cleaning the trailer cover

[beardrum]

I love our Calmark cover. It does great at keeping the algae, sputz, soot, and evergreen pollen off our trailer. But the cover collects all that sputz and saves it for me to deal with in the Spring.

I've talked to Calmark, and they recommended using a brush to scrub it with warm water and mild dish detergent, drying it, and then retreating it with a water repellent.

But, being lazy (and almst 80), I'm wondering if there is an easier way, like taking it to a large-capacity laundromat, if one even exists that's big enough. Once it's clean, I could bring it home and dry it and treat it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Chuck G

[ShelbyM]

I think you'll have better luck washing it on the trailer. I've used vinegar in a spray bottle to kill the green stuff. Soak it good and let it sit a day or so. May need a second application. After that, soapy water and a big bush with a long handle, plus a ladder.

[monB]

Take it to a car wash?

[jerrybob]

Originally Posted by beardrum

I love our Calmark cover. It does great at keeping the algae, sputz, soot, and evergreen pollen off our trailer. But the cover collects all that sputz and saves it for me to deal with in the Spring.

I've talked to Calmark, and they recommended using a brush to scrub it with warm water and mild dish detergent, drying it, and then retreating it with a water repellent.

But, being lazy (and almst 80), I'm wondering if there is an easier way, like taking it to a large-capacity laundromat, if one even exists that's big enough. Once it's clean, I could bring it home and dry it and treat it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Chuck G

I'd follow the Calmark recommendation....brush...warm water,,,mild detergent...dry...waterproof. Even if you could find a laundromat.....when wet....that cover will weigh a ton...better have some strong teenagers with you. I live in Southwest Wash...lots of rain. I use a less expensive cover....Classic bought off Amazon.....they last 3 to 4 years....I hose it off every year....let it dry......cover only costs a lttle over a hundred bucks....works well and cheap to replace.

[beardrum]

yeah, as my wife would be quick to point out, I always get in trouble when I don't follow directions

I kinda like the carwash idea tho'. Trouble would be carefully getting it there and back again.

Maybe a litte soap and brush work every day for a while ...

[monB]

Take it there on the trailer and clean it the same.

Or, take it off the trailer and drive to the car wash. Put it back on the trailer and clean. Take it off the trailer and go back home and put it back on the trailer to dry.

Or on a clothesline.

[dfandrews]

Chuck,
I washed our Calmark cover exactly once. I borrowed a horse water trough from a friend who's a farmer. Basically, it's a giant galv. steel bathtub. I washed the cover with liquid laundry detergent with a little BIZ enzyme cleaner added. It did a great cleaning job. But then, the rinse (twice) in the trough, then drying it was a huge pain. The wet cover weighs almost more than two of us could handle. We wrestled it on to a bunch of borrowed sawhorses, did a final rinse, then let it take over our driveway for a couple days to dry.
Now, it stays on the trailer, gets washed/rinsed just before a rain storm, then we let the weather do the rest.
By the way, our Calmark cover is now 10 years old, and doing fine.