Just like your home, your recreational vehicle requires a thorough cleaning on a regular basis. It’s a fact of life that nothing stays clean for long—and that includes your RV. A newly mopped floor is just waiting for a spill. That’s especially true with a young family.
The need for cleaning never disappears. Fortunately, most cleaning isn’t difficult. Occasionally, though, you run into something that refuses to come clean, or you are convinced that there must be a better way.
Prevent dirt accumulation through the use of indoor and outdoor mats, removing shoes before entering, and practicing tidy habits. This will go a long way toward keeping your RV interior clean and your sanity intact. When dirt and dust from the outdoors find their way inside your RV or spills need to be cleaned up, you want these chores to be quick, easy, and effective.
When cleaning an RV interior start from the top and work your way down. Begin a thorough cleaning by dusting the ceiling, wiping light fixtures, and cleaning ceiling vents.
When cleaning the RV bathroom, start from the top and work your way down. Organic matter may stick to walls and mirrors, and as you work your way down, it may fall to other surfaces or the ground. By starting tall, you avoid spreading the matter around.
NEVER use bleach or abrasive cleaners in the RV kitchen and bathroom sinks, shower-tub, or toilet. These products can damage the surfaces and holding tanks, and degrade the seals around your tanks—causing an unpleasant and messy problem. Use only mild soaps or products specifically made for RVs. Or, use a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar.
Clean the stove top after each use to remove spills and other food messes. Remove the grate at least monthly or as needed and wipe out any crumbs and spills with a damp, lightly soaped cloth. Rinse well.
Clean refrigerator spills as they happen. Remove drawers and clean under them. This is the location with the most potential for trouble as the stains are likely to stay. Store food in covered containers. Open containers easily spill or are pushed to the back and eventually tip over. To keep odors under control, store an open box of baking soda in the refrigerator.
Use a damp cloth to wipe down the shelves, handles, and doors as needed. Clean vinyl fabrics with a soft damp cloth and mild detergent only. Do not use solvents as they may damage the surface of the vinyl.
Clean interior windows and mirrors, vacuum carpets and rugs, and wash vinyl floors.
At the end of each trip invest a little time to perform routine cleaning: sweep, mop, or vacuum the floors. Wipe down the tables and counter tops. Clean the sinks, shower-tub, and toilet. Clean the stove and ovens. Clean up any spilled foods in the cabinets.
Remove the refrigerator contents and clean it remembering to leave the door open once you’ve turned the unit off. This helps to prevent the development of mold and mildew.
Final Tips
Keeping your RV clean and neat inside will make it more enjoyable to use and will help retain resale value. As with many situations, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Clutter tends to beget clutter, so don’t let the first stray object get things started. Clutter detracts significantly from the pleasure and convenience of using your RV. Put away items as soon as you’re done using them to create a tidy environment inside your RV.
Cleaning grime as soon as it appears is much easier than allowing it to set in longer. Never use traditional toilet cleansers or bleach inside your RV toilet. Doing so may create toxic fumes when the cleansers mix with your holding tank chemicals inside the black water tank and degrade the tanks and seals.
Over time you will discover the best way to organize the things you use most so they’re always handy when you need them.
Worth Pondering…
Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.
—Phyllis Diller