Our tests showed that this was not the case. But why is it that a tent sometimes no longer fits after washing? We got to the bottom of this a few years ago.
There is nothing more annoying than a fresh, clean tent that no longer fits. We got to the bottom of this a few years ago.
ZonKlaar has asked the question to a test laboratory . This party focuses specifically on textiles and can carry out all possible tests. I have provided an exact description of our process, including a list of products we use for the various contaminants .
We had our washing process tested
A whole range of textile types was tested, and the outcome was always the same. The dimensions were exactly the same in all cases after the treatment. It is therefore indeed excluded that the washing process can be the cause of shrinkage in boat covers.
The report came after a few weeks
A whole range of textile types was tested, and the outcome was always the same. The dimensions were exactly the same in all cases after the treatment. It is therefore indeed excluded that the washing process can be the cause of shrinkage in boat covers.
But what is the cause of the shrinkage?
What about the observations of the people who called me? It turned out that their tent had shrunk. What could be the cause of this? I presented the issue to at least five sail makers , consulted fabric suppliers and finally checked for myself whether the window film could possibly have an influence on this.
The window film turned out to be the right track
The PVC window film used for the windows can sometimes cause (slight) shrinkage. As long as the boat cover is tensioned tightly on a ship, this is not a problem . But when the cover is removed and the tension disappears, the window film can 'move freely' and shrinkage is allowed to occur. Usually the hood can be put back on with some wringing and pulling, but in some cases some adjustments are necessary.
How do I get my boat cover to fit again?
What can you do if your boat tent no longer seems to fit? If that is no longer possible, a sailmaker can move the tenaxes slightly or make other corrections if necessary. If you want to try to get the boat cover to fit again, I have two tips.
Tip:1
Try to tighten the boat cover as far as possible and secure it with the straps or tension straps . It may be that after a few sunny days some stretching has occurred and the tenaxes fit again.
Tip:2
Soak the boat cover with water, and place it wet on the boat. Wet material is sometimes easier to get moving . Once the tent is secured, the tension decreases and the tube tent fits properly again.
The good news is that nowadays people are increasingly using specially treated window film, which shrinks much less. We therefore expect that the problem of shrinking window film will eventually be a thing of the past.
Anti-shrink guarantee
We have now created an anti-shrinkage guarantee . We guarantee you a fresh and clean boat cover with the same dimensions as before the wash!
