Cleaning and maintaining outdoor canvas is critical to its longevity, functionality, and aesthetics. Just because outdoor fabrics are made to be outside in the elements, doesn’t mean they don’t need care and cleaning. Just like any asset in your home, boat, or business, maintenance will ensure a product that provides the utmost protection for the longest period of time, ultimately saving you money in the long run.
At The Canvas Works, we can provide you with the necessary tools and information to properly clean and maintain your canvas. We offer a complete cleaning and restoration service for all types of products including old tents, residential covers, marine covers, patio cushions, and more. Whatever outdoor canvas needs attention, we can help bring it back to life.
Our Canvas Cleaning Services
Our Cleaning service is broken down into 3 main categories. Scrubbing, Bleaching, and Treating. Depending on what you need to be cleaned, your item may need one or all of the following.
STEP 1: CLEANING & SCRUBBING:
Not interested in pulling out the scrub brush yourself? Let our team do the dirty work. We have the tools, space, and expertise to get your item as clean as possible. First, we use a mild soap and water and scrub brush to attack any tough stains, mold, or caked-on debris. This stage is important for removing heavy dirt. This may or may not need to be done several times depending on the condition of your canvas.
STEP 2: BLEACHING & SOAKING:
After some elbow grease to get the surface dirt and stains out, the next step if needed is to soak and bleach your item. We have a large soaking tub and tumbler to increase the level of cleaning.
Colorful Sunbrella, an industry-standard in outdoor canvas, can withstand a mild concentration of bleach without fading. Some fabrics like marine vinyl, Stamoid, or clear vinyl don’t benefit from bleaching or soaking and typically just need extra scrubbing or special vinyl cleaners (see care). If you have a boat or enclosure window surrounded by canvas, it is possible to clean it without damaging the vinyl.
STEP 3: TREATING
To treat your canvas, we use 303 Marine Fabric Guard. It restores lost water repellency and increases the ability to repels moisture and stains. It can bring older canvas back to life and give you more life in your product.
We thoroughly apply 303 Fabric guard to the outside of covers. It can and should be applied to fabrics like Sunbrella about every 3-4 years to help maintain the water repellent properties.
Do It Yourself Cleaning
We are big fans of giving you the tools to DIY. If you are willing to clean your item yourself, we are here to help. Learn more about the ins and outs of caring for your fabric or vinyl here.
We are also big fans of helping you get the longest life out of your item to save you money. If we can repair, patch, clean, or restore your canvas, we will. However, in some cases, canvas has been overexposed to sun, rain, or mold for too long and needs to be replaced. We will work with you to evaluate the best option for your boat, home, or business canvas.
