Enjoying the safety and security of your ShelterLogic canopy tent is one thing – but learning how best to keep it serving your cause for years to come is quite another.
Much like cleaning your gutters or changing the oil on your vehicle, learning how to clean a canopy tent is an important step towards taking a few small actions now that will prevent any major issues from popping up later.
Luckily, canopy tent maintenance is easy – it all comes down to some common sense and a little light detective work. We’ll go over everything you need today to help you keep your ShelterLogic product robust and secure for years to come.
Why Do I Need to Clean and Maintain a Canopy Tent?
It’s understandable to feel a little surprised as to why canopy tent maintenance is so important. After all, you invested in your ShelterLogic product to help weather every climate and product your possessions from heat, cold and the rain.
Yet despite how much we build our products to last, the truth is that they get put to work in all kinds of locations – with all kinds of temperatures. This isn’t an issue in the immediate term, but it does mean you can lend a helping hand to keeping your canopy tent standing strong with a few easy best practices.
How often you take your canopy tent up and down can have an effect on its service life too, and that’s why learning how to clean a canopy tent is just as important as canopy tent maintenance.
It’s a question of looking for telltale signs like mold or wear and tear on the bungee cords – as well as checking no holes have made their way into the fabric.
How Do I Inspect My Canopy Tent?
Whether you have a lot of confidence in DIY and staying handy, or you’re more hands-off and feel a touch inexperienced, learning how to clean a canopy tent is all about knowing which things to look for.
The most obvious detail to check for during any canopy tent maintenance is damage or holes in the fabric of the canopy tent itself. Even the smallest of holes can grow with surprising speed, so nipping this in the bud ahead of time is a good idea – although there is always the option of ordering a replacement cover or buying a new canopy tent if things are too far gone.
Mold is another key detail to check the corners of your canopy tent interior for, as well as anywhere where you know your canopy tent has been in an especially warm and damp environment.
Mold spreads fast and it can be hazardous to your health, meaning it’s really important to get rid of it as soon as you find it – and of course, with effective canopy tent maintenance, you have the chance to pre-empt it before it even shows up in the first place.
Lastly, remember to check the structural side of your canopy tent – the poles, but also the bungees cords holding it all together. They’re durable but checking for damage is a key part of canopy tent maintenance – again, hoping to notice issues sooner rather than later.
Check the Bungee Fasteners
The bungee fasteners on your ShelterLogic product are the key to helping it stand tall against the elements. That’s why checking this is a vital part of canopy tent maintenance.
This is one of those situations where if you don’t notice anything out of the ordinary, the job’s being done right.
However, if you see wear and tear on those fasteners – or worse, some of them are missing altogether – you need to make sure you’re locking in the structural integrity of your canopy tent.
For that, replacement bungee fasteners come highly recommended.
Check for Rips and Tears
Accidents happen, and that’s why checking for rips and tears is so important in good canopy tent maintenance. Remember, leaving even a tiny hole unattended can see it sprout into a much bigger problem later down the line.
The good news is, you don’t need any fancy tools or specialist kit to fix any whole you see. Like many of the best DIY quick fixes, a smooth application of good old fashioned duct tape over the tear is all you need to get your canopy tent secured.
Can I Get a Replacement Cover?
Of course! ShelterLogic supports its products for the long haul, and that means almost every model being used today has replacement covers affordably available.
If your canopy tent maintenance has shown you enough issues that you feel like a whole replacement cover is more effective than any attempts to fix the issue, we’re happy to help.
How Often Should I Inspect my Canopy Tent?
Nobody buys a canopy tent expecting to have to step outside and check it over every few days. That would be far too demanding – and would make the integrity of your product pretty questionable, which is not what we are about here at ShelterLogic.
Instead, we find a semi seasonal approach is best – once as the spring comes, and again when the fall gives way to winter. This kind of six monthly canopy tent maintenance should help you find any issues in a timely fashion, but also not take up too much of your time throughout a busy year.
Since many canopy tent products are put out during the spring and summer months and put away again during winter, you can treat this as though you are inspecting your canopy tent before it performs for the warmer months, and again after it’s done its duty and is being put to rest for a spell.
How Do I Clean my Canopy Tent Cover?
Learning how to clean a canopy tent cover doesn’t need to involve advanced techniques or highly specialized materials. In fact, if anything, those kinds of cleaning solutions will probably do more harm than good.
