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Wash or not wash your kites

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PullStrings
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Re: Wash or not wash your kites

Postby PullStrings » Wed Jun 06, 2018 5:29 pm

Got to keep it fresh !!

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Re: Wash or not wash your kites

Postby dejavu » Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:06 am

Wash with clean water and let dry 100%. Get all the loose crap off.

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Re: Wash or not wash your kites

Postby CaptainCore » Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:59 am

Personally I don't wash them, unless there's something unpleasant or likely to mark them same with my windsurf sails, rolled and stored from riding in salt water, salt is a preservative, less likely to get mice and furry things making nests and having a chew. Kites however don't get left that long these days, but salt accumulation just wrapped in the bags aint really an issue, leaving them flapping on the beach for one hour will do more damage.

If you do wash them in fresh water then make sure they're totally dry before storing, if say it's at the end of the season and they're losing their water repellant quality (water doesn't 'pearl' when applied) then use a reproofing spray (google is your friend here, round here some form of scotch guard or sail company stuff).

Now that's the kite, the bar and lines completely opposite, always wash the bar, pay especial attention to any stainless or metal bits, alooominum (for our colonial cousins) doesn't like salt water and will degrade especially if in contact with stainless and the alleged stainless that our far eastern scalping manufacturers use is as much use as a chocolate fireguard. So every time especially if on a sandy beach.

Of course to be really safe you should use distilled water.. :lol:

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Re: Wash or not wash your kites

Postby Hpr » Thu Jun 07, 2018 12:15 pm

Don’t let anybody tell you that municipal fresh water is somehow worse for your kite than salt water. Yes there’s a bit of chlorine in it and the amount may vary from country to country, but in most places it can be drunk straight out the tap, people cook with it, wash clothes, wash cars, water garden, fill fish ponds, use for cement and building mix etc. and so many other purposes. Now you try that with salt water :lol: , it fucks just about everything up that it gets into contact with except fish…and then only marine fish :lol: . So some stuff is treated against sea water but that just means that the deterioration is slower than with untreated stuff.
No don’t rinse your kite after every session because any rinsing (salt or fresh water) will slowly wash off the coating. But if your kite is already wet from dropping it in the ocean and then full of sand from landing it on the beach then definitely give it a fresh water rinse when you get home. Try to dry it as much as possible (without leaving it in the wind and sun) and if it’s still a little wet pack it loosely. If you gonna use it in a few days like most of us then it’s not a problem if it isn’t stone dry. It’s when it gets packed wet for longer periods that you have issues with mildew.
I don’t wash my kites regularly but I try to do it once in a while, and only after they have been dropped or are full of wet sand.


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