tent-care-msg

tent-care-msg – 8/14/05

Care of tents. waterproofing, washing.

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Stefan at florilegium.org

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From: daniel_t at gate.net (Daniel Tartaglia)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Help-Getting mold off tents.

Date: 5 Sep 1994 23:58:35 GMT

Our tent got soaked and we didn't do the right thing. Because of our

sloth, our walls now have spots of mold all over them. I used some bleach

on them which killed the mold but the spots remain.

Does anybody know of a product/method of getting mold off of canvas?

Ld. Nicolas Bradwater

From: marisla at aol.com (Marisla)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Help-Getting mold off tents.

Date: 5 Sep 1994 21:39:09 -0400

Rinse your tent off immediately w/ lots of water. The bleach if not

rinsed completely will eat right thru the tent. Ammonia solution should

remove most of the mold. But start first w/ liquid soap and a stiff

brush. If that doesn't work, ammonia and then lots of hot sun as sun is a

natural bleach. - Marisela

From: alisounf at aol.com (AlisounF)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Help-Getting mold off tents.

Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:35:01 -0400

marisla at aol.com (Marisla) writes:

>But start first w/liquid soap and a stiff brush.

Not if the tent is made of certain kinds of sail canvas. Any oil or

grease, which soap is, will cause the natural water repellancy of the

canvas to cease. In other words, it may leak. This no soap advice was from

the maker of my pavillion.

Alisoun Fortescue of Maplehurst

From: 00eenepsa at bsuvc.bsu.edu

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Help-Getting mold off tents.

Date: 8 Sep 94 11:38:05 -0500

Organization: Ball State University

daniel_t at gate.net (Daniel Tartaglia) writes:

> Our tent got soaked and we didn't do the right thing. Because of our

> sloth, our walls now have spots of mold all over them. I used some bleach

> on them which killed the mold but the spots remain.

**Unfortunately, my lord, you've probably ruined your canvas.

Mold begins to eat holes in the fabric and bleach DOES eat holes in the

the fabric, destroying any waterproof qualities it may have had.

You can remove the stains first with vinegar, and if that doesn't

work use diluted, powder laundry detergent. You will then need to

completely re waterproof your tent. Army navy surplus carries a very

heavy duty paint on waterproofing that will do the trick, but you must

let the tent stand to air out for a LOOOOOONG time and apply it several

times. I certainly hope someone has a better suggestion, but in my

experience, that's about it.>

:{ G-frewi

From: folo at prairienet.org (F.L. Watkins)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: waterproofing

Date: 22 Nov 1994 02:44:51 GMT

Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

Thompson's waterproofing a) doesn't always work and b) will always

smell. For a long, long time.

Trust me.

Folo (been there, done that...)

Damin de Folo - F.L.Watkins - folo at prairienet.org

Baron Wurm Wald (MidRealm) - Commander Baldwin's (NWTA)

From: david.razler at compudata.com (DAVID RAZLER)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: WaterproofingBetter

Date: Tue, 22 Nov 94 00:09:00 -0400

Organization: Compu-Data BBS -=- Turnersville, NJ -=- 609-232-1245

BM> I've heard of people using stuff like Thompson's Water Seal for

BM>waterproofing their canvas tents, etc. Your impressions?

The absolute best waterproofing and stainproofing for fabric is

ScotchGuard(tm) spray - used in much greater quantity than recommended on

the can.

A half-circle ultra-heavy wool cloak requires a can - which will keep it

clean and the wearer dry for about four years including five wars worth of

sitting around the firepit on wet grass. NO GRASS STAINS

The best method of keeping papers safe and dry during an outdoor event:

1) take one Lands End(tm) original canvas carryall attache or whatever they

call that bag these days.

2) Spray inside and out with ScotchGuard.

3) Take the rest of the war worrying about something else.

Spray the canvas of a director's chair with a good soaking of ScotchGuard.

Watch the rain.

When it stops, shake chair a little and sit down dry.

