How to... 'Clean Fabric Patio Umbrella?

[mudflat]

Bleach will kill it! Pro til: Before you pressure wash your house go around with a back pack sprayer filled with water and a couple cups of bleach to kill the mold and mildew. You will be surprised at the amount of mildew your house will have on it.

[beanhunter]

Vinegar and baking soda. Scrub w light bristle brush and then rinse. Apply some stain and uv protectant afterwards. Makes cleaning it again later so much easier.

You will need a couple boxes of baking soda and a couple gallons of distilled white vinegar.

[WoodieSC]

Here's some more in-depth info from 'the government agencies' AND Clorox company regarding the efficacy of chlorine bleach on mold and mildew on non-porous surfaces...

http://www.moldsolutionsofnebraska.c...e%20Bleach.pdf

Why Chlorine Bleach is NOT Recommended for Mold Remediation.
Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is corrosive and that fact is stated on the product label. Yet the properties of chlorine bleach prevent it from “soaking into” wood-based building materials to get at the deeply embedded mycilia (roots) of mold. The object to killing mold is to kill its “roots”.

Reputable mold remediation contractors use appropriate products that effectively disinfect salvageable mold infected wood products. Beware of any mold inspector or mold Remediation Company that recommends or uses chlorine bleach for mold clean up on wood-based building materials.

[WoodieSC]

Bleach will kill it! Pro til: Before you pressure wash your house go around with a back pack sprayer filled with water and a couple cups of bleach to kill the mold and mildew. You will be surprised at the amount of mildew your house will have on it.

I use a mixture of Jomax, bleach and ivory detergent to spray the house down section by section before I pressure wash it. It does help keep it cleaner for a longer period.

The real problem is that since my wife doesn't participate in this several day venture, I'm going to cut some of "her" trees down to eliminate some of the shade on the house where the damn stuff grows!!!

[DRDUCK]

Here's some more in-depth info from 'the government agencies' AND Clorox company regarding the efficacy of chlorine bleach on mold and mildew on non-porous surfaces...

You diggin a deeper hole. If you will read what you said real CLOSE. Fabric as you have on a umbrella is porous. Not non-porous.

PROTIP mister GOOGLE---------Stick to flouride

[USMCsilver]

Tilex Mildew Root.

I was nearly ready to set my boat on fire after it set-up over the winter. The cabin was a God aweful black.

I've used the Root before with impressive results, but didn't think it'd fix the damage that'd been done.

I was wrong.

Spray that bitch down. Let it set for 10-15 minutes and rinse it off.

You'll be done and the only thing tired will be be your trigger finger.

Trust me.

[Simple Man]

I got this.

We use Greased Lightning every day to remove surface dirt on vinyl. We buy it by the 55gal drum. It is great at cleaning dirt in general - not so sure about mold/mildew. The thing it's got going for it is that it's a soap-based cleaner and not harmful to the parent material. I imagine this is a Sunbrella-type material. If so, DO NOT use bleach on it as it will have more detrimental effects on the threads than the material itself, then you'll be looking for a seamstress to put it back together and she's only gonna laugh at you.

Call this outfit......
http://www.shippcleaningsystems.com/index.htm

[BigBrother]

You would do well to heed Simpledude's recommendations.

This is one thing he does know something about, except for where to buy charcoal in bulk. He is pretty good at that too.

[WoodieSC]

You diggin a deeper hole. If you will read what you said real CLOSE. Fabric as you have on a umbrella is porous. Not non-porous.

PROTIP mister GOOGLE---------Stick to flouride

Geez Louise, DRDUCK, give me a friggin' break. I'm not digging anything, and despite what 2th said, I'm sure that Fluoride won't help here...

READ THE ARTICLE, 'DR'. I am very well aware that fabric is a "porous" material, NOT non-porous. The article, AND Clorox's statements refer to both porous and non-porous, and while they initially refer to wood products, later they include fabric in that category. I suspect you are more than capable of reading and understanding this, but some level of oxygen is normally required for comprehension. Take a deep breath and go for it... it'll be good for you.

Here's some more in-depth info from 'the government agencies' AND Clorox company regarding the efficacy of chlorine bleach on mold and mildew on non-porous surfaces...

http://www.moldsolutionsofnebraska.c...e%20Bleach.pdf

At the end of the above linked .pdf is the following...

Caveat Emptor!
Before purchasing a mold and mildew product, read and fully understand the advertised purpose of that product — and correctly follow the use instructions of a purchased product. The labeling claims on these new products can be confusing — some say their product is a mold and mildew remover while another says their product is a mildew stain remover and yet others make similar 'ambiguous' claims. Make double sure that the product satisfies your intended need on the surface to which it is to be applied. If your intention is to kill mold, make sure the product does exactly that and follow the directions for usage.


Consumers may find that mixing their own diluted bleach solution will achieve the same results as any of the new mold and mildew products — keep in mind that the use of chlorine bleach is not for use on mold infected wood products including wall board, ceiling tiles, wall studs, fabric, paper products, etc.

Conclusion.
Laundry bleach is not an effective mold killing agent for wood-based building materials and NOT EFFECTIVE in the mold remediation process. OSHA is the first federal agency to announce a departure from the use of chlorine bleach in mold remediation. In time, other federal agencies are expected to follow OSHA’s lead. The public should be aware, however, that a chlorine bleach solution IS an effective sanitizing product that kills mold on hard surfaces and neutralizes indoor mold allergens that trigger allergies.

Now, DRDUCK, please feel free to point out exactly where my feeble brain missed something here. I'd be forever in your debt.



Simple Man, thanks. I'll check on the label info on Greased Lightening.

Btw, the Sunbrella company web site has a page on cleaning their material and they specifically state as follows:

Heavy cleaning for stubborn stains and mildew

Sunbrella fabric does not promote mildew growth, however, mildew may grow on dirt and other foreign substances that are not removed from the fabric. To clean mildew, or other stubborn stains:

1. Prepare a solution of 8 ounces (1 cup) of bleach and 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of mild detergent per gallon of clean water.
2. Spray on entire area and allow to soak into the fabric for 15 minutes.
3. Remove stain with a sponge, clean towel or very soft bristle brush.
4. Rinse thoroughly to remove all detergent residue.
5. Allow fabric to air dry.
6. If stain and/or mildew are severe, bleach quantities may be increased. View the stain chart for removal of specific stains.

I'm trying to find out if this is in fact a 'Sunbrella' product. I can't believe we didn't keep the original info since we normally maintain a file on damn near everything that we know will last for awhile, or has a warranty.

[murraywader]

Take my advice I posted above.