Tents

[Iainj837]

I have just got a 2 person tent from freecycle.
The person I got it from was also given to them, problem is it has been put away wet and the inside is mouldy !!
What is the best way to get rid of the smell and also the mould

Regards Iain

 

[CycleTourer]

I haven't tried it but I have heard that Milton solution can get rid of mould stains and the smell in fabrics. There are some discussions here that seem to agree on that.

 

[willem]

I honestly do not know, but I would be careful if you do not want to dissolve the coating. Put it in the bathtub with just water, rinse it, and let it dry in the sun and wind.
Willem

 

[chillyuk]

It could well be stained as well. It is very difficult to totally irradicate mould and mildew.

Throw it out and take advantage of the end of season sales and get a new one.

 

[Ticktockmy]

I have just got a 2 person tent from freecycle.
The person I got it from was also given to them, problem is it has been put away wet and the inside is mouldy !!
What is the best way to get rid of the smell and also the mould

Regards Iain

1. First, you need to kill the mould. (One magizine. 7.62 rounds should do it).LOL
2. Brush the mould and mildew from the material.
3. Wash the affected area with a solution made up of Lysol or Milton
4. And/or rinse with a solution of 1 cup of lemon juice and 1 cup of salt to a gallon of hot water.
5. Allow the material to dry in the sun.
6. Next, bleach the mildew stain.
7. Wash or soak the affected area with one of the following, depending on the material.
8. For most fabrics, you can use a non-chlorine bleach.
9. For coloured fabrics, use a solution of 1 cup of lemon juice and 1 cup of salt to a gallon of hot water.
10. For colour safe fabrics, use a solution of 2 tablespoons of bleach to a quart of water.
11. Allow the bleached area to dry thoroughly.

Take a Tip from me:


1 .Brush the material. outdoors so as not to leave mould spores in the house.

2. If the tent bag is the same material as the tent, test the solutions on a section of the bag to insure its not going to Destroy the tent Material

 

[RedBike]

Given that some of the supermarkets + outdoor shops now sell tents from about £20 unless the tent you have is of particularly good quality then I wouldn't waste too much time or effort on it.


My solution would just be to stick it in the bath tub with a bit of Milton then bung it in the washing machine on a high temperature wash.

 

[smeg]

I'd just wash it in the bath in warm water with some shower gel first, leave it to soak for a while, rinse and dry it, using anything else will damage the material - if it isn't already due to being packed wet. If it cleans up ok after that you'll then need to wash it again with Nikwax Tech Wash or similar to restore it's waterproofing.

 

[Headgardener]

What nobody has yet mentioned is that after washing and drying reproof with a proprietry reproofer in order to preserve the tent's water resistance.

Damn didn't read the end of smeg's post .

 

[willem]

Many solvents and detergents will wreck the PU or silicon coatings of a modern polyester or nylon tent, and will do so permanently. Nickwax and the like will not restore them. So all I can suggest is to clean the tent with just water, and see how far you get.
Willem

 

[Tim Bennet.]

You can not kill mold and mildew with soap or shower gel. Mildew spores are on of the most persistent and durable organisms on the planet.

Only certain types of bleach will kill them. It's a very common problem with boat sails as they are often put away wet and there is not much that can be done and that's on tough, heavily coated sail cloth!

Unless the tent is of exceptional quality and would retail for over £300, it's not worth trying. Then be prepared to ruin it. But don't waste you time washing it in detergent or soap at any temperature. Dettol do a spray called "Mold and Mildew Killer' available from some supermarkets or hardware shops. It's nasty stuff and will strip the colour from cloth (amongst other things!), but it does kill mildew.

Don't just try ignoring it either. The spores will spread and ruin everything else you own. They have also been known to cause respiratory problems in some people. Zipping yourself into a mildew infested tent doesn't seem worth the risk.

So to summarise:
1. If it's a cheap or reasonably priced tent: Throw it away immediately.
2. If it's a very expensive tent: Try killing the mold with Dettol spray, then wash, reproof and test it before finally throwing it away.

 

[MontyVeda]

I've had mildew problems with every tent I've had and have come across only one method which successfully gets rid of mildew:

1 - put tent in bin
2 - buy new tent

 

[smeg]

It shouldn't be packed away wet in the first place, only thick people do that.

 

[willem]

MontyVeda,
In some fourty years of camping I have never had mildew in a tent. Elsewhere you describe yourself as a tightfisted Northener who does not want to spend more than 50 quid on a tent. How about looking after your gear properly? It can save you a lot of money that you can use to buy better stuff. I really hate this wasteful attitude to tents: buy crap (probably produced by cheap child labour), and replace it after two seasons or whatever. We have only one planet, so we had better take decent care of it.
Willem