For extra protection, save the Thompson's for WOOD, not fabric.

Of Note: Drycleaning, which your cloak will eventually will need, removes

ScotchGuard. Buy more and you're good for another half-decade!

NOW BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION:

Unless you go to a 3M wholesaler and buy ScotchGuard for Fabric in a

paintcan and apply with an airgun, you will not be able to afford a full

waterproofing job for a canvas pavillion. Further - if you are going to do

that job, borrow an air pack or SCUBA gear for the inside coat. Keep a fire

extinguisher handy, or do the outside, allow to dry, then turn the tent

inside-out.

David M. Razler

(Aleksandr the Traveller doesn't have any idea what this message is about)

[david.razler at compudata.com]

From: dickeney at access2.digex.net (Dick Eney)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: pre-pennsic packing

Date: 9 Mar 1995 20:20:48 -0500

Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA

<ALBAN at delphi.COM> wrote:

>entering into the annual pre-pennsic packing frenzy a bit early, i'd like

>to know:

>i have a pavillion, 15 x 20. the top is all of a piece, which makes it too

>large to shove into a washing machine, even the large industrial kinds.

>the rains last pennsic made this top mildewed. very mildewed. you should

>have seen the hives i got sitting next to the top on the drive home, it

>was so mildewed. question: how do i get rid of this much mildew on

>this large a top? and how do i return the color of the fabric from the

>mildewy gray to a more natural slightly off white?

First off, you don't wait five months to get started -- however, that's

irrelevant now. Find a BIG flat space, and on a day when the weather

report indicates 2-3 days of sunshine spread the thing out, sweep or

vacuum the grossest of the mildew fungus off. (If you get hives just

being near it, better use a vacuum.) Then sprinkle or spray it with a

weak solution of lemon juice (about 2:1) and let that stand in the

sunlight all day, repeat the next day (maybe a third if you're lucky),

and on the afternoon of the last day fold it up and bring it in. For

further details check "Helpful Hints" by almost anybody like Heloise.

|-----Mandarin 2/c Vuong Manh, C.P. (dickeney at access.digex.net)-----|

From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: pre-pennsic packing

Date: 10 Mar 1995 02:26:59 GMT

Organization: University of California, Berkeley

<ALBAN at delphi.COM> wrote:

>i have a pavillion, 15 x 20. the top is all of a piece, which makes it too

>large to shove into a washing machine, even the large industrial kinds.

>the rains last pennsic made this top mildewed. very mildewed. you should

>have seen the hives i got sitting next to the top on the drive home, it

>was so mildewed. question: how do i get rid of this much mildew on

>this large a top? and how do i return the color of the fabric from the

>mildewy gray to a more natural slightly off white?

The short answer is, Chlorine bleach. This will not only kill

the mildew fungi, it will bleach out the stains. The answer is

lengthened by two considerations:

1. How to apply the bleach to the fabric, and how to keep it

from wiping out the local environment. What you need is a large

flat area on which to lay out the pavilion top and apply the

bleach, from which the runoff won't run off into any local

watercourse. I can't tell from your netid where you are located.

A flat field or vacant lot might work, so long as you can hook up

a hose to the water supply. Spray or sponge the bleach onto the

fabric; wait till the stains disappear; and rinse it off with lots

and lots of water. The bleach will break down after a while, but

in the meantime you want it to be sufficiently diluted that it

doesn't kill anything but the mildew.

2. After that, you will probably want to restore the waterproofing

to the fabric. How you do this will depend on what the

waterproofing was in the first place. ScotchGard? Paraffin wax?

Intrinsically tight weave? Talk to the place that sold you the

fabric, and/or your local hardware store.

And next time it gets mildewed, don't ride in the same

compartment with it if you're allergic to it. Next time you

might stop breathing, and that would never do.

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin Dorothy J. Heydt

Mists/Mists/West UC Berkeley

Argent, a cross forme'e sable djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu

PRO DEO ET REGE

From: cerdic at mcmi.com (david h corson)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: pre-pennsic packing

Date: Fri, 10 Mar 95 10:32:03 EST

Organization: Material Culture Management Inc.

