How to Increase the Lifespan of your Tent Inventory

A well-made commercial tent is an investment. Whether you are renting it or creating your own experiences for your patrons, you want it to last long so you can push back the cost of replacing it. Maintaining the tent well – cleaning it by professional standards, storying it dry, and patching it quickly – will help you get the most out of your tent for the years ahead. Follow the below tips for happy ownership of events tents and other large tents.

If you use a pressure washer, do it right.

Commercial washers should be avoided. Pressure washing is not ideal and should not be your only method of cleaning. It can be tricky because you can risk damaging the tent. It is understandable to go the pressure washing route, though, simply to complete the job efficiently. You want to stay at least two feet away from the fabric and keep the setting on low if you do use a pressure washer.

Stock bleach, along with rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits.

When you have more intense stains, you can use the former, as long as it is diluted to at least 1:5. Mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol can be used if you need to get off any sticky residue that has accrued.

Use tent-friendly cleaners.

The way that event tents are manufactured is relatively standardized. There is typically a petroleum vinyl, a blockout layer, a scrim layer to bolster durability, another blockout layer, and another vinyl layer. Because large tents are made up of vinyl, any cleaners that have vinyl distillates are problematic and can hurt them. When you are trying to determine the correct products to use for cleaning a tent, talk with the manufacturer. Above all, you want to use products that have been developed for use with tents.

Dry the tent completely.

You can drastically reduce the lives of event tents if you put them away in storage when they have not been completely dried. If you do end up with mildew, you may lose many years of tent life since you will have to use harsh cleaners in order to remove the infestation. Since more corrosive cleaners can become necessary with mildew and mold, a preventive stance is wise.

Make repairs ASAP.

Anyone who is renting or otherwise owns large tents will want to have a patch kit or seam sealer on hand. While it can help to purchase tents that are well-built and durable, you are likely to experience occasional holes and tears with regular use. Having an easy way to repair that is readily available to you will help ensure you fix it immediately, which will prevent it from worsening.

Maintaining your event tents

Anyone who buys large commercial tents will want their investments to yield as much return as possible before they must be replaced. While maintenance helps, long tent life starts with strong craftsmanship. At Tent Renters Supply, we have been making tents domestically, in Tampa, Florida, for over 30 years.