Ultra violet and infra red radiations, dirt, heat, moisture and abrasion all degrade canopies. If some manufacturers instructions regarding canopy care are taken literally some of us might never fly. There has to be a compromise but the lives of most canopies can be greatly extended by few simple precautions.

Don't drag your canopy around on the ground.

Don't leave your canopy lying around unpacked on the hillside for long periods if you are not actually flying it.

Try not to get it wet and if you do then unpack and dry it at the first opportunity.

Keeping a canopy in a stuff bag keeps it from being in contact with any metallic or sweaty parts of the harness. The canopy can still be kept rigged to the harness with the lines led through the opening of the stuff bag when packed. This is excellent for times when you are not sure whether it is going to be flyable or not but you want to be ready. Everything other than the canopy itself can be prepared and the canopy left in the stuff sack until the last minute.

The best way to keep your canopy clean is not to get it dirty in the first place. When the worst has happened clean the dirt off as soon as possible by gently sponging with fresh water. Use soap or detergent minimally and remember that streams running off the moors will probably be slightly acidic.

My wife and I bought a dehumidifier some years ago when we lived in a rented bungalow that had damp problems. If you have a bit of space they are marvellous things for drying anything including canopies and flying boots. With the addition of a clothes horse they are a much more efficient, if slower, alternative to a tumble drier for the washing. In a limited space the canopy can be 'concertinered' in a sort of sausage and each 'flap' folded over now and again until it is completely dry.