How to Clean a Camping Tent

The best way to clean a tent is when it is fully pitch in fairly warm and dry weather. Before you start spraying the tent with water, sweep the floor of the tent and remove any loose visible dirt.You should then try to clean the tent with only water to reduce wear on the tent fabric. This is ideal and will at least remove most but it won't work if your tent is too dirty.

If this is the case, use mild soap or ones made for cleaning tents but never use detergents as it leaves a residue that reduces the water-repellency of the fabric. The good news is that this residue can be removed with Nikwax Tech Wash. It may even partially restore the water-repellency.

If you use soap, mix it with lukewarm water and use a sponge to wipe the tent clean. Remember to remove any dirt or sand from the zippers. Once done, you can either use the garden hose to rinse off the soap or use a sponge dipped in water to remove any soap.

Wipe the tent with dry cloth and let it dry thoroughly outside but out of direct sunlight. If you can't let it dry outside, take it inside and wipe until dry in a room with good ventilation.

It's important that the tent is thoroughly dried before storing or mold and mildew will form a produce a very undesirable smell that can be hard to remove. In case mildew is formed, use half a cup of Lysol to a gallon of water with a sponge to wash the mildewed areas of the tent.

Let the tent dry before treating the mildewed area with 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of concentrated lemon juice in a gallon of hot water. This will help remove the smell. Once done, allow the tent to dry completely this time.

Cleaning a tent can be such a hassle but the easiest way to have a clean tent is by keeping it from getting dirty in the first place. Never take dirty boots or clothing inside the tent and sweep the tent with a broom before packing it. Avoid any dirt from getting into the tent.

If you're using a freestanding tent like a dome tent, shake it dry before you take it down. Pick it up and shake all the dirt out to clean the interior.

Never dry clean a tent or wash it in a washing machine. Doing so will damage the waterproof coating of the tent.