sit open for a bit to "dry" everything, then I resprayed with a water repellent.
my popup looks like it rolled out of a showroom.
I used some spray canvas cleaner on the underside of bunk ends, but mine was not that bad and with spray cleaner and a microfiber cloth, they seemed to wipe clean.
good luck
buy a bottle of Mother's VLR (Red bottle Vinyl, Leather & Rubber) and some Magic erasers.
grime on car doors and dashes etc. literally wipe away with little to no effort.
so I tried it on my old vinyl and screen room, everything came out white and bright and looks brand new on-screen room and all green vinyl was shiny and new looking again with not one spec of mold or grease anywhere. spray it on, let it sit for maybe 1 minute if really bad (grease around the lift system areas), then wipe off with the magic eraser.
after I cleaned it all, I let it sit open for a bit to "dry" everything, then I resprayed with a water repellent.
my popup looks like it rolled out of a showroom.
I used some spray canvas cleaner on the underside of bunk ends, but mine was not that bad and with spray cleaner and a microfiber cloth, they seemed to wipe clean.
good luck
We have used the 301 Products which are recommended by Sunbrella, since that is what our canvas is. They work wonderfully, though can be pricey. I have also used Dawn dish soap for simple clean-up.
As someone mentioned, Pop-up princess has great detailed instructions with pictures.
You will likely have to re-waterproof the canvas after cleaning, so make sure you plan for that.
As someone mentioned, Pop-up princess has great detailed instructions with pictures.
You will likely have to re-waterproof the canvas after cleaning, so make sure you plan for that.
I have always used car was soap with a tad bit of bleach without any problems. Here's a little tip, when you are camping underneath trees throw a tarp over your canvasses
Woolite is what we used and it worked wonderfully!
