The MidSota Canvas Blog

The Ultimate Guide to Aqualon Fabric for Custom Boat Covers: Expert Insights from Midsota CanvasAt Midsota Canvas, we're not just craftsmen; we're guardians of your A #boatlife adventures. In our constant quest to offer the best protection for your boat, we've come to rely on a standout material that blends durability with aesthetic appeal – Aqualon fabric. 

What is Aqualon?
Aqualon is a coated fabric renowned for its exceptional durability, water resistance, and UV protection. Engineered with a unique blend of polyester and a vinyl coating, it stands as a fortress against the harsh marine environment, safeguarding your boat from the elements.

Why Choose Aqualon for Your Boat Cover?
1. Unmatched Durability: Aqualon's robust composition resists tearing, ensuring your boat cover withstands the test of time and use. Its resilience against wear and tear means your investment is not just for a season but for many years to come.

2. Superior Weather Resistance: Whether it's beating sun, pouring rain, or heavy snow, Aqualon offers unparalleled protection. Its water-resistant properties keep moisture at bay, while its UV resistance helps prevent fading and material degradation, keeping your boat in pristine condition.

3. Mold and Mildew Resistance: Aqualon is treated to resist mold and mildew, critical in the damp, enclosed spaces covers create. This feature helps maintain the fabric's integrity and appearance, ensuring a clean and healthy environment for your boat.

4. Aesthetic Flexibility: Beyond its technical prowess, Aqualon comes in a variety of colors, allowing for personalization and style in your boat's protection. This means your cover can be as vibrant or as understated as you wish, complementing your boat's aesthetic and your personal taste.

5. Easy Maintenance: Aqualon's smooth surface is not just tough but also easy to clean. A simple soap and water solution can keep your cover looking new, minimizing maintenance hassle and maximizing enjoyment time.

Midsota Canvas and Aqualon: A Match Made for the Lake
At Midsota Canvas, we believe in using materials that stand up to our high standards, and Aqualon fits the bill perfectly. Our expertise in custom boat cover design and fabrication, combined with Aqualon's superior qualities, ensures that each cover is not just a protective layer but a tailored, functional, and stylish accessory for your vessel.

Crafting Your Custom Aqualon Boat Cover
Our process begins with understanding your needs and the specific challenges your boat faces. We consider everything from your local climate to your aesthetic preferences, ensuring the final product is perfectly suited to you and your boat. With precise measurements and meticulous craftsmanship, we create a cover that fits flawlessly, offering optimal protection and a sleek look.

Embark on Your Next Adventure with Confidence
Choosing an Aqualon boat cover crafted by Midsota Canvas with confidence, knowing your boat is shielded by the best. It's not just about making a choice for today but investing in the longevity and appearance of your boat.

Dive into the world of Aqualon with Midsota Canvas, where quality meets craftsmanship. Let us protect your passion with a cover that stands as a testament to durability, style, and meticulous care.

Your adventure awaits, and we're here to ensure it's nothing but smooth waters.

One of the best ways to keep Sunbrella fabrics looking good is to hose fabrics off on a monthly basis with clean water. This helps prevent dirt from becoming deeply embedded in the fabric and eliminates the need for more frequent vigorous cleaning. In most environments, a thorough cleaning will be needed every two to three years.

When it's time for a thorough cleaning, Sunbrella fabrics can be cleaned while still on a boat or, size permitting, they can be removed for cleaning dock side.

General Or Light Cleaning
To clean Sunbrella while still on a boat, follow these simple steps:

• Brush off loose dirt.
• Hose down.
• Prepare a cleaning solution of water and mild soap such as Woolite or Dawn dishwashing liquid.
• Use a soft bristle brush to clean.
• Allow cleaning solution to soak into the fabric.
• Rinse thoroughly until all soap residue is removed.
• Air dry.
• May not require re-treatment depending on the age of the fabric.

If stubborn stains persist, you can use a diluted bleach/soap mixture for spot cleaning of mildew. For roof run-off or other similar stains a strong degreaser may be required.

Heavy Cleaning For Stubborn Stains And Mildew
Sunbrella fabrics do not promote mildew growth, however, mildew may grow on dirt and other foreign substances that are not removed from the fabric. To clean stubborn stains:

• Prepare a solution of 1 cup of bleach and one fourth cup mild soap per gallon of clean water.
• Allow mixture to soak into fabric for up to 15 minutes.
• Blot stain with a sponge or clean towel.Note: This step should be avoided when cleaning the coated side (Back side) of Sunbrella SeaMark, Plus, Supreme, or Clarity.
• Rinse thoroughly until all soap residue is removed.
• Air dry.

Note: Use caution when cleaning the coated (underside) of Sunbrella SeaMark, Plus, Supreme, or Clarity with the recommended bleach solution. The coated side of the fabric should only be sprayed with the recommended bleach solution and rinsed thoroughly.

Remember to protect the area around your Sunbrella if using a bleach solution. Carpet or other fabrics that are not Sunbrella may have an adverse reaction to the bleach.

Retreating Sunbrella FabricsSunbrella fabrics are treated with a proprietary water and stain repellent finish that is designed to last for several years, but may require replenishing after a thorough cleaning. Glen Raven® recommends 303® Fabric Guard™.

Applying a retreatment:

• Clean Sunbrella fabric, using one of the cleaning methods.
• Allow Sunbrella to completely air dry.
• Apply retreatment in a well-ventilated area following instructions on the container.

Professional Cleaners
You may have access to professional cleaning rms. In evaluating the services of a professional rm, you should inquire about a rm's experience in working with Sunbrella fabrics and knowledge of cleaning and re-treatment requirements.

Depending on the type of material you choose and what you are covering the color of your canvas can have a large effect on the lifeline. Think your application through thoroughly!

Imagine this, you are a boat covered in black on the hottest day you can remember living through in the state of Minnesota. Back story, you spent a perfect day on the boat with friends and family the day prior. You had so much wet fun that you covered your boat and went inside without a thought. Today, your boat sits in the dead humid Minnesota heat. Sun beats on your cover.

What do you think happens here? The trapped moisture under the black cover allows for a mold and mildew to grow a great deal more than choosing a lighter colored cover. 

How about this, colors outside of your basics beige, ivory, black, and other colors without a real pigment will last longer in lifeline because the cover will not be broken down in the direct sunlight. Maybe you picked, red, because we all know matching influences a decision - understand that the red that matched today may not match three-years from now. 

All materials are different and so much technology is built behind fabric applications today, don't forget to ask the necessary questions to understand exactly what you are getting from a custom covering.