Clean Not Wash The Outside of Your Rv

    by – Tom O’Domirok 

 If you use your RV most of the time or live in it full time, as I do, then here are some tips I have found that keep that RV shining.  If you clean the outside a little each day with window cleaner and paper towels, you get the best results quick. No muddy mess to live in.

  Washing verses Cleaning.  Think about it, Washing with water you have to wet the RV, rub with soap, rinse with water, and rub dry. You are rubbing the fiberglass twice and using gallons of water. With cleaner you rub once and pick up the dirt and stains, and it’s dry in one step, using a quart of cleaner. This will help conserve water, and most RV parks charge extra for washing your RV or car, so clean your RV, not wash. With the cost of water going up, and summer shortages, window cleaner and towels are cost effective. Three dollars for a bottle of window cleaner will clean a twenty foot RV or more. Of course the better window cleaner and absorbent paper towels do the quickest job. Cloth towels do the same job, Rags can be thrown away after use, or calculate the cost of washing.   

Polish/wax is next step to a shinning RV. You have to do this if you wash or clean. After a cleaning you will notice the black streaks and other marks window cleaner didn’t remove. This is were a good polishing wax brings the color back to the RV. I have been experimenting with different brands of wax/polishes/cleaners. A general car wax does not clean very good. A compound or polish is buffed first to remove the grime and paint. Then a wax coat is applied to seal the finish. This takes a lot of time. But there are some very good polish/wax combinations on the market that do both. After a polish/wax is applied the RV will last longer and be easier to clean the next time. Those black streaks will wipe off with window cleaner. 

 This cleaning process can be apply to the roof of the RV. Most RV roofs have a rubber membrane or mastic coating. But the roof needs to be cleaned. That is where the black streaks come from. Window cleaner is not strong enough. An all purpose cleaner and soft brush is necessary. Spray cleaner on the roof, scrub with a brush, then, take a sponge and wipe the excess dirt off the roof. Rinse the sponge in a bucket of water and repeat as necessary until clean. After the roof is clean a roof coating is available to keep the material in good condition.  Like waxing. This can be found at most RV dealers or camping stores. 

 As for leaning a little each day. I like to clean the roof in the morning. A little dew helps with the cleaning. The next day I will start on one side of the RV. Start at the top and clean towards the bottom. The next day clean the other sides of the RV until finished. In the summer I like to follow the shade as the day goes on. If cleaning in winter time start on the side with sun were it’s warmer