General recipes and recommendations for cleaning and washing umbrellas at home
Depending on the degree of soiling, the umbrella should be washed or can be cleaned.
An umbrella is a necessary accessory in rainy weather.
Wash
If the umbrella is very dirty, you can remove the fabric from the knitting needles and wash it with washing powder, then dry it at room temperature and reattach it to the knitting needles. This option is labor-intensive, but as a result the umbrella will look like new. This is usually how lace and knitted umbrellas are washed. Most often, when making such an umbrella, a handmade lace fabric is attached to a suitable frame. In this case, first buy an umbrella-cane of the required size, remove the fabric from the knitting needles and replace it with lace. The lace is removed in the same way and attached to the frame after washing.
Cleaning
An easier way to get your umbrella in order is to clean it without removing the fabric from the spokes.
Cleaning rules should be followed:
- Open the umbrella canopy slightly and carefully apply detergent: a solution of washing powder or laundry soap.
- Fully open the umbrella and rinse off the foam in the shower. The water should be warm, but not hot.
- Shake the umbrella to drain the water, wipe the knitting needles dry with a towel to avoid rust.
- To restore the brightness of the colors to the umbrella, after cleaning it can be wiped with a weak vinegar solution (one tablespoon of 9% vinegar per liter of water).
- Dry the umbrella hanging with the canopy slightly open.
Acetone, gasoline, kerosene and solvents should not be used to clean the umbrella!
These are the general rules for caring for an umbrella. However, when cleaning and drying an umbrella, first of all, you must follow the manufacturers’ recommendations, which better take into account the nuances of the product.
The British umbrella company Fulton, known for the quality of its products, recommends washing their umbrellas only with plain water to avoid removing the protective coating.
But in general, even expensive umbrellas of well-known brands can be cleaned of dirt by carefully using mild detergents.
Video: caring for the Pasotti cane umbrella
How to maintain a protective coating
Umbrellas are often impregnated with a water-repellent compound. Gradually the impregnation is washed off and the umbrella begins to leak.
To prevent the umbrella from leaking, try to clean it very carefully, avoiding aggressive agents that will damage the coating. The umbrella should be carried in a case, otherwise it may begin to leak at the folds.
If the umbrella's coating still turns out to be damaged, you can buy water-repellent impregnation and treat the umbrella with it. There are now many sprays of this kind.
You can use the Twist tool. It is intended for textile materials, umbrellas, sportswear. The spray is applied from a distance of 20–25 cm, and can only be used in an open room, as it has a rather pungent odor, but the water-repellent properties of the umbrella will be restored.
Spray "Twist" can restore the water-repellent properties of the umbrella
Rules of care
In order for an umbrella to serve for a long time, you need to follow a few simple rules.
Practical recommendations for caring for the accessory:
- Manufacturers do not recommend drying the umbrella while it is open. The material from which such products are made tends to sag and stretch. In the future, the accessory will lose its properties and will leak.
- You cannot leave the umbrella wet. After some time, the spokes and other metal parts will become covered with rust.
- Living in a city with a poor environment also negatively affects the condition of the material. But since it is impossible to refuse an umbrella, all that remains is to periodically wash it from dirt.
- Accessories that protect against rain are made of nylon and polyamide. Therefore, it is not recommended to use solvents to clean such products.
- If the opening mechanism does not work well, then the umbrella requires repair. It is necessary to lubricate it; this can be done by a shoe repairman. If you don’t have time for this, lubricate the spokes and sliding mechanism yourself with machine oil.
- It is not recommended to place the accessory at the bottom of the bag under heavy items. The spokes bend easily and break quickly.
- Before putting it away for storage, give it a preventative cleaning.
An umbrella is an important piece of equipment during the rainy season, but it also needs proper care. Of course, everyone wants their favorite accessory to last for more than one season, so practical recommendations should be followed.
Nuances of cleaning
Depending on the type of umbrella, there may be specific features for cleaning it.
White umbrellas
A white umbrella always looks elegant and can highlight your individual style, but keeping it in order is not easy.
A white umbrella emphasizes individual style
When cleaning white umbrellas made of synthetic materials, you can use the following recommendations:
- General dirt on a white umbrella can be removed by cleaning with a solution of washing powder;
- The folds of light-colored umbrellas are especially susceptible to contamination. They should be additionally rubbed with a brush;
- To remove stains, add baking soda to a small amount of water to form a thick paste, which must be rubbed into the stains and left for 20 minutes, then clean the umbrella with detergent.
When cleaning a white synthetic umbrella, do not use chlorine bleaches: the fabric will not withstand aggressive chemicals.
Lacy umbrellas
A lace umbrella is an accessory that is present in the wardrobe of unsurpassed fashionistas.
A lace umbrella is present in the wardrobe of unsurpassed fashionistas
The rules for caring for ordinary umbrellas are absolutely not suitable for lace umbrellas.
