Cleaning a caravan can look like a struggle, but there are a few tips to make it much easier. Grime Covered CaravanDue to the size of caravans and motor homes many people find it difficult to clean them especially the roof and ignoring the dirt and grime will just cause it to build up making it harder to clean later. There are several cleaning tips that can help people save time and get the best lasting result for their caravans which can also help protect your caravan from heavy build ups in the future. If you don’t already have suitable caravan cleaning products then you might consider taking a look at some of these.
Step One
Start From the Top and Work Down - Many people choose the option of cleaning the body of the caravan first since that is the easiest place to clean, this is a mistake. If you had just finished cleaning the body of the caravan and then moved onto the roof where would the dirty water go? It would start dripping down onto your recently cleaned areas making them look dirty and causing streaks across it. So always make sure that when you planning on cleaning all parts of the caravan that you concentrate on the roof first, then the main body of the caravan, then the wheels and finally the windows and glass, this way you will ensure that you’ll end up with a streak free finish to your caravan and a result you can be proud of.
Step Two
The Roof - The caravan roof is the most difficult part to clean; many caravans are over 8 foot tall so unless you are using a ladder then you will have issues washing it properly. Most modern caravans and motor homes have now been designer to take your weight (check with your manufacturer first) for you to climb onto to top of the vehicle and clean the surface. Of course this is entirely optional, if you’d prefer not to climb onto your caravan/motor home then you can always use your step ladder to reach around the roof to give it a clean with a suitable detergent scrubbing off all the stuck on dirt and then gently wash it all off with a hose and clean water.
Step Three
The Body - When cleaning the main body of the caravan it’s always best to find suitable tools that will help you reach the areas that you might struggle to reach. A useful tool would be a suitable cleaning broom, to help you reach the areas easily without having to stretch and risk straining yourself. As well as this you should always have a couple of sponges and clean water aside in case you need to scrub an area to remove dirt easier. You should always ensure that you do not use a pressure washer; due to the force from the pressure washer they can cause permanent damage to body and the seals around the windows, which mean leaky windows. Many manufacturers also suggest not using bleach since the chemicals can damage the seals but if you dilute it with a suitable amount of water it should be alright to use. This will help remove any mildew and tough dirt from the body.
Step Four
The Windows - Now that the roof and the rest of the outside has been finished its time to clean the windows with a suitable glass cleaner, always ensure that you are also using a clean cloth to prevent rubbing dirt back onto the window a microfibre cloth would work great here. If you do not have a glass cleaner, a great alternative would be some white vinegar and a newspaper. The newspaper acts as a light abrasive that absorbs the fluids instead of leaving them on the windscreen.
Step Five
Wax for a Great Finish - Now the outside is all clean it’s time to add a suitable wax to help protect it from building up more dirt later on, making the next clean easier. With some washing detergents though you will find that they sometimes already contained added waxes to the detergent, always check the label of the washing solution to see if it is included.
Step Six
Consider Traffic Film Remover - Another product that may be useful if you are returning from a trip somewhere and have collected a large amount of dirt to your caravan is traffic film remover; traffic film remover is designed to quickly remove all substances from your caravan as quickly as possible. