A tent is a quick to erect and quick to dismantle living area. Because of its convenience and speedy packing, care of the tent is often overlooked; it is often treated as a "maintenance-free" product. Certainly a good tent is low-maintenance, but whilst camping, your tent is your home, so it makes sense to take a little care after it's use, to prolong it's working life and to keep it comfortable and pleasant to stay in for the next time you go camping.
The most important thing to do is to thoroughly clean the tent after use - while doing this you can also give the tent a quick "health check" all-round. One of the worst things for a camper is to turn up late in the evening to a campsite and erect the tent to find broken zips or poles or a leaky flysheet.
A well-looked after tent will give you many years of service and won't let you down when you need it the most!
Cleaning your tent after use:
The tent should always be cleaned after each camping trip. Cleaning is much easier when the tent is erected - you can see what you are doing and it is easier to handle.
Dealing with Mould and Mildew:
Before starting to clean your tent, check for any signs of mould or mildew on the tent - tents do get damp in use and when packed away for the journey home, the warmth of the car or the home if the tent has been left a few days can encourage mildew or mould growth. Once started, mould will spread unless it is tackled. You can use Milton fluid for this, diluted in water to a 10% (1 part Milton/10 parts water) strength. Gently sponge the dilute solution onto the affected areas and leave for about half an hour - after which time rinse off with clear cold water. Test a small inconspicuous area of the tent first to make sure the solution will not cause discolouring of the material.
Cleaning:
The golden rule of cleaning your tent is not to use ordinary household detergents or solvents. Never put your tent in a washing machine. These damage or remove waterproofing treatments. Use a special tent cleaning solution - Tent cleaners are specially formulated to gently clean and remove typical usage stains including mud and grass without damaging the water-fastness of the tent. Work in sections, cleaning one part (or panel if the tent is of a panel design) at a time. Spray on the tent cleaner and leave for 30 seconds then rub with a sponge or cloth to remove dirt and stains, and then rise off with clean water. Do not allow the cleaner to dry on the tent. For heavy soiling repeat as necessary. As for mildew removal, always test a small inconspicuous area before proceeding with use of any cleaning solution.
Drying:
Allow the tent to dry thoroughly. Always choose a dry day to clean your tent as you will need to leave the tent to dry before packing away (or before reproofing depending on the brand of re-proofer). Packing away a damp tent will certainly cause any mildew to reappear and grow.
Tent Re-Proofing
Re-Proofing is the waterproofing of your tent's fabric. It is not always necessary to re-proof a tent after every use - whilst cleaning you can easily see if the tent or a particular area of your tent needs reproofing. If water penetrates directly through the fabric the tent urgently requires reproofing and it is recommended to re-proof the entire tent. If in any area the water soaks into the fabric instead of beading and running off, the tent or the affected area if only on a small high-wear area, should be re-proofed.
Re-Proofing the entire tent:
A quality tent reproofer restores and maximises the waterproofing qualities of your tent and acts as a stain barrier to make future cleaning easier Always refer to the instructions accompanying your re-proofer, as some re-proofers are applied dry and others whilst the tent is still wet.
If only a small area needs re-proofing, aerosol reproofing sprays are quickly sprayed on the area to be treated. A small aerosol reproofer is handy to carry for any on-site reproofing emergencies.
After re-proofing, always leave the tent to dry for at least three hours before packing away.
Checks and Repairs:
During cleaning and proofing is the ideal time to cast an eye over all the other parts of the tent to ensure everything is as it should be.
Tent Pegs:
Whilst waiting for your tent to dry after cleaning, use the time to knock off any clumps of mud on your pegs. Wash the pegs in a bucket of warm soapy water and dry thoroughly. Plain steel pegs can be given a light coat of WD-40 or similar lubricant - allow to dry then wipe off well before packing in a sealed plastic bag - you do not want your tent smelling of oil or to stain your newly cleaned tent. Check for any bent or damaged pegs and replace as necessary, ensuring you still have some spare pegs left over.
Tent Poles:
Check all the tent poles for cracking, damage, frayed elastic etc. Order any replacement tent poles if necessary now. If you leave it until later will you forget, only to be reminded when you arrive on-site next time about that broken pole? If metal tent poles were used near the sea or exposed to salt air, wash them in clean water and dry thoroughly to prevent salt corrosion.
Guy lines:
Check all the guy lines for fraying, loose knots and damaged guy lines and runners. If you don't have any spare guy lines it is worth considering carrying a couple of spares. Again, order any guy line replacements sooner rather than risk forgetting later.
Zips:
Check the operation of all zips and make sure the zips are clean. Tent Zip Lubricant is specially designed to aid free running of zips, reduce friction and wear and prevent corrosion.
Groundsheet:
Don't forget whilst drying your tent, the groundsheet will need to be turned. A groundsheet is prone to mildew-inviting condensation on the underside even when dry.
Seams:
Check the condition of all the seams paying particular attention to check for leaks as the tent is rinsed down. A dab of seam sealant can cure most seam leaks if any are found
Fabric:
Check for small tears in the flysheet, inner tent and groundsheet and use the appropriate tent repair kit where necessary.
