A custom canopy is an awesome investment for businesses. The tent displays logos and graphics. To get the most out of the canopy, you must clean and maintain the unit. Learn how to clean a custom-printed event canopy, and stick around for maintenance advice.
What Makes Canopies Dirty?
Typically, you’ll find canopy tents outside, as people use them for events like trade shows, exhibits, or fairs. They shield people and products from the sun and other outdoor elements. Since canopies are outside, environmental debris makes the structures dirty. Dust, gravel, bird droppings, and rainwater affect canopy tents.
When you don’t clean the structures, dirt sticks onto canopies and becomes a hardened layer of grime. It changes the appearance of canopies significantly, giving them a dingy look. Also, this greatly affects custom-printed canopies because dirt makes logos, graphics, and other visuals hard to see! No business owner wants their target audience to pass by their tent without noticing them. Simply put, a dirty canopy is bad for business.
The Importance of Cleaning Your Event Canopy
As mentioned, a dirty canopy is bad for business. Establishments use event canopies to display their brand and attract patrons. Dirty canopies are unattractive, and they give companies a bad look. In some cases, potential customers may question a business’s reputation. After all, would you purchase food from a dirty stand? Most likely, no. Maintain your company’s integrity by caring for branded gear.
Furthermore, cleaning event canopies is important because it extends the tent’s lifespan. Rusty frames and grimy fabric hinder the appearance of tents and affect their structural integrity. Excessive wear and tear shortens the canopy’s lifespan, making business owners frequently purchase new tents.
Luckily, routine cleaning is the key to a long lifespan and beautiful appearance. Proudly display your company’s name with a canopy that looks great from the day you purchase it.
Proper Cleaning Instructions
How do you achieve a clean and crisp tent? The answer is proper cleaning. Maintain the canopy’s appearance while removing stuck-on grime. Here’s how to clean a custom-printed event canopy:
What Do You Need?
To begin cleaning, you’ll need to gather the following items:
- Soft cloths
- A drop cloth
- A medium bristle brush
- A bucket of warm water
- Liquid dish soap
- Water from a hose
Instructions
Here are the steps to take once you have everything ready.
1. Dismantle your tent and lay the fabric across a drop cloth or non-abrasive surface.
2. Pour a few drops of liquid dish soap into the bucket of warm water.
3. Submerge the bristle brush inside the bucket, then scrub the canopy. Remove dirt, grime, and debris from the structure’s roof.
4. If applicable, scrub sidewalls and canopy doors to remove debris from the tent.
5. When scrubbing is complete, use the water hose to rinse the canopy.
6. Wipe down the canopy with a soft cloth. Ideally, you want to get rid of any moisture. Don’t forget to wipe down the tent’s frame.
7. Make sure the canopy is completely dry before reassembling and storing it away!
What You Shouldn’t Do
Cleaning a canopy tent is a simple process. However, things can go wrong if you use bad products or follow incorrect procedures. When cleaning your structure, check out the things you shouldn’t do.
- Don’t use harsh chemical cleaners on the canopy: Harsh cleaners ruin the tent’s fabric, causing colors and printed copy to change or fade. Some cleaners are powerful enough to burn the fabric. That said, stick to mild soap, such as dish detergent.
- Never pack the tent while it’s wet: Trapped moisture leads to mold, mildew, and fungi growth on the canopy. These ruin tents because they permanently damage the fabric. Additionally, moisture corrodes tent frames, causing the structure to rust.
- Avoid cleaning the tent on abrasive surfaces: Gravel and asphalt can damage canopy tents and cause holes or tears. Lay down a drop cloth before cleaning the fabric.
- Don’t expose the canopy to prolonged periods of sunlight: Excess sun may fade the tent’s fabric. That said, clean the tent in a shaded area.
- Avoid abrasive brushes: Medium bristle brushes or non-abrasive brooms are the best materials for tent fabric. They remove dirt without penetrating the fabric too hard. They help you avoid potentially ruining copy and graphics.
- Never machine-wash fabric: Don’t detach the canopy’s fabric and throw it in the washing machine. It may shrink, fade, or tear inside the unit. Always follow our instructions!
Ways To Maintain the Canopy
Other than cleaning your canopy, maintain the structure by properly storing it. When not in use, keep the structure in the canopy bag. Place it in a dry, cool storage area, and make sure nothing sits on top of the tent. You don’t want heavy objects to bend the tent frame.
Furthermore, be mindful of the structure when you use it. Avoid puncturing the fabric or handling the structure with excessive force. Inherently, canopy tents are display models that protect people or items under the tent. Think of a canopy as a sculpture in a museum; you don’t need to touch it frequently.
Allow the custom canopy to serve its purpose at events, and handle it carefully!
Upkeep Pays Off
The better you take care of something, the longer it lasts. Simply put, upkeep pays off. Following routine maintenance ensures your custom canopy keeps its appearance. Don’t worry about repairs or replacements when you take care of the structure.
Business owners look for ways to save money, and preventative maintenance is a cost-effective solution. Look after your branded gear and showcase your business at different places. It’s a win-win situation for all companies.
When To Call the Professionals
When cleaning your tent, it’s the right time to inspect the unit for damage. Depending on the fabric, the material may rip. And depending on the tent’s frame, the structure may have dents. In either case, you can call a professional for minor repairs, especially if you’re unfamiliar with repair procedures.
Another time to call a professional is if you encounter hard-to-remove stains on the canopy’s fabric. Professional cleaners have products that take off stains without harming the material. Don’t use bleach, spot removers, or laundry pre-soak solutions on fabric. Ultimately, leave it to skilled cleaners.
A Clean Canopy Is a Useful Canopy
Generally, no one wants to take dirty gear to events. Without proper cleaning, business owners avoid using canopies, which wastes money. A clean canopy is a useful canopy because it accurately depicts your brands at all events.
Don’t settle for lackluster promotional gear when cleaning makes a huge impact! Always refer to our cleaning instructions and maintenance tips for help. You’ll appreciate the long-lasting, stylistic design of your custom-printed event canopy this way.
At Westshade, our canopy tents are ideal for outdoor exhibit displays. Showcase your business with high-resolution copy and graphics. We make quality, reliable products for all our clients, including you! Get a free mockup today.
