Around the summertime, all motorhomes come out of the garage. Thus, it’s advisable to have your motorhome clean before starting a journey. Are you going to wash your motorhome this season? If so, we will tell you how to do it properly.
Cleaning the interior
If you want to clean your motorhome, start with the interior.
Clean up the cupboards and remove or redistribute unnecessary items. Then reduce all loose parts such as mats and pillows from the vehicle. By doing this, vacuum cleaning will be a lot easier, and all furniture items can be wiped off with a slightly damp cloth. Don’t use any aggressive cleaning agents such as all-purpose cleaner or bleach. Shake all the cushions and mats thoroughly so that no sand is left behind. Also, in the end, you can spray the furniture with special furniture spray so that they are better protected against sweeping and stains.
Kitchen and shower/toilet
Clean the refrigerator thoroughly and check the condition of the sealing rubbers. Special cleaners are available for the stainless steel kitchen blocks, which will make your kitchen shine again. Also, check if there is no hidden spider web under the burner heads.
Additionally, don’t forget about the toilet/shower room. Remove all soap and give the mirror a good clean. Beware of aggressive cleaning agents, many plastic parts in this space are not always resistant to this type of chemicals.
Washing the exterior
After cleaning the inside, it’s time to soak up the outside. The tools you need to wash your motorhome are special motorhome shampoo, water, and a soft brush or sponge. Never use car shampoo or a high-pressure cleaner: motorhomes have a much thinner layer of paint than a car, so these agents can cause irreparable damage.
Start with pre-rinsing the entire vehicle. During this process, you can already rub the most contaminated parts with a sponge or soft brush. Then start cleaning the roof, with immediately rinsing it as well. This way no indelible stripes will appear on your motorhome. The windows and shutters can be treated with water-based cleaner or lukewarm water.
Stubborn dirt
After washing with shampoo, stubborn dirt such as black stripes, tar and resin are often still visible. These pollutions require a unique approach. However, the use of polishing / abrasive cleaners is not recommended now. The paintwork of a motorhome is very thin and needs a delicate cleaning. Therefore, preferably use special cleaning products to combat these contaminants.
When cleaning the motorhome, you can also use a high-pressure sprayer. But pay attention to the force with which the water comes out of the spray lance. For example, the end of the lance should never be held too close to the sheet metal. Decorative stripes, logos and places where the paint has been renewed can come off. The rubbers of windows, doors and service hatches must also be spared because the sealant layer under these rubbers can be damaged with all the unpleasant consequences.
Protective Layer
Cleaning your motorhome alone is not enough. A wax protective layer must be applied to prevent the adhesion of dirt and to protect the caravan against the weather. You can do that by using a liquid wax and wiping it out with a soft cloth or lambswool polishing pad. To top it all off, you can treat plastic parts with a plastic polisher.
Windows, doors and shutters
As the final element of the work, you should check whether the rubber seals of windows, doors and service hatches are still flexible. These rubbers can be kept flexible with silicone spray. The shine of plastic parts such as the drawbar and the rear bumper can be renewed up with the help of plastic cleaners such as those found in the camping or car shop. Special types of wax and cleaners are available for the polyester parts. Polyester is one of the most used materials in water sports.
Some more motorhome washing tips
Use a lot of water
Bird poop, larvae and tree resin must be removed as quickly as possible. You need a lot of water for that.
Use the correct cleaning agents
Do you want to clean the dirt without causing any damage to your motorhome’s surface? Then use only correct cleaning agents. Ask a specialist at a car or camping store for help.
Don’t go on the roof yourself
Not all roofs can be walked on, so avoid damage by not going onto the roof yourself. Moreover, there is a danger of entering a camper roof at the height of more than 3 meters. Don’t take any risks and leave the washing of your motorhome roof to experts. If you need to contact a professional motorhome company, visit Oaktree motorhomes website.
Conclusion
Now you are done, and hopefully, you can be proud of the result! You probably came across countless problems while brushing, which you left behind carelessly during one of your previous vacations. Thus, you can realise that if you had kept the camper clean on the road, this cleaning would have been a little easier.
