How to Clean a Shade Sail: The Best Way to Clean Your Shade Fabric

The good news is that cleaning your Shade Sail is straightforward. You can usually clean it while it is still installed, or you can take it down if you need better access for a more thorough clean.

Outdoor Shade Sails will usually need cleaning more often because they are exposed to things such as leaves, bird droppings, airborne dirt, and organic material. Indoor Shade Sails may simply need occasional cleaning to remove dust.

The information below is mainly focused on cleaning outdoor Shade Sails, where dirt and organic buildup are more common.

How to Clean Your Shade Sail

You can clean your Shade Sail either in place or after removing it.

If your Shade Sail only has general dust and surface dirt, cleaning it while it is installed will usually be the easiest option.

If you decide to remove your Shade Sail, lay it flat on a clean, non-abrasive surface. Keep your fixing hardware separate while you are cleaning so that it doesn’t get damaged or leave grease marks on the fabric.

Before removing your Shade Sail, mark or tag each corner. You might label your corners “house” and “deck,” or simply use A, B, C and D. This makes it much easier for you to position your Shade Sail correctly when you reinstall it.

Start by Cleaning Your Shade Fabric With Water

For most routine Shade Sail cleaning, start with clean water.

If your Shade Sail is cleaned regularly, water will often remove most of the dirt before it has a chance to build up.

ShadeSpace aftercare instructions recommend using a water blaster or cold-water pressure washer to remove general dirt from your shade fabric.

When using a pressure washer, keep the nozzle far enough away that you are rinsing the fabric and avoid concentrating a powerful jet of water onto one small area. Your goal is to wash the dirt away rather than saturate the fabric.

Take particular care around your seams, stitching, corners, and hems.

How to Remove Mold From Your Shade Sail

If your Shade Sail has not been cleaned for some time, you may find that water alone does not remove everything.

For more established mold or organic growth, you can use a mild mold remover. You will need to check the product before applying it to your Shade Sail, as not every exterior mold cleaner is suitable for shade fabric.

What Should You Avoid When Cleaning Your Shade Sail?

You still need to be careful about what you put onto your shade fabric.

Avoid using harsh or unsuitable exterior cleaning products simply because you already have them in your shed or garage.

In particular, you should avoid cleaners containing benzalkonium chloride, as specified in the Shade Space aftercare instructions. Before using any cleaning product, check the ingredients and make sure it is suitable for your shade fabric.

You should also avoid:

• Dragging your Shade Sail across concrete, gravel, or another abrasive surface.
• Scrubbing your shade fabric aggressively with a hard brush.
• Holding a pressure washer nozzle extremely close to your fabric.
• Folding or storing your Shade Sail while it is still wet.

Using a stronger cleaning product will not necessarily give you a better result. Regular cleaning using a gentle method is usually the better approach.

If You Remove Your Shade Sail for Cleaning

If you decide to take your Shade Sail down, allow yourself enough time to remove it carefully.

Before removing your fixing hardware, make sure you have control of each corner so you can release the tension safely. We recommend using a tensioned rope or ratchet at each corner before removing the hardware. This allows you to slowly release and lower your Shade Sail rather than having the corner move suddenly as the tension comes off.

Once your Shade Sail is down, mark or tag your corners for easy reference later and lay the fabric flat on a non-abrasive surface.

Keep the greased hardware away from the shade fabric while you are working so you do not transfer grease marks onto your clean Shade Sail. Before reinstalling your Shade Sail, wipe away any dirt or debris from your hardware and apply grease where required.

Once your hardware is ready, you can reinstall your Shade Sail using the corner markings you made before removal.

Always Let Your Shade Sail Dry Before Storage

If you are cleaning your Shade Sail before storing it for winter or ahead of bad weather, make sure it is completely dry before you fold it and store it in a dry, sheltered place.

Putting your Shade Sail away while it is still wet can encourage unwanted organic growth and make your next cleaning job more difficult.

If you are reinstalling your Shade Sail straight after cleaning, you do not need to fold or store it. Simply allow it to dry and prepare your hardware for reinstallation.

Check Your Shade Sail While You Are Cleaning It

Cleaning your Shade Sail is also a useful opportunity for you to complete a general maintenance check on the rest of your installation.

Have a look at your:

• Shade Sail fabric
• Seams and edges
• Corners
• Fixing Hardware
• Mounting points
• Post installations

If your Shade Sail has become loose or wrinkled over time, you may need to adjust your turnbuckles slightly to restore the correct tension.

When using chain rather than turnbuckles, you may be able to shorten the chain by dropping a link at each corner.

When adjusting your Shade Sail, make even adjustments to each corner of sail where possible rather than making one large adjustment at a single corner. This helps you keep the tension balanced.

Correct tension is important for the long-term performance of your Shade Sail. If you are making structural changes to your installation, your final post and mounting point locations, post sizes, and structural requirements should be reviewed by an engineer or suitably qualified installer.

How Often Should You Clean Your Shade Sail?

There is no single cleaning schedule that suits every Shade Sail.

How often you need to clean yours will depend on where it is installed and what it is exposed to.

If your Shade Sail is under trees, close to the coast, or installed in an area that collects a lot of dust or organic material, you may need to clean it more regularly.

If your Shade Sail is indoors, you may only need to clean it occasionally to remove dust or other surface buildup.

The easiest approach is to clean your Shade Sail before dirt becomes heavily established. A quick rinse when you notice buildup can save you from needing a much bigger cleaning job later.

The Best Way to Keep Your Shade Fabric Clean

When you are working out how to clean your Shade Sail, keep the process simple.

Start with clean water. Use a cold-water pressure washer or water blaster carefully when required. If you have more established mold or organic growth, use a mild mold remover that is suitable for your shade fabric.

Most importantly, avoid cleaners containing benzalkonium chloride.

If you take your Shade Sail down, protect your fabric from abrasive surfaces, mark your corners before removal, keep your hardware separate, and grease your hardware before reinstallation. If you are putting your Shade Sail into storage, make sure it is completely dry first.

Regular Shade Sail cleaning and maintenance makes it easier for you to keep your shade fabric clean while also giving you the opportunity to check your hardware, mounting points, and Shade Sail tension.

Shade Space has nearly 30 years of experience with Shade Sails, and simple ongoing care can help you keep your installation in top condition.

When you are ready for your next maintenance job, use the Shade Space DIY guides to check your Shade Sail tension, hardware, installation, and fixing details before you get started.