Cleaning A Retractable Awning

The following homemade solutions work for natural materials acrylic and vinyl.

Cleaning a retractable awning.

Thanks to the acrylic fibers woven into the fabric you will not need to worry about mold or mildew forming but it is still possible that dirt dust or debris will collect on your awning during regular use. Thankfully cleaning your awning is as simple as just spraying it off with a hose or lightly scrubbing it with a gentle cloth if needed. Remove debris step 2. Make sure to rinse well and leave your awnings unrolled in the sun until completely dry.

Dust and other debris can grind the hardware of the awning and even strip the paint off the poles. It s important not to scrub too hard when you clean the fabric as you can actually scrub off the finish. If this happens it can be a threat to the hardware as rust can start to form. The good news is that sunesta awnings are very easy to clean and will require little to no upkeep most of the year.

If the awning is really dirty try using a recommended awning shampoo. Don t use any harsh chemicals or bleach as these will harm the awning fabric. Wash all parts of the awning missing spots show when the fabric is dried. The fourth tip for keeping your retractable awning in check is to use a broom to brush off the dust in the joints of the awning.

Use your garden hose to wet your awnings completely before you start spraying the mildew remover. Before you clean a canvas awning including acrylic or vinyl always test the awning cleaning solution i n an area that isn t visible to make sure it won t damage the material. However some are noted for the acrylic and natural fabric but not vinyl. After preparing the solution put it in the sprayer.

So use it only when you have to remove some hard stains. With a broom brush off all loose debris before cleaning the fabric. Scrub awnings step 4. Remember that bleach will reduce the awning s life.

Use a stiff brush dish soap and water. Let your awning sit at least 30 minutes this time but if the awning is really bad you can wait an hour. Use warm soapy water fill a bucket with warm soapy water and gently wipe the awning fabric and frame clean with a cloth. Reapply your cleaning solution and roll up your awning.

Then unroll the awning rinse it off and let it dry. These two steps will take extra time but once you ve done it once you shouldn t have to do it again. Avoid scrubbing which can remove the water repelling finish and ruin your awning. Some more tips from the professional awning manufacturers association pama on how to clean a retractable fabric awning.

There are awning cleaning supplies you can purchase or you can prepare your own. Let it soak for a little while and then scrub the mildew stains with a brush with plenty of water.