Alban--

you might try spreading it out in the back yard--when the weather is

goint to be decent for a few days, and using a bleach soloution in the

sprayer on your garden hose. I have used one of those jars like they

sell for feading your lawn or flowers, with Tilex or Clorex---it seemed

to work for me.....

Elaina of Oaklawn, Countess, using Lord Cerdic's account

From: Wynn Klosky <klosky at meeker.ucar.edu>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: pre-pennsic packing

Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 15:12:40 -0700

Organization: National Center for Atmospheric Research/Boulder, CO

For all those with mildewed tents, I bear tidings...of possible unhappiness.

According to my source at the Denver Tent Company/American Canvas in

Denver, the first-try cure for mildew is to set up your tent and hit it

with the hose and a scrubber to see if you can knock it loose that way.

If this does not work, he says as a LAST result, because this may well

weaken your tent, to try a solution of 3 parts water to

one part chlorine bleach applied to a corner spot -- scrub it out and

rinse VERY well as any bleach left in will cause the fabric to deteriorate.

Allow it to dry THOROUGHLY, and see what the result is before applying to

your entire affected area.

The bad news, he says, is that if it already has *that* smell, the fabric

may already be damaged -- he says it will feel brittle and weak in your

hands. In this case, he says, there is little hope for the recovery of

your pristine tent.

(This is all assuming a natural canvas tent -- I didn't ask about synthetics)

In any case, he says, you should hose the mildew off as best you can as

soon as you can to prevent or lessen fabric damage. And let it dry in the

sun (making sure you've rinsed any Clorox out thoroughly), as evidently

sunpower has some brightening and beastie-killing effects.

Hope this helps,

branwynn ottersby

Caer Galen, the Outlands

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

From: gyeates at chat.carleton.ca (graham yeates)

Subject: Re: pre-pennsic packing

Organization: Carleton University

Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 23:49:09 GMT

From Lady Helen Who shares her Lord's account,

Alban,

At A recent practicum (learning event) we had a class on tent

making from a lady who has made canvas tents all her life (having

learned the craft at a young age from her mother). Her thoughts on

Mildew were thus "Prevention is the Best Way". ON bringing a wet tent

home she suggests airing it as well as possible before storing it.

She suggests the basement or the lawn on the next available sunny day.

She Continues:

"Washing with soaps or detergents will usually remove all

waterproofing . Peroidically, Dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda in a

gallon of warm water. Brush LIGHTLY into canvas. RINSE ,and let dry

out. ***For Mildew, put 1/2 cup of javex in a gallon of warm water.

Brush lightly into canvas, rinse well, let dry in the sun. ***In

desperation (ONLY), put 1/2 cup soap (NEVER DETERGENTS) in a gallon of

warm water {and proceed as above}. ******THESE LAST 2 TREATMENTS WILL

PROBABLE TAKE OUT MOST OF THE WATERPROOFING *******" (this is quoted

verbatim, all uppercase hers) She went on to suggest retreating with

Aquatite, a waterproof ing agent. She of the ladies up here have used

Thompson's Waterseal on their tents with good results too! Good Luck!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Graham A. Yeates Carleton University

And Lady Helen /Helen Dolbey

Email address: gyeates at chat.carleton.ca

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: pre-pennsic packing

From: una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org (Honour Horne-Jaruk)

Date: Sat, 11 Mar 95 23:00:42 EST

ALBAN at delphi.COM writes:

> entering into the annual pre-pennsic packing frenzy a bit early, i'd like

> to know:

> i have a pavillion, 15 x 20. the top is all of a piece, which makes it too

> large to shove into a washing machine, even the large industrial kinds.

> the rains last pennsic made this top mildewed. very mildewed. you should

> have seen the hives i got sitting next to the top on the drive home, it

> was so mildewed. question: how do i get rid of this much mildew on

> this large a top? and how do i return the color of the fabric from the

> mildewy gray to a more natural slightly off white?

