Cleaning Tips for RV's

[Bigfoot Mike]

This is worth revisiting.

Any of you have something to add for the benefit of us all?

[Tirah]

' date='Apr 15 2003, 01:10 PM' post='150599']
Posted by Rick, Moderator:

[b]Cleaning Tips for RV's; please post your solutions

I'd like to get a topic specific thread going regarding the cleaning of our trailers both inside and out.

PLEASE KEEP THIS THREAD TOPIC SPECIFIC :

What do use to clean your RV? Waxing, odors, grime, grit, mold, mildew, black streaks, rust marks, etc, etc. Have you found a product that works better than others. Have you experienced products that don't work? Do you have a home-remedy replacement? Advise any do's and don'ts that you have encountered. Please be as detailed as you can or must be. Don't assume anything, it'll help others. Thanks!

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Rick

*Leadfoot in a Bigfoot*

95 Bigfoot 25B21 (21.5FT)

Great topic! Our trailer had been sitting in the desert for four years, so it had been invaded by stray cats, rodents, bugs, and who knows what else.

For urine odors: Nature's Miracle, Vinegar, Borax, or Baking Soda (individually) seems to do the trick. Our trailer is finally not smelling much like a catbox anymore.

I washed two of my cushions by putting them in the bathtub with laundry detergent and water and stomping on them. But warning- it took over a week for them to dry in the hot, California sun. I think they could possibly fit into a commercial oversized dryer and dried on no or low heat, though?

[John & Sandy M]

' date='Apr 22 2003, 05:58 PM' post='151309']
Posted by Bonnie Copeland, Member:

[b]Cleaning
Our Casita has been in storage for 18 months, and there's a lot of mildew and mold growing in the usual damp spots. I'm thinking of renting or buying a steam cleaner (real steam, NOT hot water) to try to kill the mildew, and disinfect / deodorize the interior. Has anyone tried this, and what was the result?

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Bonnie & Taoward

I would suggest not using a steam cleaner as you can also loosen/remove caulking. A solution of 1 cup bleach to 3 cups water with a squirt of dish soap to decrease the surface tension will do a good job on the mold and kill it. Just be sure to rinse well when finished.

By the way, rust stains can easily be removed using the rust removal powder used on driveways etc. (Lowes/Home Depot). Make a paste and apply and let stand. Reapply as necessary for complete removal.

[BOBSMITH]

YOW! My wife bought me a Black & Decker Model 1600 pressure washer for my birthday/Father's Day. So I took it to where we store our Casita today and assembled it to wash the Casita in preparation for our five-day trip beginning on Wednesday.

There were several nagging spots on the Casita that had mildew (or what I assume was mildew) that I could not clean. These spots were the exterior end pieces of the awning and the rivet caps. I had tried everything to get the mildew off of these pieces up to and including bleach with a hard-bristled brush and lots of elbow grease. No go. Still mildewed.

So today as I was washing and waxing the Casita I decided to try hitting these areas with a powerful, concentrated jet of high pressure water.

It worked!

Both the awning ends and every rivet cap look like new!

[John & Sandy M]

[b]YOW! So today as I was washing and waxing the Casita I decided to try hitting these areas with a powerful, concentrated jet of high pressure water.

[b]It worked!

Both the awning ends and every rivet cap look like new!

The rivit caps can be cleaned by simply removing them and dropping them in a bleach solution BUT by the time they are discolored/stained it is usually best to replace them with new ones as they become chalky and brittle after a couple of years in the sun. Casita and Scamp both sell cap kits and they can be purchased a number of other places.

[james kent]

NU finish will keep things shiny. Also toothpaste will take scratches off of plastic. It works great on old sunglasses too.

[BOBSMITH]

The rivet caps are not at all chalky or brittle. They were just discolored. However, I do need to buy some extra ones just in case I lose one (or several) or when they do become brittle or chalky.

[Chuck-H]

We bought a used white camper shell and the dealer washed it and I used Nu Finish to polish it before they put it on the truck. The dealer and lot person both came out to see some amatuer clean up a 5 year old shell... they're using it now!
The finish seems to last about a year but easy to apply and just wipes off.

[Joe MacDonald]

I usually use it twice a year on my trailer, it also is a good bug remover, when washing alone isn't enough.

[bill&sandra]

What do use to clean your RV? Waxing, odors, grime, grit, mold, mildew, black streaks, rust marks, etc, etc. Have you found a product that works better than others. Have you experienced products that don't work? Do you have a home-remedy replacement? Advise any do's and don'ts that you have encountered. Please be as detailed as you can or must be. Don't assume anything, it'll help others. Thanks!:)

-----------------------------
Rick

*Leadfoot in a Bigfoot*

95 Bigfoot 25B21 (21.5FT)

I used windex on the funky inside wall covering, wiping it down with paper towels, then wet towels, then dry. pretty sparkley! hard stuff i used a scrubby pad or the eraser thing. lots of elbow grease! 409 in fridge--really icky. didn't get rust stains, but it is CLEAN. sponged out till just water came off. scrubby pads to get marks off outside. hubby buffed and shined with I think special RV wax for fiberglass. much nicer, smoother. not too shiny though. carpet, we just used the pet carpet cleaner, then vaccummed like crazy. sponged out by hand all the nooks and crannies and inside all cabinets. dusty. some icky stuff. thankfully no bugs--not that bugs are bad!

