Cleaning tree sap off tent

[girlynut]

We stupidly pitched our Royal Atlanta 8 tent under a big tree for a week and now it is covered in bird poo and sticky tree sap. Even the guy ropes feel sticky!

Any tips on how to wash it off? I read that you shouldn't use detergents to clean tents... so should I just use a bar of soap..?

I saw a thread about this on the UKCampsite 'camping under canvas' forum. I think the advice was put it up and let it get as dry as possible, scrape / brush off as much as poss, and hose, using non-detergent soap - but not to scrub because this could push the sap / bird dirt into the fabric. But have a look, in case I got it wrong.

To be double sure I would contact the manufacturer, if possible.