Caravan Cleaning Products to Try in 2021

Here’s a comprehensive guide on caravan, RV or motorhome cleaning tips and techniques, the potential need for a deep caravan clean, as well as cleaning products to try this year for your home on the road. 

Caravan Cleaner 101: Start With the Roof

 

Start with cleaning this caravan section before proceeding to the sides. This sequence makes perfect sense when you consider the following:

• It is typically the messiest part of your RV, taking in all dust, dirt, road grime, splattering mud and debris from the outside. It's exposed to the elements, of course.
• Using an extendable wash mop will make this job easier and safer
• Cleaning the sides of the caravan first will wash down the filth from top and you will end up repeating the job on the sides. 

 

Removing Black Streaks on Your Caravan

Okay, so you’ve cleaned the sides of your caravan.

It might surprise you to find black streaks under and around sections like the window, door and locker sealers. These marks may not readily show on caravans that are often cleaned, but among those getting their first bath following winter. 

What’s this black streak made of anyway?

Partly, these streaks are dirt, grime and biological matter such as biofilm. But they also include tiny particles of denatured rubber, where seals around windows and doors age and shed small bits of rubber particles.

These things wash down the sides of the bodywork when it rains, sticking to the surface. 

Getting rid of black streaks on your motorhome is rather simple. We recommend using EcoTraveller Outback to Ocean Wash which is ph neutral.

Using Caravan Polish and Wax Safely

Polish and waxing are important, but have to be performed responsibly. Caravan bodywork is usually made up of materials including aluminium, plastic as well as fibreglass.

Therefore cutting or polishing agents like T-Cut, a common cutting compound used on cars, may be a little too abrasive for it and cause scratches. Specific products, non-scratching ones, may be appropriate to make the caravan shine.

If you use products like this frequently, you would eventually remove the gelcoat layer that’s coloured back down to the resin layer. 

That said, the same compound is hardly suitable for aluminium body panels. You might want to explore a general caravan polish, which can be minimally abrasive and simply adds a protective shield for added shine. 

While you’re at it, use some microfibre cloths to apply and remove polish wax. 

Other Caravan Cleaner Tips 

Let’s zero in on other aspects of the topic:

Caravan interiors

The usual vacuum cleaners at home are way too heavy for an on-the-go life style. Simply sweep out or remove excess dust and dirt with disposable sanitiser wipes.  

Make sure you pay special attention to UV protection on vinyl surfaces using a product like EcoTraveller Vinyl Protect.

Caravan's Exterior Awnings

Your awning also deserves great TLC, especially if you’re fond of pitching it near a tree with birds (hello, tree sap and bird droppings) and where it rained. Similar to doing it on your roofing, use a telescopic brush to clean the awning.

We recommend using EcoTraveller 4in1 to remove any mould and applying EcoTraveller Vinyl Protect to help preserve the awning from harsh UV damage.  A similar process  applies to fixing your caravan storage cover. 

Glass and Solar Panels

All glass windows and solar panels will require regular cleaning. The exterior of your van will need a good glass and solar cleaner on a regular basis.

4 Caravan Cleaners to Discover 

We’ve come to an exciting discovery of caravan cleaner solutions that can be safe, highly efficient and economical in the long run. Here’s our quick rundown of caravan cleaner solutions on our radar.

What it is

The ProTreat sachets suit all portable toilets and can be used in grey water, black water, holding tanks and more.

The drop-and-go probiotic-based caravan cleaner breaks down waste and removes odours from caravan, RV, motorhome and boat toilets. 

Why it’s worth trying

It can be used in grey water, black water, holding tank, cassette style and composting portable toilets without fuss or added burden to the environment.