We turned our canvas yellow....yikes

[beachlvr]

So, DH was helping me clean the camper. Picked up a different cleaner than we usually use to clean the canvas and turned two entire canvas panels yellow. I mean really yellow. Spent a week figuring out how to get it out. A couple of tries it would look good wet and a day later dried yellow again. Finally got them looking like new. What worked best was applying a thick paste of baking soda and letting it soak in really good and then cleaning with a "spot" cleaning machine (upholstery cleaner attachment for rug cleaner or spray bottle of water and shop vac would also work). Trick was go get as much of the water and baking soda sucked back off as possible. At the end, we sprayed with a little laundry "rust stain" remover and again removed all the water. Look like brand new and all the yellow is finally gone. Pretty sure there was bleach in the cleaner DH used and every time we used hard well water to try and rinse the reaction kept getting worse and worse. Finally figured out to suck the water out rather than let it dry. Using distilled water to rinse probably would have made the process a little faster. Just thought I'd share in case it happens to anyone else.

[SeaDog]

good info on removing the water with a vacuum might be time to invest in a water softener for the well water.

[Rhumblefish]

Originally Posted by beachlvr

Picked up a different cleaner than we usually use to clean the canvas and turned two entire canvas panels yellow. (snip) Just thought I'd share in case it happens to anyone else.

May we ask what the "different cleaner" was? (in order to avoid)

[TheWolfPaq82]

So what about the Water repellent properties of the canvas ? Have they been retreated ??

[Larry-NC]

Obviously something with bleach. It will do the same thing to white Formica countertops as my late wife discovered. It's an oxidizing reaction. The opposite is a reducing reaction. So I put some muriatic acid on the countertop and it reverted to white.

I would NOT recommend muriatic acid for fabric but vinegar (acetic acid) or lemon juice (citric acid) might be good candidates.
I

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by TheWolfPaq82

So what about the Water repellent properties of the canvas ? Have they been retreated ??

Hybrid tents are vinylized fabric so its water repellent properties aren't affected.
But the tent end windows are not vinylized but they really don't have water repellent properties. Many spray them with Scotchguard.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Hybrid tents are vinylized fabric so its water repellent properties aren't affected.
But the tent end windows are not vinylized but they really don't have water repellent properties. Many spray them with Scotchguard.

REI has three different products which might be useful.

[campers302]

Originally Posted by beachlvr

so, dh was helping me clean the camper. Picked up a different cleaner than we usually use to clean the canvas and turned two entire canvas panels yellow. I mean really yellow. Spent a week figuring out how to get it out. A couple of tries it would look good wet and a day later dried yellow again. Finally got them looking like new. What worked best was applying a thick paste of baking soda and letting it soak in really good and then cleaning with a "spot" cleaning machine (upholstery cleaner attachment for rug cleaner or spray bottle of water and shop vac would also work). Trick was go get as much of the water and baking soda sucked back off as possible. At the end, we sprayed with a little laundry "rust stain" remover and again removed all the water. Look like brand new and all the yellow is finally gone. Pretty sure there was bleach in the cleaner dh used and every time we used hard well water to try and rinse the reaction kept getting worse and worse. Finally figured out to suck the water out rather than let it dry. Using distilled water to rinse probably would have made the process a little faster. Just thought i'd share in case it happens to anyone else.

what was the product used so we can avoid it as well?