> alban, who tries to plan ahead.

Respected friend:

Large lawn+large stiff brush+large bottle mildicide from Janitor's

supplies store+large supply elbow grease+large stack of patches+large

canvas awl+large spool of waxed linen thread= Fixed.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but mildew grows by eating

the fiber it grows on. You've got that much mildew, you've got holes.

Brace yourself.

Yours in service to the Society-

(Friend) Honour Horne-Jaruk R.S.F.

Alizaunde, Demoiselle de Bregeuf C.O.L. SCA

Una Wicca (That Pict)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

From: shafer at spdcc.com (Mary Shafer)

Subject: Re: Tent mildew

Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA

Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 16:56:33 GMT

We've had a lot of rain here in SoCal recently, with a lot of leaky

roofs, minor flooding, etc. As a result, there are a lot of wet,

mildewy carpets and furniture and a lot of newspaper articles about

dealing with these unusual phenomena.

It appears to me that the _easiest_ way to deal with a mildewed tent

is to take it to a carpet cleaner. Not the kind that comes to your

house and does steam cleaning, but the kind that can really wash/clean

the tent in a tank. They have anti-mildew agents and can deal with

large swaths of fragile wet fabric. Plus, they can scotchguard, if

that's your chosen form of water repellency.

The next easiest seems to be to consult with such people and get

supplies from them.

Good luck!

Mary Shafer DoD #0362 KotFR shafer at ursa-major.spdcc.com

URL http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/People/Shafer/mary.html

From: Peter Valentine <valenti at mailhost.primenet.com>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Tent design

Date: 13 Mar 1995 23:16:04 GMT

> Unto the Rialto does Tariq Yazid bid greetings!

> I seek some assistance in matters tently. Last year, my wife and

> I stitched a 10' x 20' pavilion for Pennsic. This year it needs

> to be waterproofed and also we were interested in painting it.

> Does anyone know of any good references where examples of

> medieval tents may be found? We'd like to be at least in the

> neighborhood historically. Also, any ideas on what type of paint

> or dye should be used? The tent is canvas, and I've done some

> artwork on denim jackets with fabric paint, but I have a feeling

> even to do simple piping would be cost-prohibitive to get 50

> small jars of fabric paint that's sold in art supply houses.

> Thirdly, has anyone waterproofed a canvas pavilion? I heard

> Thompson's water seal works, but is there anything better?

As to the paint, I cannot help, but I did just waterproof a

Viking Pavilion with 400 sq ft of canvas using a product called

Surfcoat (or Cerfcoat? can't remember) which I procured through a

local Camping Supply Store. It cost $20.00/gallon and covers

~100 sq/ft per gallon. Be sure to paint your tent first before

waterproofing!

Wolfgang von Hesse

Barony March of Mons Tonitras

From: "K. Schroeder-Laporte" <adelheid at u.washington.edu>

To: ches at tristero.io.com

CC: h-costume at lunch.engr.sgi.com, ansteorra at eden.com

Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996

Subject: Re: Tent cleaning

On Mon, 25 Mar 1996 ches at tristero.io.com wrote:

> Can anyone tell me if it is possible to get a tent dry cleaned? I no

> longer have a yard to clean one out on and the cat that is now gone

> went all over it. What are my options?

> Ciao at }\

> Ches at }----`--,-- http://www.io.com/~ches/

> at }/

I don't know how old these stains (smells?) are, but people who breed

animals swear by a product called "Nature's Miracle" for all protein based

stains. It has an enzyme which actually breaks down the urine/fecal

matter (or blood or grass, etc.) and doesn't just cover up the problem. I

am not sure how it will affect your tent fabric, but I have never had any

problems with it damaging any fiber I've used it on. You'll probably have

to re-waterproof it after you're done with it, though.

