Cleaning your awning

[Toddleti]

Hi all, do any of you use bleach in your wash bucket. I seen some use 1 oz. to a gallon. Will this bleach out the color or weaken the material. Thanks for any help.

[Kirk W]

I have not added bleach to wash an awning.

[WeBeFulltimers]

I add bleach every time I wash the awning. Never have measured....would guess about 4 oz to 3 gallons water. Works great for me. Has never damaged my awning.

[rynosback]

I would check with the manufacture of the awning. As I would think they could be made from different materials. It would suck to damage the awning and have to replace it.

[cpaulsen]

Use bleach and some Dawn dish soap along with water to wash my awning.....put it on a spray bottle and with awning open....spray the underside...really dirty spots...a long handle brush works great. Roll it up..and let it sit for 20-30 minutes......brush the bad spots again if needed and the rinse off.....and you will be amazed at how clean it comes out with hardly any effort.

[Ray,IN]

There is always 2-3 oz bleach in my wash water bucket (5G). It kills any mold/mildew growing on the MH(black spots) and awnings. Do not leave it on for an extended period and always rinse thoroughly, as some awnings were sewn with cotton thread. Bleach and cotton do not like each other.

[Kirk W]

What I would really like to find is some product which Pam will enjoy using to clean the awning! So far I've not been able to find the right one...

[Toddleti]

Thanks every one for your input, think I will try a little and see how it work. Just got back from a 4 day weekend camping. What a great time cant wait till we full time in 2017. Again thanks for the reply

[Clay L]

There are two types of material commonly used acrylic and vinyl. The cleaning instructions are different.

 

Here is some info I have collected:

From an email to me from A&E:

For your acrylic awing We recommend to use mild detergent and warm water. A 1/2 cup of non chlorine bleach can be used. Once a fabric is cleaned, you may need to retreat with Scotchguard.

From a A&E pdf file on their web site:

Awnings come with two types of fabric…acrylic, a cloth-type fabric, or vinyl. Is one better than the other? Not really. It’s a matter of taste and preference.

Acrylic awnings have the color woven right into the fabric. Acrylic also performs a little differently than

vinyl in wet weather. It is water repellent, not waterproof. Because it’s a woven cloth, it breathes. Air circulates through the fabric so dew and rain can dry quickly. However, you should avoid touching the underside of an acrylic awning when it is wet. This will break the surface tension and allow seepage through the fabric. If your awning gets rolled up while wet, unroll it as soon as the weather allows. It should be completely dry before rolling it up again to avoid mildew.

To keep your acrylic awing clean, simply hose it off occasionally and let it dry. Do not scrub your acrylic awning as this could remove its water retardant finish. If you need to remove a grease spot, use K2R Spot Remover; this is different than how you would remove a similar spot from a vinyl awning..

While a vinyl awning is mildew resistant, mildew can still form on the dirt and dust that sticks to the awning. To avoid these problems you will need to keep your UV-protected vinyl awning clean. Use a mixture of 1/4 cup dish soap, 1/4 cup bleach and five gallons of fresh water. Soap the open awning with this mixture, then roll it up to soak for five minutes while you apply the mixture to the bottom of the awning. Next, open the awning and hose it off with fresh water top and bottom. Repeat this process if necessary.

After the awning is completely dry, roll it up. To remove a grease spot from a vinyl awning, use only soap and water.

Do not use household cleaners, mildew removers or hard bristle brushes!

[oscarvan]

I've used Tilex (which I think has bleached as an active ingredient) to spot clean awnings. Spray, count to 10, work it with a soft brush for another 10-15 and rinse.