How do I clean sappy tent fly?

“I bought a military surplus tent and the fly has sap stains of some sort. It's a rip-stop nylon. I was wondering if anyone had ideas how to clean it without damaging it.”

“Remove pine sap
Scrub off sticky stuff with a sponge soaked in mineral oil, then rinse the spot thoroughly with hot water to remove the residue. This has worked for many a backpacker.”

“Awesome. thank you, i'll try it today”

“If that doesnt work, use witchhazel, goo gone, lemon/lime juice, or rubbing alcohol. Good luck.”

“Danman, I think you got a winner with that goo gone. Even if it didn't work the tent would smell a lot better than that dumb assed paint thinner solution. Then again, Regrigerator is TT's resident expert on sap, or at least ought to be...:)”

“your jelous of everyone little nimblefoot.
last edited: 3/08/08 12:51:51 PM”

“cooking/veg oil works great!”

“Get it some liks. If that dont werk you can woller on it some then get it some mor liks.

Gissmaeioux sayed pee on it. That mite werk (I did not theenk a bout that bwt).”

“hukd un fonikz wurkd fer yoo two eh sarybyll?!8o]”

“Pine-sol dabbed on with a Q-tip works well, too.”

“will this all work even if the sap is stone dry? there's a weird film on it too...i think it was stored wet, will rinsing it in warm water fix that too? they nylon feels kinda dry. i shouldn't have bought that damn thing but it was cheap and eureka is a good name :-P”

“If your tent is the victim of an extraordinarily foul event�skunk spray, baby poop, late-night vomit�dunk the suffering shelter in a tub of warm water and odor-eating McNett Mirazyme

Never put your tent in the washing machine or dry-clean it. Both will destroy its waterproofing. Instead, clean it manually during and after each trip. Before you take down a freestanding tent in the field, turn it upside down shake out dirt. At home, wash the floor with warm water (soap can degrade coatings). Hose down muddy sidewalls, taking special care to flush out zippers and power wash the floor. Air-dry the tent completely before storing it in a cotton sack

Have you ever pulled a tent out of the stuff sack and it smells like vomit? "That's the smell of moisture breaking down the waterproof coating." Even a few drops of condensation can cause mildew to grow, so never store a wet tent. After a rainy or humid night, drape the fly over a tree and turn the tent on its side to let the sun dry the bottom. At home, hang the tent on a clothesline or shower rod. Once it's dry, store it loosely in a cotton pillowcase or mesh storage sack.”