This element of canopy tent maintenance thrives best by keeping it simple – but remember to also keep it thorough. Once you know what to expect and what to look for in what parts of your ShelterLogic product, learning how to clean a canopy tent cover is reasonably easy.
Assemble the Canopy Top
A great deal of learning how to clean a canopy tent cover involves putting your ShelterLogic product together as though it’s about to go to work for you for the season.
For that reason, the best first step is to fully assemble the canopy top. As you do so, you’ll be able to see if there are any bungee fastener or structural issues with your product that are either problematic, or show signs of soon becoming that way.
Check the Cover for Dirt and Mold
While every canopy tent is built to withstand the elements, they still need a helping hand from us all to keep performing at their best. Dirt and mold can play a surprisingly harmful role in even the strongest of these products, making a check for this kind of foreign material a key part of canopy tent maintenance.
Remember, this is as much about your own health and safety as it is the performance of your canopy tent. Avoid touching dirt and mold with your hands directly wherever possible, and wash your hands thoroughly if you accidentally make such contact.
Use a Mild Cleaning Solution
It’s time to clean the fabric – and people learning how to clean a canopy tent are often surprised how simple this part is. You’re not going to have to go to the store to buy special chemicals or solutions – some soap and water are all it takes.
In fact, we actively advise against using harsh chemicals and bleaches during any part of your ShelterLogic canopy tent maintenance. Sure, these canopy tents are strong – but abrasive chemicals like that stand to do more harm to the fabric of your product than good.
This is definitely a part of canopy tent maintenance where less is oftentimes more.
Avoid Abrasive Cleaning Tools
Similarly to what we have just outlined above, do not use abrasive cleaning tools like wire wool or other harsh scrubbing brush surfaces to clean your canopy tent.
One mistake some people make when learning how to clean a canopy tent is to assume that, due to it being a rugged outdoor product, it needs a rugged hand to make clean again.
Yet abrasive cleaning tools will actually damage and potentially shred the material if there’s too much aggression involved. It’s best to simply rely on a soft sponge and some soapy water – plus, it’s a lot easier on you too.
Rinse With a Garden Hose and Let it Dry
With a good covering of soapy water removing all the dirt, mold and grime that may have built up on your ShelterLogic canopy tent over time, it’s time to let a little more good old fashioned natural water finish the job.
Once again, a word or two of caution though. Some people who are learning how to clean a canopy tent make the mistake of hosing off their material – or worse, subjecting it to a blast from a pressure washer tool.
Please avoid doing this! A simple rinse of water is all it takes to get your canopy tent clean, without any of the damage that could ensue from excessive water pressure via those other methods.
It’s important that your canopy tent is able to dry naturally too. It’s understandable that that can be easier said than done at certain times of the year, but by all means leave it to Mother Nature to dry out your canopy tent cover after rinsing and washing it. It’ll thank you with a far longer service life over time.
Install the Legs and Repeat to Clean the Inside
One of the reasons we advise beginning the entire process of how to clean a canopy tent with constructing the canopy top is that, to finish, you then have the opportunity to add the legs and clean the inside.
Not only is this more conscious of space and your free time, but it also means your canopy tent is being set up during its cleaning process – and that’s pretty convenient if you ask us.
Remember, cleaning the inside of the canopy tent will need the same attention to detail and less is more approach as the rest of our work so far.
That means taking care to identify any mold or dirt that was missed during the external clean of the fabric – as well as making sure to only use a mild mixture of soap and water to do the bulk of the cleaning work.
Once again, make sure also that you do not use abrasive chemicals or abrasive cleaning tools in any part of the process – no matter how stubborn the stain you have found. Soap, water and elbow grease will win out in the end, and that means so will your ShelterLogic canopy tent.
Finally, a rinse with natural water and a similarly natural drying process will leave your canopy tent ready for action.
Success – your canopy tent maintenance is complete
Getting into the habit of following these guidelines twice a year – once at the start of the colder season, and once at the start of the warmer weather – will keep your ShelterLogic canopy tent standing strong against anything life can throw at it.
While you’re free to inspect and maintain your canopy tent more often than this if you like – as well as clean it – twice a year is certainly the minimum canopy tent maintenance it’s advisable to stick to.
Remember, support is always close at hand if you have any further questions or need more in-depth directions. Keep in mind also that replacement parts and covers for your canopy tent are able to be shipped to you swiftly and securely if the need arises.
Hopefully, however, you now have that extra added confidence to not only fulfill canopy tent maintenance, but to do a fantastic job of it. Best of luck!
