Remove stains on awning

[denmcd]

I have stains on the underside of my awning caused by leaves. Is it possible to get these stains out?

[Howard L.]

Wow, never seen anything like that. Did you try a small area with 25% bleach to 75 water? Barkeepers helper is a good cleaner and removes stains, but mainly for use on solid objects. I don't think it would harm the cloth awning however, again, try a small spot.

[denmcd]

When I bought the AS a month ago it had been sitting under an oak tree and leaves had built up and caused the stain each rotation of the awning. I am a bit concerned in using bleach on this awning because of its age. I did try a stain remover windex based and it did help but didn't remove it.

[Howard L.]

Yes, understand the bleach on older canvas. Greased Lightning ,at home depot and elsewhere, is one hell of a cleaner, removes grease off carpet, etc. basically just one very powerful cleaning liquid. It's not going to hurt the old canvas so you could try., may just have to live with some stain until you re-canvas. Good luck

[denmcd]

I'll try that. Thanks!

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by denmcd

I have stains on the underside of my awning caused by leaves. Is it possible to get these stains out?

Hmmm - wouldn't leaf stains look more random? With that uniform pattern in the picture, it looks more likely to me that your roller might be rusting.

[Hoonanea]

One tip I got several years ago when I owned a Prowler travel trailer was to get the awning soaked with water before putting the cleaning solution on. Then, with it soaked with water and cleaning solution, roll the awning back up to let it soak for a little while longer. This presumably lets the solution settle in the same areas where the staining is occurring. It wasn't a perfect solution but I do think it helped remove more of the staining. And it involved less scrubbing.

[Lily&Me]

OxyClean with a dab of Dawn in hot water works well for us.

Scrub it in with a soft brush and let it sit. Scrub again and rinse thoroughly.

I would follow with diluted bleach water.

If that doesn't work, and it is still visually disturbing , you might want to replace just the fabric.


Maggie

[RTurnConn]

Originally Posted by denmcd

I have stains on the underside of my awning caused by leaves. Is it possible to get these stains out?

The Zip Dee website has a video on cleaning awnings, but the important part is their recommended cleaning solution: 1/2 cup bleach, 1 cup liquid soap (Dawn, etc) Water. Apply to both sides of awning. Someone above recommended rolling the awning up with the cleaning solution on the awning. I do that to let it soak in; leave rolled up for a few minutes, put awning down and thoroughly flush both sides of the awning. Worked well for me on a 30 year old awning on my Avion.

[Janie Q]

I don't think you can't mix dawn and bleach together..
Could they be suggesting something instead of dawn?
I don't know.. just want to put this info out.
Jane

[denmcd]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Hmmm - wouldn't leaf stains look more random? With that uniform pattern in the picture, it looks more likely to me that your roller might be rusting.

The AS set for twenty years with the awning up. The leaves piled up on top where the awning meets the roof and rain and dampness caused the stains. When I rolled out the awning the stains had soaked through the layers of the awning.

[denmcd]

Thank you all for your help!

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by denmcd

The AS set for twenty years with the awning up. The leaves piled up on top where the awning meets the roof and rain and dampness caused the stains. When I rolled out the awning the stains had soaked through the layers of the awning.

Ahhhhh! Got it! That makes sense.

I wonder if the leaf stain is a protein. A million years ago when I was a dry cleaner, we used ammonia to get out protein stains (e.g., blood). Probably wouldn't hurt to try all these recommendations on small test sites and see which works best. Good luck!

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Janie Q

I don't think you can't mix dawn and bleach together..
Could they be suggesting something instead of dawn?
I don't know.. just want to put this info out.
Jane

Honey, you can mix Dawn and bleach together. Trust me.

We do it all the time. Dawn is just dish detergent, nothing corrosive or that causes fumes.


Maggie

[Hoonanea]

Ammonia was mentioned above. Do NOT mix ammonia and bleach.

[Janie Q]

I went to my Dawn and in caps it says:
Do not mix with bleach.

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Janie Q

I went to my Dawn and in caps it says:
Do not mix with bleach.

Who knew??!!

My bottle says "Do not add bleach", and I read when googling it that dish detergent contains ammonia.

I've been doing this for years, although in drops of Dawn rather than large quantities.

Thank you. You may have saved lives.


Maggie

[Howard L.]

Denmcd
Did you get the stains out? What product did you use?

[denmcd]

Originally Posted by Howard L.

Denmcd
Did you get the stains out? What product did you use?

I have put that project on the back burner for now. Replaced carpet with vinyl floor.



Rebuilding DC Furnace blower now before cold weather hits. Will work on the awning next spring.