My sister didn't dry out her tent fly from a wet trip a week ago and now has mildew spots on her tent fly. (She has a REI UL Quarterdome T2)

questions:
1) In your experience, will the mildew affect the performance of the fly?

2)How might the mildew be removed without damaging the fly? I thought using Nikwax Tech Wash might be a possiblity (I would usually use this product for hard shell outerwear).

Thanks for your advice in advance!!

This link to some instruction of tent care should help:

http://www.sierradesigns.com/t-TentCare.aspx#4

It seems that "mildew uses the dirt and soil found on many tents as nutrients to grow and reproduce. This fungus actually penetrates the urethane coating of the tent fabric and grows between the tent fabric and coating, eventually lifting the coating from the fabric. Waterproofness is thus lost and the fabric is eventually destroyed." Also, there are some cleaning instructions in this link.

Good luck!

That sierra designs link contained exactly the info. I was looking for. THANKS!