[Terry Branch]

For mold and mildew I use straight vineagar (I also use at home in the shower track) Vineagar kills the fungus that causes mold. Then you can bleach it if need be. Bleach will remove the color of mold but doesn't kill the spores so if warm and humid there is a rapid regrowth. Amonia also works for killing mold but it is toxic and must never be used with bleach.
When we returned from Alaska a couple years ago we used "Aesome all purpose cleaner" from the Dollar Tree store it cost $1.00 and was truely awsome for cleaning all the road gunk off the Scamp. Awsome also makes a carpet spot cleaner that works great.
Dotty & Terry

[Sandra Lair]

I like to keep a Mr. Clean Magic Sponge around. Not only is it great for cleaning inside (cabinets, etc.) but it also erases some of the marks on the outside of our Scamp. And on the marks it doesn't erase completely, it usually makes them lighter.
Sandra

[Kent]

Sandra, ditto on the Magic Eraser

I have been using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for quite some time now and while discussing this product with friends and fellow Casita owners I figured out that not everyone has seen or tried this product. First I will tell you that I have nothing to do with Proctor and Gamble and I’m not being paid to post this.

I can tell you that it is a great product and if you are not using it you should. I can’t find anything that it won’t work on. Besides removing marks from walls, floors and moldings, it will shine up fiberglass, stainless steel, chrome wheels etc, but the best use I found is that it will remove the marks from inside your refrigerator.

Every time I get home from a camping trip and empty out the refrigerator I would find all of these different and colored marks that seem to rub off from different packages. With one or two swipes with the magic eraser, they are gone.

My trip to Bullard’s Beach I found some marks on my floor that wouldn’t come up with soap and water. But they did with the Magic Eraser.

I know this sound’s like an advertisement but when you find something that works this good you have to share it. I just figured everyone knew about it. If you are a user of this product then you know what I’m talking about.

Have a great day!

[Colleen C]

After trying many different products, we came up with Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom cleaner (aerosol can works best!) by SC Johnson. The product sprays on into the little crevases of the ensolite and with a terry towel, wipes clean. Saves many hours of scrubbing and smells great!

We clean the inside before the season every year, and have been really happy with this...no discoloration, not expensive and no residue to deal with.

[Glenn Baglo]

Scrubbing Bubbles contains chlorine ( bleach ).
I used it on the underside of my awning and ended up with a t-shirt and hat with an interesting pattern where the fabric had been bleached.
So, caution is in order.

[Marv Watson]

We're big fans of "Method All Purpose" natural surface cleaner, and "Method Glass Cleaner" (better than Windex). Also, I'm experimenting with "Liquid Glass" for final coat on the exterior fiberglass surfaces.

[patrick crawford]

no one has mentioned "barkeeper's friend". i keep a supply in the trailer all the time. works on interior and exterior stains.

p@

[JRTrillium]

Originally Posted by Legacy Posts

Posted by Thomas and Janifer, Moderator:

Nu Finish - I've heard that's good for the cars/trucks, but never thought about for the trailer, Thanks Adrian.

and protect all?? I've heard of that one too, but thought it was for vinyl. only? Learn something everyday. Thanks
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Jana Journeycake
PullsButtercupwithYellaEscape
1975 Surfside TM-14 (ft)

I like these two suggestions - will keep them in mind for Spring! I used Mothers Brazilian Carnauba Cleaner Wax last summer. It got a few coats and brought it to a 'glow'. I personally prefer a glow to a mirror shine.

I also want to mention that a splash of bleach in my wash water (can't remember if I used soap - probably a dash of dish soap) got the very dirty roof clean - then used the wax. I really don't know how old the dirt was on the roof - maybe a couple years?

[Franswa]

I'm genrally suspicious of one-off name brand cleaners....probably something real simple repackaged (and repriced) and given a catchy name....

this is something that I have had great success with with boats....once you've cleaned the FG with your favorite home "recipe" cleaning solution (mine is very hot water + Mr Clean + an amount of any kitchen scouring powder mixed in) any left over dirt, streaks and bugs can be removed using methyl hydrate

methyl hydrate is basically alcohol... it routinely gets repackaged as lock de-icer, gas line antifreeze, paint thinner and stove fuel (for non pressurized alcohol stoves)....and that just the ones I know of

if you have any of these products around you could give it a try on a test surface to see how you like it

packaged as just the chemical it is really cheap and that's good because you will use a generous amount of it....no other clean-up / rinsing required...exposed to the air alcohol evaporates

I have never found anything that works as well for removing the black streaks left over on FG (caused by rain/pollution) after of long winter of outside storage

[FTTRV]

I have washed ensolite with TSP which does a good job.