Fabric Awning Cleaning

Any fabric awning may require cleaning from time to time. If you live in an area with a lot of dust, you may need to clean your awnings several times a year, if you want them to look good.

There are two way of cleaning your residential awnings: you can clean it while still on its frame or you can remove it and clean it in a washing machine. The first step of cleaning an awning without removing it from the frame is to brush off loose dirt that may have accumulated on it. If you can vacuum clean it, do it, so you can better remove dirt particles. After that, use a soft bristle brush and a solution made of water and a mild detergent and gently brush the fabric on its entire surface. The detergent should soak into the fabric in order to clean it, so insist as much as needed until you get it completely soaked. The next step is to rinse it thoroughly until all detergent residues are removed. It is important to insist until no foam comes out of the fabric, otherwise your awning may get stained unevenly when exposed to direct sunlight.

If there are stubborn stains on your fabric awning, you need to use a stain remover solution on those spots. If you want to use chlorine, you may want to read the instructions from the awning manufacturer first, because it may affect the colors. Some producers use materials that can be bleached without any problems, but you can't be sure of that if you don't ask or read the instructions.

It is not advisable to use steam cleaning because it may exceed the maximum temperature recommended on synthetic materials, therefore it may ruin your awning. If is it possible, you can use a steam cleaner on a small corner of the fabric and see how it behaves. If you don't notice any damage, you may attempt to clean the whole thing with the steamer.

Don't forget that regular maintenance is the key to great-looking awnings, so it's best to brush off all dead insects and dirt residues on a weekly basis, in order to prevent their accumulation inside the fabric. Always clean the underside of the awning as well, because it also gathers dirt and it may even develop mildew if you live in an area with high levels of humidity.

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