Flag Care Guide

How to Care for Your New Flag or Banner

Here are a few simple suggestions to help you enjoy your new Canadian-made flag or banner longer.

  • Never store your flag or banner wet or even damp as the colours may run or bleed. Spread out or hang to dry.
  • Rain, snow, dirt, solvents, pollution, and abnormally high winds shorten the life of your flag or banner. Avoid these elements if possible.
  • Clean your flag or banner regularly. The flag or banner may be washed in warm water with a mild detergent. Do not let the flag or banner stand in the wash water or colours may run. Hang to dry or tumble dry immediately on “air cycle”.
  • Inspect your flag or banner regularly for signs of wear. If slightly frayed or torn, it should be repaired at once.
  • If your flag or banner is lined with Tyvek® it is imperative that it not be exposed to direct heat such as an iron or dryer.

To get the maximum life out of your flags, The Flag Shop recommends buying two flags per flag pole. When the first flag gets dirty and needs minor repairs, take it down, wash and repair it, and replace it with your flag number two. Resting a flag will allow the fibres to relax and restore themselves. When the second flag is dirty, repeat the process. You should get the lifespan of 3 flags for the price of 2.

Your flag or banner should last from 60 days to a year based upon daily exposure to the sun and weather conditions.

The CORRECT way to rig a Halyard (Rope) to an Outdoor Flagpole

There is a right way and a wrong way to arrange or rig the halyard to an outdoor pole. The wrong way puts all the flying strain and stretch on the heading of the flag and can result in the rope and toggle pulling out. The right way puts the strain on the halyard where it belongs and therefore protects the flag, making it wear better and longer.