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Cleaning kites?

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Petro9
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Cleaning kites?

Postby Petro9 » Mon Apr 21, 2003 12:56 am

What is the best way to clean a kite? Plain water or soap? :?:

Obsessed
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Postby Obsessed » Mon Apr 21, 2003 1:32 am

Why wash it? I have never washed my kites in the last year and they look new. Leaving salt water on them keeps them from mildewing.

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Postby windshreder » Mon Apr 21, 2003 1:58 am

dont use soap as it removes the water proofing.

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Postby Al Z. » Mon Apr 21, 2003 5:25 am

I was talking to my brother about this. He has a 44 ft. sailboad with a spinacre. He said the salt won't hurt the sail, however a sail that gets salt water on it is difficult to get completely dry, which can lead to mildew. I noticed that my kite did seem to be slightly damp after it had been used in salt water, dried and packed alway.

Al

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Postby BLOWN AWAY » Fri May 02, 2003 3:34 pm

It's good to wash your kites down, just leave them outside to dry, but not in the sun. UV is bad for kites. I wash them mostly to get the sand off.

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Protos
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Postby Protos » Fri May 02, 2003 3:37 pm

Please see SQ's method for cleaning wetsuits...

It works as well for kites! :thumb:


OK, just kidding. I don't sweat cleaning my kites, but definitely dry them after each use!

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Slider
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Postby Slider » Fri May 02, 2003 4:23 pm

I hate to differ with Al here, but mildew is more likely to form (and sooner) on a kite washed with fresh water -they don't like salt. Here in the UK if my kites get wet on the beach (more down to moist air than crashing - honest) I hang them in the garage to dry then brush the sand off. Note with the weather we've got at the moment they just don't want to dry. The trick is not to fold them up tight when damp.

When I was over in Hurghada, the guys wash the kites off at the end of every day, the only difference being they are bone dry again in about 30 mins! I found that not washing my kites they ended up very salty - even if hardly seeing the water.

So the full answer is:
Don't use detergent - it will degrade the material
If you have great drying conditions rinse off with clean water
Don't dry it in the sun (ha what sun?)
Salt water will not kill your kite
Never pack a kite damp

Hope this helps..

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Postby Trikke » Fri May 02, 2003 8:30 pm

only fresh water and let it dry before folding it.

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KiteGlider
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Postby KiteGlider » Sat May 03, 2003 4:59 am

A friend advised against brushing off the sand, as it causes a "sanding" effect.
Just let the kite dry, fold it up, then when used the next time, shake the sand off.

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Postby Mr Jo Macdonald » Sat May 03, 2003 10:40 am

I just fly 'em


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