Cleaning/Caring for Nylon/Cordura

Infi-del

Infi-del

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Hi everyone. Just wanted to ask a few questions about cleaning and caring for our nylon gear we all love. First off, is rubbing alcohol bad for cordura or nylon? Not soaking it but perhaps rubbing it with a dampened cloth. It dries fast but my fear is that it might weakin the material as it may dry it out or something. I cleaned off a little spot on one of my cordura packs with a wash rag dampened with alcohol. cleaned it right up but but now I worry that it may have a weakening effect on the material. That being said does anyone know of a spray product you can buy to treat your nylon and cordura gear. Something like maybe silicone or that teflon stuff maxpedition uses. perhaps something that might add back to any drying effects alcohol might have and perhaps better water proof the material. Usually I just clean my packs with soap and cool water and then hang them up to dry outside as I know a dryer will warp the nylon. But this particular stain was a little stubborn so I used alcohol. Thanks in advance for any info fellas.
 
For a stain that has been dried on - A hard bristled toothbrush to knock off the stain then I use a microfiber cloth with either goof off (or similar), and thena final pass over with clean cool water.
I guess it really depends on the nature of the stain. :)
 
GoofOff is Xylene which is a much stronger solvent than alcohol. GoofOff will attack and damage some plastics; you've gotta be careful with it. So, if GoofOff didn't harm Cordura, then I think alcohol will be fine. Keep in mind that not all "nylon" materials are the Cordura brand. There are a lot of cheap look-alikes out there made of God knows what.

There's a lot of good info on www.cordura.com including

What is the proper care for products/garments made with CORDURA® fabric(s)?

Products made with CORDURA® fabrics are made to last, and are generally easy to care for. First, always look for and follow the garment care label instructions.

General care instructions are as follows:


Apparel: Wash on low temperature setting using mild detergent. Either air dry or dry on low setting. Do not bleach.
Upholstery/Backpacks/Luggage: Soil may be removed with spray cleaner or detergent and water. Do not bleach.
Oil or grease should first be treated with a dry cleaning solvent followed by a spray cleaner or detergent and water.


Again, if they're recommending dry cleaning solvent, then drug-store rubbing alcohol will be just fine.

I find that Cordura and nylon often look 100% better by just vacuuming them off, especially with the shop vac. I've also found Scrubbing Bubbles(tm) type bathroom cleaner which foams up and gets into nooks and cranies to be very effective as is -- of all things -- club soda.

I learned the club soda trick from a guy who cleaned my carpets years ago. When he was done, he said, "I now I'm gonna give you a complimentary bottle of the only carpet spot cleaner I recommend. Keep this handy for minor spills and such." And he handed me a bottle of club soda. And I've gotta tell you: it works. It's the bubbles. They lift out whatever the stain is and you just blot it off. I've used club soda now on car seats and on Cordura cases, all sorts of things. So, aside from the fact that I do like to drink the stuff, I always keep some in the house just for carpet spot cleaning.
 
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