Hello everyone, one of my kites is a 4M kite and after flying if on the beach static it got dirty. The sand here in NY is just atrocious. The kite is covers with brown like film. Can I wash the kite somehow? Maybe soap, water and a light sponge? Thanks

I wash mine in the bathtub with dish soap then hang in a dry warm place. with sand I would make sure it is good and dry and remove as much sand as possible before giving it a bath.

Thanks for the information. I wasnt sure if you can wash em and not mess them up. I can put the 4M in my bathtub but what the hell would I do with the 12M? haha Should I get a custom built bathtub only for the 12M?

LOL! well I washed my 10m in the tub. I zip tie the bridles and stuff it in and agitate.

I lay them out on a sheet of plastic on the deck(driveway, yard, etc) and I use a soft bristle kitchen broom. dip the broom in the bucket of mild dish soap with lots of water, and sweep the kite clean or I use kite-refit shampoo. rinse the kite with the hose and hang up to dry. I hang mine on the roof of the deck and set up a fan to help dry the kite.
dont scrub the kite, you will remove the finish. if you do, use kite-refit sealer to seal the fabric.
Am I bad? hehehe

"the sand here in NY is atrocious"......i know your kidding. south shore long island has some of the best sand in the world.. no i do not prefer it in my living/bed room....but once in a lifetime isn't all that bad... if your up on the north shore blame Conneticut.... but i will not tolerate a swipe at NY sand not now, not anymore

Dont wash any kite!!!!!
It removes the sail cloth coating and fatigues the stitching . Your better off leaving it dirty....I know I know it looks crappy.
I spoke to a kite repair man and he said never wash your kite beacuse the CL2 in the water kills your kite.
Since I he told me that I never wash any of my kites.
kites are made to be in the enviroment they are made for. You will get more life out of your kite if you dont wash them.
Only true tip is not to put wet kites away.

I don't personally know what the effects of CL2 would have on a kite, but I don't have CL2 in my water, I have a well. but just a thought, we use a higher concentration of chlorine in our laundry than you will find in public water. just say'en...plus there are treatments available for your kite material. playa dirt will shorten the life of your stitching as well as the minerals in ocean water. I personally think the best thing for your kite is to clean and treat, but that is just my opinion, I'm not a kite repair man

Any chance I can get the repair mans name? would like to ask a few questions.
I have talked to the manufacturer of PKD and a few other kite companies and they all say the same thing. A mild dish soap with lots of water is OK and use a sponge to lightly clean the kite. No hard bristle brushes or harsh detergents. But I could be wrong.

I just cant imagine the chlorine level in public water being high enough to do damage to your kite but its okay to drink:puzzled: okay I'll shut up now sorry

No need to mention names but he's very legite.
I would have to say maybe well water is ok, not really sure, but sounds safe.
But city water, not worth the risk of damaging or aging your kites overall life.
What I remember him saying that stuck with me was "these kites are made to be in this enviroment".

Chemicals are a no no, Im sorry but CL2 is a chemical so my kites will never be cleaned w city water.

I've heard that the floride in your water can damage windsurfing sails. I'm not sure if it is true but my sails are old and crappy so I don't really care if I ruin them. I've never washed any of my kites in city water so I don't know if it is bad for them.

Quote:

Originally posted by yorkbrick Chemicals are a no no, Im sorry but CL2 is a chemical so my kites will never be cleaned w city water.

Yet you're not worried about all that H20...also a chemical compound...?:moon: