Avoid Mold and Mildew In Tents

One thing I love to do is go camping. There is something rugged and masculine about the great outdoors. However, one thing I have learned from the camping experience is that Mother Nature likes to throw us a curve ball now and then and if you are not carefully about maintaining your equipment you should end up with mold and mildew stains and odour, and that is the last thing you need.

If you do not want to find yourself with an unwanted mold problem, then you must take car of your camping gear and tent. Mold and mildew can only grow if there is moisture. Of course, some time you are going to experience rain while camping, but you must make sure that you properly dry all of your equipment, especially your tent before putting it away. Packing a tent away while wet is a sure way to get mold. It must be stored in a manner which allows air to circulate. What I usually do is shake off what moisture I can and pack it up to head home. As soon as I get home I open out the tent and leave it to dry properly – usually in the kitchen. Once it is dry I repack it in its storage bag, but I don't fasten the bag to allow addition air flow. Since I started doing this I haven't had any issues with mold in my tent.

However, sometimes even if you are careful, you might end up with a bit of a musty smell if the tent has not been used in a while. However, this is fairly easy to get rid of. Simply wash the tent down with a solution of water and Lysol (a half cup of Lysol to a gallon of water) or you can substitute the Lysol for some lemon juice and salt (one cup of each). Rinse it off thoroughly with fresh water and then allow it to air dry outdoors. This will clean the tent, air it out and remove any odour. Enjoying camping should be a fun experience, don't let mold ruin it!