Cleaning the underneath of an awning - Fiberglass RV
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Old 09-25-2011, 12:34 PM   #1
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Cleaning the underneath of an awning

Today's project is to clean the awning that came on my new-to-me Burro. I was able to take care of the outside by letting it lie against the trailer and scrubbing hard with soap and water. The underneath is also very grubby but I'm making no headway there whatsoever. The material is too loose for me to gain any purchase and I just can't get the required pressure with the scrubbing brush. Lots of hard work so far, but no results.

I'm wondering if there's a product that could be sprayed or painted on, then allowed to sit for a while before scrubbing off. Would it be OK to use bleach? Or is there a better method?

The awning is glued to the body, so removing it to clean isn't an option.

I'm not having any fun with this so would appreciate any advice.
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Old 09-25-2011, 12:48 PM   #2
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not sure what is on your roof, but possibly you could flip it over to the other side of the trailer and then the underside will be topside?? just a thought
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Old 09-25-2011, 05:00 PM   #3
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One way is to have someone hold the awning tight while you scrub the underside -may need a ladder to get at the part close to the trailer.

Another is to spray a cleaner onto both sides and then roll it back up for an hour. Then unroll it and scrub it lightly and spray it off. For heavy stains you may have to repeat the process. Let the awning dry completely before putting it away again.

I have used just a basic awning cleaner (cant recall the name) and Simple Green - both worked about the same. Some people say just Tide and hot water works for them others say spraying Tilex on it or water and bleach and rolling up works - but I havent tried either as I kind of think they would be hard on the awning.

Once you get it clean it does help if you put a proctectant such as 303 on it after - way easier to clean up the next time you need to.
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Old 09-25-2011, 06:12 PM   #4
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Thanks both.

I thought about flipping the awning over but didn't fancy the idea of putting my weight on the roof once it was up there. What I ended up doing was switching to a nailbrush and doing one tiny portion at a time. I didn't get all the grime off, but it does look a lot better.

The tip about rolling it up after spraying on the cleaner sounds interesting. I might give that a go. I'll also check out 303.

For the moment though, I'm going to go and drink beer in the hopes of easing the ache in my right arm.
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Old 09-25-2011, 06:15 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew and Karen View Post
Thanks both.

I thought about flipping the awning over but didn't fancy the idea of putting my weight on the roof once it was up there. What I ended up doing was switching to a nailbrush and doing one tiny portion at a time. I didn't get all the grime off, but it does look a lot better.

The tip about rolling it up after spraying on the cleaner sounds interesting. I might give that a go. I'll also check out 303.

For the moment though, I'm going to go and drink beer in the hopes of easing the ache in my right arm.
Drink enough and you will forget about the whole thing!!!!
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Old 09-25-2011, 06:42 PM   #6
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We have an 8X10 rail awning. I usually lay it out on the lawn in the back yard and clean both sides once each year. I have used both Fantastic and Spray Nine and lean towards the latter using a long handled carwash brush. Afterwards I spray the vinyl with Armorall. Leaves it shiny and rain water runs off nicely. [at least in my minds eye]
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Old 09-28-2011, 06:28 PM   #7
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I've done this with good results. Spray the underside of the awning with a mixture of bleach.... 50/50 with water. Wear a hat! Roll up the awning and wait for 15 to 20 minutes....unroll....maybe scrub with a long handled brush......use water from a hose to rinse and you should see quite a difference.
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Old 09-28-2011, 06:57 PM   #8
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There's all kinds of commercial cleaners for awnings available. Here's one: Premium RV Awning Cleaner - Product - Camping World made by the same stuff as the manufacturer of a number of black/gray water solutions. You can probably find it locally at any RV parts supplier. I like what it says "Removes mold, mildew, leaf stains, bugs, bird droppings and more from fabric and vinyl awnings. UV blocker keeps awning looking better longer. Easy-to-use, non-bleach formula won't discolor or stain fabrics and surfaces. USA."
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Old 10-02-2011, 12:10 PM   #9
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Andrew, Karen, What exactly do you mean that the awning is 'glued' to the side of the trailer? Photos might help use figure out how it is attached, and then how to remove it so you can wash it on the ground. Normally, an awning has a rope or plastic edge that 'slides' into a track that is mounted to the trailer. Perhaps you have this type of awning?
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Old 10-20-2011, 03:15 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Pam Garlow View Post
Andrew, Karen, What exactly do you mean that the awning is 'glued' to the side of the trailer? Photos might help use figure out how it is attached, and then how to remove it so you can wash it on the ground. Normally, an awning has a rope or plastic edge that 'slides' into a track that is mounted to the trailer. Perhaps you have this type of awning?
My apologies Pam, I haven't been on the forum for a little while and I missed this question.

The awning is attached to the envelope in which it lives. This is in turn, glued to the side of the trailer.
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Old 10-20-2011, 03:24 PM   #11
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Here's how it looks in action.

So, I think the idea of squirting on the cleaner, then rolling it up in the bag for an hour or so, then cleaning it again, will be the way to go.

~ Andrew
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Old 10-21-2011, 10:30 AM   #12
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Andrew - after you first asked about how to do it I tried doing it by spraying the awning and rolling back up (after I put the awning away wet one too many times) and it worked really well. Much easier than laying it out and scrubbing as I have done in the past.
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Old 01-28-2012, 06:02 AM   #13
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Cool

arrrrrrg ,,, don,,,, spraying bleach overhead???? safety glasses.....safety glasses!
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Old 02-01-2012, 06:09 PM   #14
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Try spraying the brush and then scrub it on, perhaps.
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Old 02-01-2012, 06:42 PM   #15
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Donna, thanks for the link to the awning cleaner. I plan to order a big bottle!
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Old 02-02-2012, 06:36 PM   #16
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bleach and water do an amazing job, we used the commercial stuff that Donna mentioned but after smelling it my wife said this is mainly bleach or clorox, so we mix our own now. spray on with a spray bottle, I usually do it at an angle so the spray doesn't constantly drip on me and do a portion at a time, I wear a baseball cap so my hair doesn't turn prematurely turn spotty white, with this mixture it doesn't require too much hard scrubbing but then again we do it about once a year, good luck
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