Was wondering how most of you hang your kites to dry after rinsing with fresh water... or do you lay them on grass to dry? So far I've just draped them over a makeshift clothesline at their middles, and tied the brakelines loosely to something stationary on the ground, in case a gust should come up out of nowhere.
Was thinking of maybe running some old chute cord through the tabs where the brake bridles attach to the kite, and suspending the kites from that, but not sure if that would put undue stress at those points.
Don't want to leave them in the sun (nor suspended from any single points on the kite) any longer than necessary, so figured the more uniformly the entire surface area of kite is exposed, the shorter the drying time. When I drape them over the clothesline like a blanket, I just wondered if I'm weakening the kite at its middle at all, or stretching it...or am I worrying too much
Thanks for any advice.
:tumble:

I can't imagine just hanging the kite from the bridles could put any more stress on your kite than flying it would. You're worrying too much. What about flying it 'til it dries? Maybe any residual water would end up being forced to the trailing edge, where it would rot the fabric. Now I'm worrying too much!

I have a rope clothes line and a whole bunch of clothes pins. I hang the kite up by the trailing edge using a lot of clothes pins to hold it to the line. With this method I can spray water up the entire kite and it will drain out pretty well. If you use a bunch of clothes pins the kite will stay put even if it's windy. Aim the leading edge openings in the wind and the kite will inflate and help dry it out.
I've been cleaning my kites this way for many years.
Scott

Clothes pins! Brilliant idea. Will definitely do that next time I clean me kites.
Thanks very much!

Yup, clothes pins on the trailing edge on the clothes line, I'm a little reluctant to hang a heavy wet kite by wet bridal lines, clothespins on the TE seem the best bet, once it's only damp, it comes inside to hang over the banister for a day to completely dry out.

Option 2 for those of you with limited space, most bath tubs have a curtain rod over the top, hang the kite with it draped over the curtain rod and both tips inside the tub, it'll dry fairly quickly, if it's a large kite, pull one tip over the rod until it's hanging down inside the tub, when this section is dry, pull another 10ft over the rod so now dry kite is sitting on the bathroom floor and the wet part of the kite is still in the tub, I've dried a 16m LEI this way in a standard bathroom.

i hang mine from my sisters bunk bed using those clippy coathangers.

i would not suggest clothes pins or any clamping-type of clip on the fabric.... drape the kite over a bench, chair, table, fence, clothes line...anything but pinching the fabric. but thats just me.

I've had almost 9 years of experience hanging my kites up for cleaning by hanging them over a rope and clipping them on with clothes pins. One of my kites is almost 7 years old and doesn't show any wear or tear at the trailing edge from clothes pins. I started with a Wipika 8.5m and a Kiteski kite back in 1998. The Wipika got hung over the line as well.

Powerzone- Can you please explain what the possible issues are with clothes pins? :puzzled:

Thank you for the help. I'd like to know what the issues are because I'm about to put up a couple tall poles in the backyard. Right now I have a rope strung between fence posts on the side fence and the back fence.
Scott

I hang my kites up using those "clippy coat-hangers", all the way along my conservortary (which is about 15m long).

I lay mine over the clothes line that attaches to our outhouse. Then I secure the trailing edge of the kite with my pickup truck jumper cables, grab a couple buckets, head down to the creek, fill em up, dump the buckets all over the kite, and wait till they dry. Its that simple!

Do you guys use any cleaning chemicals when washing your foils?

I use an Extra room I have. I zig zag'd speaker wire from wall to wall..
I can hang up a few kites at a time IF they got wet out at the beach..
I grabbed some clips from work and I carefully clip it to the trailing seem.
A little circulating fan and all is good..

Thinking about this again yesterday and thought, "Too bad they don't make ridiculously gigantic sweater drying racks, big enough for foils."
In essence I guess that's what BigSiler's done with wires in place of wooden dowels.

I'm guessing the concern about clothespins is that you wouldn't want any pinching at all of the fabric, giving no opportunity for abrasion of its wind-blocking properties at any points? or is it another reason?

Thanks all, for the advice and tips.
I like best the idea to just fly it 'til it's dry; but can't do that from the driveway at home after rinsing with fresh water, unfortunately. Maybe I need to move.

why am i so against using clothes pins / clips on the fabric? same reason why none of us walk or stand on our kites....

using the trailing edge seam as a pinch point sounds ok.... its not the actual sail that is being clamped so i'd agree with that but not on the sail. there are other ways as desribed here in this thread.

keep going with the ideas folks!

Hey Sailors,

What? You don't walk on your kites?

Ever since the AKA in Newport, RI when the kite team from Shirone, Japan brought their giant Edo.
They laid it out on its back on the grass and the team members walked across the Washi paper sail as they strung the multitude of bridle lines.

They were not wearing shoes - Only socks.

But still...

I guess if you don't want shoeprints or footprint on your sail, then not walking across it would be meaningful.

Heck I even know a couple of kite flyers who sleep inside their power kites.
All that ripstop sailcloth is a great insulator.
Makes a distinctive noise when the sleeper moves - Right, Russtle?

In my world, the rule has always been "Fly til You're Dry"

I lived on the Cali coast for 15 years.
Don't recall rinsing my kites.
Still have most of them and their doing fine.

I always rinsed my buggy after a day on the beach.
Hanging that darn thing from the laundry line was the hassle.


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

Hey PABLO,

How did the " boot dryer " you won work for drying your kites? I thought I heard you say it worked pretty well ?