Hammock Care

You have spent time picking out your hammock. Now you want to keep it with you for a long time. Hammocks need to be taken care of to preserve their usefulness. Cleaning a hammock is easy, but you need to take a little time to make sure it is done correctly.

There are two ways to wash a hammock. You can hand wash a hammock or you could wash it in a washing machine. To be able to wash a hammock in a washing machine, the hammock either needs to have no spreader bars, or the spreader bars need to be removed. If you have spreader bars that can't be removed then you must hand wash your hammock. Hand washing is fairly simple. Spread the hammock out on a flat surface. Then slowly scrub the hammock with a mild detergent until the hammock is clean. If you are going to use a washing machine, use the same mild detergent, but set the washer to a low agitate setting. Washing a hammock in a washing machine can increase the ware and tare on the hammock, so be careful.

Do not dry the hammock in a clothes dryer. The heat from the dryer can shrink or damage the hammock fabric. This also applies with cheap hammock swings as well. Hang up the hammock somewhere where it can fully dry. If you pack away a wet hammock mold can start to grow on the fabric or the hammock ropes. One the hammock is fully dry, you can use your hammock or pack it up for storage. When storing a hammock, make sure it is kept in a cool dry location. If for some reason you start to get mold on the hammock, just hand wash it again, but this time make sure it is no longer damp before you use or store it.

Many portable hammocks have metal stands attached to them. To wash the fabric for a portable hammock, unclip the stand from the hammock, freeing up the fabric. You can then wash the fabric using one of the two methods mentioned above.

If your hammock has a wood stand, and the hammock will reside outside, make sure to stain or seal the stand. Exposed wood over time can warp or rot without any protection. You can use any wood stain or sealer found at your local hardware store to apply to the stand. One coat a year should be sufficient to keep your hammock stand protected.

Hammocks are fairly maintenance less products, but like anything that spends time outside, there are some basic things that you need to do to keep it in top shape.