Canopy in washing machine

cagey

Well-known member
Joined
6 May 2004
Messages
2,241
Location
Cornwall
Visit site
Thinking of washing Canopy in washing machine, usual crap, guano and dirt. Worried if detergent and machine will damage plastic windows.
Suggestions please as to temp and detergent type or even dont be lazy get scrubbing
Thanks
Keith
 

ajay

Member
Joined
16 Apr 2006
Messages
82
Visit site
I would send it to a sailmaker to clean, they charge about £6 per kg. I washed mine in the bath with less than luke warm water and it shrunk! (sunbrella material)
 

PeterGibbs

New member
Joined
3 Sep 2001
Messages
2,113
Location
N London, and boat in Suffolk
Visit site
Procedure: place hood with plastic windows in washing machine. Turn on. Remove when cycle finished. Phone Jeckells etc and order new to replace shards prized out of machine.

A light scrub with detergent will do it all for you, if cleaning is possible. I use Windowlene on the plastic windows. After 6-7 seasons they go opaque through UV light, then its time to phone Jeckells...as above.

PWG
 

carlton

Active member
Joined
8 Sep 2005
Messages
15,160
Location
A parallel universe.
Visit site
Forumite Andrew Fanner washes his canopy in an industrial washing machine on a regular basis - with, he reports, no ill-effects. He could be worth a PM.

Edit: FWIW, I use detergent and then pressure wash mine once a year, followed by 'Fabsil' proofing.
 

Andrew_Fanner

New member
Joined
13 Mar 2002
Messages
8,514
Location
ked into poverty by children
Visit site
Yup, I do wash the canopy. Check your local yellow pages for a commercial laundry and explain carefully what you want them to do. If a local launderette has a large machine then that is worth trying, again, I would talk to the owners first. I usually go for a long soak with detergent and then a cool wash. Spin dry but don't tumble, just use a washing line or suitable frame to air dry the thing. You may find a suitable frame attached to your boat:)

NOTE WELL. The washing process will almost certainly remove any proofing that the material possessed. Rich folk can use Fabsil or similar, the PBO apporach will involve brick sealant from a building supplier, same stuff at about 25% of the cost.

If no suitable washing machine is available (the one at home has been used for small bits of canopy, with SWMBO's approval) then the bath can be uised. Luke warm water and hand wash washing powder. Get the canopy soaking in the water and powder, get your feet bare and make like ane old fashioned grape treader. Its a slow process, doubly so to get a thorough rinse, the colour of the rinsed water will shock you too, but it can be done.

I have also had some success with a pressure washer running a whirly brush, but the main utility of the setup is reaching bits that are too far away for hand scrub with the canopy up, or for a quick clean off of bird doings. Do a proper job on a nice sunny day, which is, naturally, when you would prefer to be boating.

The commercial laundry I've used is on Hayling Isalnd, they are used to doing stuff from holiday camps etc.
 

bluedragon

Active member
Joined
7 Apr 2004
Messages
1,773
Location
Cardiff Bay
Visit site
We wash ours in the machine. Liquid detergent, low temp wash. Brings it up nicely. The windows are white semi-opaque when they come out but return to transparent when dry. We re-proofed with masonry water-repellent, but it does darken the fabric. Will try a proper fabric treatment this year. I should say however that our hood is quite old...and if the washing had destroyed it I wasn't really bothered too much. Hard to see what damage could be done though. Perhaps others could tell us? If a washing machine doesn't destroy clothes, why should it a tough acrylic canvas?
 

Dave_Rolfe

New member
Joined
7 Mar 2003
Messages
252
Location
Devon
Visit site
I've often wondered about using something like Thomsons Watersealer. If the only effect is to darken the fabric (mines dark blue anyway) it may act like a restorer. Has anyone else experience of using in to proof a sprayhood and what were the results
 

bluedragon

Active member
Joined
7 Apr 2004
Messages
1,773
Location
Cardiff Bay
Visit site
That is what I used. Our fabric is a light beige, and it did darken it. On a blue for example, you might not see any difference. It certainly did work in terms of water repellency.
 

bluedragon

Active member
Joined
7 Apr 2004
Messages
1,773
Location
Cardiff Bay
Visit site
Let me just add that if the windows are near the end of their life anyway, washing in a machine might just be the final straw. We replaced our window plastic two years ago and there is no apparent detrimental effect of washing in detergent. Still perfectly clear and flexible. Summer heat and UV are much more likely to degrade and stiffen the PVC, than a once-a-year wash IMHO.
 
Top