Help with mildew.

[Sentinel947 1205]

What would you recommend for killing mildew on a tent or tarp?

[JoeBob 606]

Bleach and water mixed 1 to 8. Spray it on, let it sit 5 minutes, hose it off with spray nozzle on your hose. Scrub brush the places that remain.

Do it on your driveway to clean two things at once.

 

You can use vinegar mixed at a stronger dilution if you object to bleach.

 

[kari_cardi 10]

We used Mirazyme with great success on one of our tents. The stain remains but the smell is gone and the mildew hasn't spread, indicating that it was killed by the enzyme treatment. It was recommended by the tent manufacturer. Mirazyme has directions for treating mildew in tents right on the bottle. I've found that mildew is likely to recur when bleach is used. Bleach will kill mildew on the surface and bleach out the mold so it isn't visible, it doesn't kill the mold in the fibers. It's hard on nylon and other synthetics, too. I like using a borax solution (1 cup to 1 gallon) to kill mildew in other applications, but haven't tried it on our tents because I'm not sure about how it will affect the fabric and special fabric finishes.

[blw2 433]

I've never used this stuff, but saw it used on a boating TV show once. For small things like cushions he enclosed a small chlorine dioxide packet wit the cushion in a plastic bag. Can be hung in larger spaces like a boat cabin. Might be able to figure a way to treat a tent.... perhaps if the tent is small enough you could seal it in a garbage back loosely with one of these packets.

It releases chlorine dioxide gas and it'll kill the mildew or mold, and other nasties that cause musty odors.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Star-NosGUARD-Mildew-Control-System/dp/B004O0FP4S/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1377007669&sr=8-7&keywords=chlorine+dioxide

 

That company also makes some mildew cleaners for boats that are not bleach. Safe for use on canvas boat covers, etc..... so might be worth looking into for tents.

 

[blw2 433]

this one too

http://www.starbrite.com/item/mdg-mildew-odor-control-boat-bomb-6cs