To avoid excessive tension on the lace, which could result in tearing, the lace umbrella is cleaned half-folded. The water should be at room temperature and the detergent is intended for delicate fabrics.
After cleaning, dry the lace accessory half-folded, hanging it by the handle. A completely dried umbrella must be opened for a few minutes to allow the wrinkles to straighten out.
If the umbrella is white, it should be stored in a case, avoiding exposure to sunlight, as the white lace may turn yellow.
Transparent umbrellas
The transparent dome gives a good view, and its depth allows you to cover your head and shoulders. Many people are attracted to these umbrellas because they provide better protection from rain than classic models.
The transparent dome gives a good overview
Transparent polyvinyl chloride umbrellas should be washed on the outside with cold water. Such an umbrella should be dried unfolded, away from radiators and heaters, so that the accessory does not lose its shape.
How to wash a black and white umbrella
To remove stains on black and white dome fabric, a special approach will be required.
The familiar laundry soap will help remove stains from a black umbrella. The detergent is grated and boiling water is added. The product is dipped into the warm solution and left for 30 minutes. Use a brush to go over the entire surface. The umbrella is then washed with water and dried open.
You can use black tea. To do this, 3 sachets of the product are brewed in 1 liter of water. The cooled tea leaves are treated with the soaked fabric. Afterwards, the accessory is rinsed and dried without being spread out.
For a snow-white accessory, use citric acid dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:5. Use a toothbrush to clean contaminated areas. Remove the remaining solution with water. Then the dome is wiped with a sponge, moistening it in warm water with the addition of liquid detergent. Rinse and dry.
A soda solution will also help restore the neatness of a white accessory. To do this, add water to the baking soda to create a mushy mixture. It is applied to problem areas and left for 30 minutes. The paste is then removed. The umbrella is washed and dried.
How to clean an umbrella from grease stains and rust
Sometimes, during use, greasy stains or rust may appear on the umbrella, which, of course, spoils the appearance of the umbrella and forces us to buy a new one.
Cleaning from grease stains
Dishwashing gel will help you deal with greasy stains perfectly. The product should be applied using an old toothbrush, after 10 minutes rub the stain and rinse off the foam with water. This simple procedure will help remove almost any greasy stain.
Dishwashing detergent works great on greasy stains
Ethyl alcohol (boric, formic) or ammonia solution (one teaspoon in half a glass of water) can also be used to remove greasy stains. A cotton pad soaked in these liquids will help get rid of fat. You need to treat the fabric, then clean the umbrella with a solution of regular powder or laundry soap.
How to remove rust
Rust on an umbrella can be removed using lemon juice or a solution of citric acid (one teaspoon per two tablespoons of water):
- The stain should be treated with a sponge soaked in juice or citric acid solution and, for greater effect, exposed to steam. To do this, use a steam generator or an iron in steaming mode, and you must not touch the fabric of the umbrella with the sole of the iron.
- After steam treatment, the “rusty” stain should be cleaned with a brush.
- Then rinse the umbrella.
To further protect this place from rust, it is recommended to carefully treat the spokes with silicone grease.
Lemon juice can remove rust
How to clean an umbrella handle
If you need to clean the umbrella handle from dirt and grease, you can wash it with dish soap, which effectively removes grease, or wipe it with alcohol.
However, if the handle has become sticky over time due to poor-quality material, then only a replacement in a workshop will help. Although you can try to use advice from the Internet: treat the sticky handle with talcum powder or coat it with colorless varnish.
Drying
The drying process is also of no small importance, since the final appearance of the accessory depends on this stage.
- It is necessary to dry the umbrella after each use to prevent the appearance of a musty smell.
- Drying should be done half-opened. This prevents the item from quickly wearing out.
- You should hang the umbrella by the handle so that the canopy opens only slightly. If you have a special stand for drying umbrellas at home, it would be better to use it.
How to dry properly
A wet umbrella should not be placed in a cover, otherwise an unpleasant odor and even mold may appear. The umbrella must first be well dried at room temperature.
If you dry the umbrella completely open, its canopy will stretch and begin to sag. The umbrella should be opened slightly to dry and hung on a hook. In this case, stretching of the dome can be avoided, and there will also be no unnecessary load on the spokes.
It is not recommended to dry the umbrella near heat sources.
Occasionally you can find recommendations from some manufacturers to dry the umbrella canopy open (for example, Pasotti).
Ammonia
If the accessory is very dirty, paint has accidentally come into contact with it, or it has been stained with gasoline, ammonia will help.
You can clean your umbrella from such contaminants as follows:
- An aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide is diluted with water. Take 70 ml of ammonia, 500 ml of water.
- Apply it to the fabric with a brush.
- Treated inside and outside.
- All that remains is to dry the umbrella.
Ammonia smells unpleasant, be sure to wear a protective mask. The umbrella should be dried in a well-ventilated area so that the ammonia is well ventilated.
This method can remove contaminants of any origin, but you should not use it too often.
