Cleaning, protecting and restoring boat fabrics – canopies, awnings etc
One of the quickest items to wear on a boat is canvas. Because it is constantly under attack by UV rays and inclement weather, and often used to protect other surfaces on a boat from wear, it is often in need of care or replacement on a regular basis. Constant movement, folding and stretching places strains on the fabric, leading to wear on creases and stitching.
There are however several best practice processes that may be applied to extend the life of your boats canvas and keep it looking better too. First, like every part of your boat, a freshwater wash-down after any boating trip will help keep things looking good, and prevent build-up of issues.
Rainproofing and UV protecting products such as the Renovo range are available for canvas, and should be used once a year after a thorough scrubbing of all canvas surfaces. Beware automotive branded aerosol products which tend to drift away onto unwanted surfaces on the breeze, and are silicone based so wash off quickly anyway.
If mould or mildew appears on the canvas after a long winter, avoid bleach-based products as they are not marine safe and will often discolour your canvas. Instead, use a dedicated product like Renovo Boat Canvas Cleaner which contains a bactericide and fungicide to prevent recurrence, or Boatsheen Sail Cleaner.
Canvas, particularly sails, should be inspected for wear at the beginning and end of each boating season to prevent small tears from becoming big ones and to replace key fasteners.
Maintenance
Use Renovo Boat Canvas Cleaner. This safely removes bird droppings, sea salt, atmospheric fallout and general dirt and grime from sprayhoods, dodgers, biminis and other boat fabrics.
The water-based Canvas Cleaner removes unsightly green haze caused by mould and mildew without impairing the appearance of the boat cover fabric. It is easy to use and suitable for all colours. Brush on, leave to dwell, agitate and hose off.
Protecting boat canvas
BoatSheen Fabric Stain Protector. This protects all man-made fabrics against stains, reduces water absorbency and enables dirt to be removed easily. Just spray on and leave to dry. Suitable for all colours. Also, Renovo Marine UltraProofer.
Restoring boat canvas
We recommend Renovo Boat Canvas Reviver to re-colour and re-condition all kinds of boat canvas – boat covers, seat covers, bimini tops and spray hoods!
Boat Canvas Reviver is ideal for boat covers in canvas, double duck and mohair coverings as it re-colours and reconditions them all like new!
Reproofing boat canvas
Renovo UltraProofer can be used to re-establish the original ‘as new’ waterproof weather barrier of your boat covers, spray hoods and bimini tops and help to keep them looking good for longer! Rain and spray forms beads which just roll off the fabric.