How often should you clean shade sails?

April 18th, 2018 · Published to Shade Sails by Steve Lewis

Shade sails are amongst the most popular type of shade solutions used in residential and commercial applications here in Australia. If you own a shade sail, then I’m sure you realise just how useful and functional they are.

As a shade sail manufacturer, one of the most asked questions I receive from home and business owners is how often to clean their shade sails. Well, the thing to understand here is that the lifespan of a shade sail depends on many factors. The material quality and the maintenance requirements are two of the most important factors which will answer how often to clean a shade sail.

While you can read up on the importance of a quality fabric here, maintaining a shade sail is what we’ll look at today. Plus, I’ll offer some other useful tips that will help increase the lifespan of shade sails.

Clean shade sails once in two months

At Global Shade, I always recommend our customers to clean their shade sails once for every two months that it is up. Not only will cleaning make a shade sail look better, but it will also extend the life of its fabric.

Shade fabrics always collect a lot of dirt, debris, moisture and mildew. If you fail to clean off these materials in two months, your fabric will get weaker. Prolonged negligence can even lead to a tear in the fabric which can be expensive to replace.

Use proper cleaning methods

While you should clean a shade sail every two months, you should also use proper cleaning methods to prolong its life. Get rid of all solid debris and dirt from shade sails using a nylon broom and then use a detergent to remove stains.

Make sure to use only gentle detergents on a shade sail. Strong chemical detergents often contain halogens or sulphur which can damage shade fabrics. Even chlorine-treated water can damage a shade sail. Here, at Global Shade, we recommend that you use a mild dishwashing liquid to remove stains from your shade fabric.

Also, make sure never to use a high-pressure device on a shade sail. While high-pressure devices are great for cleaning, they can cause shade fabrics to weaken and separate.

Other shade sail maintenance tips

There are several other things you can do to maintain a shade sail and prolong its life. First, make sure not to keep a shade sail out in inclement weather. While shade sails are designed to withstand different weather conditions, keeping it up during storms or winds is a bad idea.

Also, when you take down a shade sail for storage, make sure to dry it completely before packing it up. Packing a wet shade sail will reduce its lifespan significantly as all areas won’t dry out evenly.

And, when you store a shade sail, make sure to store it in a safe and dry place free from pests. If you’ve purchased a shade sail from Global Shade, you can store it in the storage bag that we offer.

Conclusion:

Cleaning a shade sail can help prolong its lifespan. It is recommended that you clean shade sails once in two months if it is kept up. Make sure to use proper cleaning methods to get rid of dirt, dust, debris and mildew from a shade sail. Only use mild detergents without any high-pressure devices when you clean. Also, ensure not to keep a shade sail up in adverse weather and store a shade sail with care. By following these tips, you’ll be able to clean and maintain a shade sail properly while also increasing its lifespan.

And, if you are yet to purchase a shade sail, look no further than us at Global Shade. We’re Australia’s premier shade sail manufacturers and we can custom design a shade sail to your exact requirements. Get in touch with us to discuss your shade sail requirements today!