I ruined our camper. :(((((

You did not ruin your camper. The canvas is just stained. Not a big deal. It is just a different color, it still functions like it did before.

 

I knew a man who worked for a well known chemical comany in textiles (think nylon). He told me that under a microscope, the effect on most fabrics, of chlorine is astounding. Please proceed with caution.

 

Don't believe everything you hear on the internet. I just looked up the cleaning instructions in my 1997 Starcraft owners manual. For mold and mildew removal it says to use " Tilex,X-14 or a solution of 1/4 cup of clorox per gallon of warm water" It also states" rinse thoroughly, failure to completely remove bleaching compound by rinsing can cause thread deterioration"
I used Tilex to clean my canvas. I tried to stay away from the seams. I rinsed it twice with warm water. The smell of the bleach while you are doing it will almost knock you out. Works very well.

 

And do not use any bleach containing cleaners at the sa m time as the Tilex!

 

Tilex® Mold & Mildew Remover contains bleach (sodium hypochlorite) to kill mildew and remove the mildew stains, detergent-type ingredients (surfactants) for added cleaning power and a pleasant scent

 

Yes but I made the mistake of using Tilex and a cleanser that had bleach on a bathtub at the same time and nearly gassed myself! Darwin moment!

 

Father in Popup Heaven, O please forgive those who used bleach and/or cheap imitation bleach on canvas. Please forgive them!

 

Using bleach on canvas would not show its damages immediately but it will over time. It may shorten canvas lifetime by certain percentage based on how much bleach was used. Some swore by it but the canvas may rip easily than those used safer cleaning method. It is same with using TV without tow package - it would not reveal damages done in transmission and engine immediately.

 

So....I see your trip went well.....how about the cleaning?

 

How about some plain old soap and water? Like Dawn dish soap or something?

I did clean our canvas with bleach, but it was out of necessity. It was covered with mildew and I had to either replace it, or go all in. It may have taken some years off it, but two years later, it's still fine. I was find with replacing it had it gotten ruined. Our canvas is 20 years old and I know it won't last forever.

 

I believe all the anti bleach preaching is a result of internet tribal knowledge. Cleaning with bleach is recommended in many owners manuals for tents and campers. You could argue that using any soap in your laundry hurts your clothes.

Heavy Cleaning For Stubborn Stains And Mildew
Sunbrella fabrics do not promote mildew growth, however, mildew may grow on dirt and other foreign substances that are not removed from the fabric. To clean stubborn stains:

• Prepare a solution of 1 cup of bleach and one fourth cup mild soap per gallon of clean water.
• Allow mixture to soak into fabric for up to 15 minutes.
• Blot stain with a sponge or clean towel.Note: This step should be avoided when cleaning the coated side (Back side) of Sunbrella Plus, Supreme, or Clarity.
• Rinse thoroughly until all soap residue is removed.
• Air dry

 

And I love the white spots after using bleach on clothes and canvas. My bleaching sin has been forgiven! Speaking from my experience. Mild soapy water is the way to go and doing it yearly is a good idea to prevent build up of dirt on canvas.

 

I think its not so much what you use on the fabric, but how well you wash it out of the fabric....thats the important part. I think for a good cleaning you should take the sections down and make sure they get rinsed throughly and dried.

 

bleach it mine is 17 years young no problems or leaks 2001 viking if i get a new one either canvas replacement or bear creek there both top flight

 

I've seen hotel mattresses worse than that! You're good

 

As to the 'ruined' part, your canvas is still intact. When I bought my popup from a local dealer (now owned by Camping World), it had just arrived as a trade in less than an hour earlier. Everything was in near factory condition, no holes in the canvas, everything worked, etc. They wouldn't let me take it until they did a full safety check (makes sense). I went back 2 days later and found it next to their fence on display (not sure why, I had already paid for it with cash). While I was in doing the paperwork for the title, they moved it around to the customer area using a forklift with a tongue ball on the fork while it was still fully setup. We went out so they could show me how to use everything, and when we were folding it down, their tech did the rear bunk while I worked on the front. One of the rear supports snapped the bolt going through the bed and I noticed the front bolts were heavily oxidized as well, so I said not to worry and I would replace them with brass from Ace HW.

My wife and I took the camper out that weekend and immediately noticed the rear bunk was heavily damaged. That's when I determined that the supports must have dropped off the bumper when they were moving it, causing the supports to pole vault. The supports were 180 degrees backwards and the end of the bunk was bent badly (something my 300lbs body hasn't been able to do).

When we got home, I took it in the next day and they promised to fix it no charge. A week later, they finished and I went to go get it. We popped the top up enough for me to see that the bunk had been realigned to normal (not perfect, but 95%). When I got it home again, we set it up fully. My wife came unglued when she discovered 2 new fist sized holes in the factory new canvas. She called them and a day later, they came to our house to repair the canvas (I stayed outside when she called - I know her furry). She watched the guy repair the canvas and wouldn't let him leave until she was satisfied. End result is we had factory new canvas, but now we have patches (one is the size of a small tablet).

What I am trying to say is that yours will clean, with the proper techniques (a lot of what was said above are good suggestions). But you are far from ruined.

 

There is no way they would have gotten away with patching that for me. I would want the brand new canvas that I bought and paid for before they tore it up.

 

Lol I was just remembering living in mississippi and all the acid rain off the trees all the yellow everywhere hmm acid rain canvas you might just have to live with it. It might of stained it to where it cannot be fully removed do to the acidity. But im not a scientist