Oh, you can get this stuff in any pet store. It comes in a white bottle

with red writing. And no, I don't work for the company, I just REALLY

like the product.

kat

Adelheid von Luebeck

Acting Arts & Sciences

College of St. Bunstable

http://weber.u.washington.edu/~stareyed/bunstable/bunstable.html

From: "Maureen Martinez" <Maureen_Martinez at ccmail.us.dell.com>

To: h-costume at lunch.engr.sgi.com, ansteorra at eden.com

Date: Mon, 25 Mar 96

Subject: Re: Tent cleaning

Ches,

You can take it to a car wash, and use the high pressure hose. However, I

do caution against using harsh cleaners, or alot of scrubbing as you may

remove the waterproofing or sealer. (especially when dealing with canvas

pavillions).

We found out the hard way that you should never really wash pavillions as

you cannot replace the original water sealing. -- Thompson's water seal

helps, but is not nearly as effective as pre-treated fabric.

For modren tents, this may not be as big a concern as much of their

water-proofing comes from the synthetic fabric itself. However, take care

not to 'wear the fabric too thin'.

I recommend a trying a 'pet deodorizer' which are available at many grocery

stores and pet supply stores. (You can also get some that have scents to

keep your cat from repeating the incident!)

Good luck!

Jenny Winslow

MKA Maureen Martinez

From: Renee/Faustyna <simard at nucleus.com>

To: ches at tristero.io.com

CC: h-costume at lunch.engr.sgi.com, ansteorra at eden.com

Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996

Subject: Re: Tent cleaning

Dear Ches

I have been in this very predicament. There are a couple of options. Is

there a friends yard you can use for a day or two? Since I don't know

waht part of the country you live in you might also look for someones

garage to set it up in while it has to dry. (Duct tape rocks to the

points where the pegs would have to be driven into the ground!)

It may be possible to find an industrial type cleaner but check with a

plAce that rents out large type tents. They have to clean theirs so they

may clean yours for a fee.

If cleaning it your self remember to use lots of baking soda in the water

to kill the smell left behind by kitty.

Good luck I hope you find the help.

Renee/Faustyna

Date: Sat, 07 Feb 1998 23:54:11 -0600

From: Dennis and/or Dory Grace <amazing at mail.utexas.edu>

To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu

Subject: Re: Pine Tree Sap

Gwenllian Rhys Talbot asked:

>Anyone have a good recipe or hint as to how you can get pine

>tree sap out of SCA gear? Leather, tents, clothing, etc...

>I would like to get it out without damaging the fabrics.

>Any help will be greatly appreciated :-))

Try a little oil of melaleuca (tea tree oil). It will leave a residual

odor, but the odor is fresh and somewhat minty. This stuff is one of the

best mild, non-polar solvents I've ever found.

lo vostre por vos servir

Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace

Bryn Gwlad, Ansteorra

From: "Chris K. Hepburn" <chepburn at calcna.ab.ca>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: How to clean a stinky *TENT*

Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 11:14:16 -0600

Organization: Calgary Community Network Assoc.

Okay, since all of you have such wonderful suggestions on how to clean

stuff...here's a challenge for you:

I recently cleaned my basement (read: excavated) and discovered one of my

tents has the unmistakable, pungunt odour of cat urine. I suspect there

may be a connection to my cat...

Anyway, the tent is that rip stop nylon stuff (including the floor). Is

there any way to get the urine smell out of it? I've already tried

"Pine-Sol" but that doesn't seem to be working too well.

If I dunk the entire thing full of bleachy water, will that make the tent

disintegrate?

Any helpful suggestions would be *vastly* appreciated!

Chris

From: aeronstorm at aol.com (Aeronstorm)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: How to clean a stinky *TENT*

Date: 19 Sep 1998 19:22:12 GMT

Pet stores, Walmart, and some grocery stores have products that are

enzyme-based that will take care of cat urine. These products don't cover the

problem with perfume, they break down the components of the urine (and feces,

blood, etc.). Some of these products will take care of the stain as well as the

odor. There's also a black-light device that's supposed to show you where

there's been a deposit. Since cats' and dogs' noses are more sensitive to odor

than are humans', it's supposed to show you where there are minute traces of

urine that might attract your animals again and again. I've never tried the

thing, so don't know how well it works.

