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Filthy, Moldy, Icky Awnings? Here’s How to Keep Them Clean

Residential Awnings

You put up your gorgeous new awnings and they really make your home stand out. Wow, they look great and they provide shade. Happiness achieved! Fast forward a year or two and you happen to look up and see some black junk on them. Wait, is that green stuff mold?

Fabric awnings will last for years but, they live outside where dirt, pollen, and mold abound. You are going to have to clean them if you want to get the full life span out of the fabric.

We have put together this short video to show you the basic steps to get your fabric awning clean and looking good.

If you are more of a list person, keep on scrolling for detailed cleaning instructions.

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When They Look a Little Dirty

Follow these simple steps for fantastic looking awnings:

  1. Brush the loose dirt off your awning.
  2. Hose down the awning with water.
  3. Prepare a solution of water and mild soap such as Woolite® or Dawn® dishwashing liquid. Plan on about one-fourth cup of mild soap per gallon of clean water.
  4. Use a soft bristle brush to clean the awning with the soap solution.
  5. Allow the solution to soak into the fabric.
  6. Rinse thoroughly with water until all the soap residue is removed.
  7. Allow the awnings to air dry.

If stubborn stains persist, you can spot clean the awning using a diluted bleach solution.*

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When They Look Really Bad 

Mildew can grow on the dirt and other foreign substances that are not removed from your awning fabric over the years. To clean mildew and stubborn stains:

  1. Prepare a solution of 1 cup of bleach and one-fourth cup mild soap per gallon of clean water.
  2. Apply to fabric and allow to soak for up to 15 minutes.
  3. Clean with a soft bristle brush.
  4. Rinse thoroughly with water until all soap residue is removed.
  5. Allow the awnings to air dry.
  6. Can repeat if necessary.
  7. If you do use a bleach solution, re-treatment of fabric for water and stain resistance will be necessary. The manufacturer of Sunbrella fabrics recommends 303®Fabric Guard™.

 

 

 

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*Important Note: We have based these cleaning guidelines on Sunbrella shade fabrics cleaning recommendations as that is the fabric that we mainly use in making our awnings. If your awning is made out of a different type of fabric other than Sunbrella then be aware that using a diluted bleach solution may not be recommended for that fabric type. You will want to test a small area before proceeding with any type of bleach solution.