My 5 year old tent started leaking after I washed it with normal soap

I had this Coleman tent that was solid for half a decade. Rain, wind, even a little snow. Then I washed it with some regular dish soap before a trip last spring. Next time out, water was dripping right through the fly. Did some reading and apparently that stripped the waterproof coating. Has anyone else ruined gear by cleaning it wrong and have a fix that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannahs7118d ago

Oh man, that exact same thing happened with my Kelty tent after I used dish soap on it, felt like such a rookie move. I ended up respraying it with a seam sealer and some Nikwax wash-in stuff, worked way better than I expected honestly.

wyatt_chen8618d ago

Yeah the Nikwax wash in stuff works pretty well but it's not the same as a factory coating. You gotta make sure the tent is COMPLETELY clean and dry before you apply it or it won't bond right. Also the seam sealer is a good move but double check you're putting it on the seams and not just spraying everywhere. Tape the zippers and vents off too cause that stuff gets sticky. Little bit of prep goes a long way with a fix like this.