One thing not to use is ammonia (a popular, but useless remedy) because it will

only attract animals.

Ariane

Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 13:29:58 -0700

From: Bethany Payne <amanita at jps.net>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: How to clean a stinky *TENT*

REI carries a rip-stop sleeping bag cleaner that I would assume also works on

rip stop tents. I purchased some after my cat decided to express his

admiration for my dad -- all over his down sleeping bag. After a quick wash

in the bathtub with the rip-stop cleaner, the smell is no more.

Ais

From: jen-guy at home.com (Jennifer Guy)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: How to clean a stinky *TENT*

Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 19:19:57 GMT

On Sat, 19 Sep 1998 11:14:16 -0600, "Chris K. Hepburn"

<chepburn at calcna.ab.ca> wrote:

>Okay, since all of you have such wonderful suggestions on how to clean

>stuff...here's a challenge for you:

>I recently cleaned my basement (read: excavated) and discovered one of my

>tents has the unmistakable, pungunt odour of cat urine. I suspect there

>may be a connection to my cat...

My dear kitties have a habit of showing their disapproval of my lord

on my lord's laundry. A product called "Smells Begone" works

admirably, about 1/4 c. in the washer in conjunction with the regular

laundry detergent.

From: sewingcntrl at earthlink.net (Elisee du Lyonnais)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: How to clean a stinky *TENT*

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 09:49:30 -0500

Organization: Merlion's Tail

"Chris K. Hepburn" <chepburn at calcna.ab.ca> wrote:

>Okay, since all of you have such wonderful suggestions on how to clean

>stuff...here's a challenge for you:

>I recently cleaned my basement (read: excavated) and discovered one of my

>tents has the unmistakable, pungunt odour of cat urine. I suspect there

>may be a connection to my cat...

>Anyway, the tent is that rip stop nylon stuff (including the floor). Is

>there any way to get the urine smell out of it? I've already tried

>"Pine-Sol" but that doesn't seem to be working too well.

I have used several of the enzyme based products, and even had the occasion

to use them on a rip-stop nylon tent. I soaked it for 2 days in the stuff

in a inflatable wading pool (this stuff was to stay wet for 24 hours or

more) and the smell came completely out. It has not seemed to harm the

tent - I did this 12 years ago and the tent is still in use. In fact, it

was the only one of our four structures that survived Lilies.

Elisee, who will not adopt more cats when Bill 'n Opus go to the great

litterbox beyond.

From: Chuck and Rhonda Leggett [RLEGGETT at austin.rr.com]

Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2002 4:39 PM

To: ansteorra at ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] canvas question

> I have an odd question, but figured you all have plenty of experience and

> answers.

> What process do you use for canvas pavillions to keep them water proof?

> Susan the Curious

> Northkeep

Although there are many good products available to waterproof canvas (and any other) tenting, one of the most common 'traditional' ways was not to bother, but rather to be careful. A good, tightly-woven canvas will almost never leak-as the fibers get wet and swell, they actually will shed water without treatment....as long as no-one touches the fabric. As soon as the fabric is touched by some-one or something, it initiates a capillary action that runs water through that precise spot like a hole, until the fabric dries and the whole thing starts fresh. (Amusing to see someone draw a picture, or "write" their names into a "waterfall," then realize that they

would have to sleep there!) However, for those of us that don't choose to (or have to) rely on just caution, there is another product I've used before, called "Duck's Back," that I haven't seen anyone mention before. It may be available at Acadamy (I don't remember where I got it several years ago), but it comes in a gallon paint can and must be applied like paint (brush, spray, etc.), but it's worth the effort. I used it to waterproof motorcycle gear, and I would ride year-round, regardless of the weather. If you can find it, I'm sure that you'll think it worth the search (and effort). Best of luck to you.

Ever in service.

Marion du Massue

House of Brick.