Why Do Tents Smell?

You’ve spent countless hours anxiously awaiting your next camping trip, and it’s finally here.

So you pull out all your gear and start to get it all ready.

And then it hits you…a weird smell, and it’s coming from your tent.

This can happen for a number of reasons.

So, why do tents smell? Tents can trap odors and need to be cleaned properly and aired out before storage to prevent any smells from accumulating. Your tent could smell from lack of cleaning after it’s last use, mildew, or even mold.

There are a numbers of things you can do to get rid of this odor, as well as some tips for preventing odors in the first place.

Read on to learn more!

Why Your Tent Might Smell

There are actually a number of things that could cause your tent to smell.

It’s important to clean, air out, and store your tent properly in order to prevent these odors.

If your tent smells, one of the following issues is likely the culprit:

Trapped Moisture

The number one reason your tent develops an odor is trapped moisture.

And unless you’ve got water leaking in your storage closet, the buildup either happened while you were out camping or during cleaning your tent.

Now, you may be saying to yourself, ‘but it never rained while we were camping!’.

Unfortunately, keeping your tent out of the rain won’t prevent it from building up moisture through other ways such as condensation, morning dew, or even moisture from the ground.

Use these tips to prevent moisture buildup:

Air out your tent daily while in use: putting a damp tent away in your pack while backpacking can cause it to build up mildew. Be sure to leave a little time for your tent to air out before packing it up, or get to camp early and allow it to dry outside of your pack to prevent any odors.
Wipe down your tent: sometimes your tent will accumulate water in the form of dew all over it. You can give the drying process a little extra help by wiping down or drying off your tent in the morning.
No drinks inside: you won’t always have something handy to fully clean up spills.
Use your tent’s ventilation to prevent condensation: it’s likely that your tent will get pretty warm with you inside of it, creating condensation. You can limit this buildup by unzipping any windows and allowing the breeze to blow through your tent.
Use a tent footprint: using a tent footprint will provide a barrier between your tent and moisture found in the ground. It also helps to prevent any water from pooling up underneath your tent.
Air out your tent completely before storage: regardless of whether you wash your tent or not after your trip, you’ll want to leave it out for two to three days to dry. This will ensure any of the moisture from the above examples is completely dried out. That way you can store your tent without the bad odors.

Mold Or Mildew

Mold or mildew buildup is normally a direct result to one of the above examples happening.

Which means that it is easily prevented!

However, neglecting to utilize the tips above can mean having mold or mildew (and their odors) inside your tent.

Storing A Dirty Tent

When you camp, you’re out in the elements.

That means you and your tent can be exposed to rain, mud, stray twigs and leaves, and more.

All of these can cause your tent to get really dirty, and storing it before cleaning it can cause all sorts of odors to be trapped inside.

Before you store your tent, be sure to clean out all debris and wash off any mud that may have accumulated during your trip.

How To Clean A Tent That Smells

Sometimes there’s no way around it; your tent just smells.

But instead of getting a new one, a deep clean is most of the time all you need to eliminate any odors.

There are a couple of ways you can clean your tent depending on how badly it needs to be washed.

If there is just a little debris found on the inside, simply dump it out of your tent.

However, for more serious issues such as mildew or mud, use one of the methods below.

Pro tip: never scrub the outside of your tent or your rain fly really hard while cleaning. This can wear down the waterproof coating.

Cleaning Mildew Off Your Tent With Vinegar

If your tent has a really strong odor or has mildew built up all over it, using a vinegar and lemon solution is your best bet.

Both vinegar and lemon are natural cleaning agents that help to eliminate mildew and odors.

To clean your tent with this method, all you need is water, white vinegar, and lemon juice:

Fill up a container (that your tent can fit in) with water, white vinegar, and lemon juice.
Soak your tent in the solution for up to 1 hour.
Take your tent out and inspect for any sides of more serious mildew areas.
Using white vinegar (undiluted) in a spray bottle, spray the remaining mildew areas and let sit for 1 hour.
Gently scrub the area with a wet sponge to wipe away the remaining mildew.

If your tent doesn’t have any mildew or doesn’t have a strong odor, use the method below for a lighter cleaning.

Dish Soap Works Great Too!

If you’ve inspected your tent and don’t see any signs of mildew and it doesn’t have a strong odor, dish soap can work great for light cleaning.

In order to clean your tent with dish soap, simply:

Fill a bucket with water.
Liberally add dish soap to the bucket.
Dunk a sponge in the bucket of soapy water and gently scrub your tent.
Once you’ve cleaned the entire tent, wash out all of the soap with fresh water.

This method is great if you had a clean tent before your trip and need to clean off some mud or small dirt spots.

Always Air Out Your Tent Before Storage

Remember, whether you clean your tent or not, always air it out before you store it.

Even if your tent doesn’t feel wet or you didn’t experience any rain on your trip, moisture could’ve still accumulated and storing it would trap that moisture, creating mildew and odors.

Airing out your tent is easiest to do if you have a clothes line.

Simply drape your tent over the line and let it air out for two to three days.

If you don’t have a clothes line, you can drape your tent over an open drying area, such as a couple chairs, that will allow fresh air to dry it out.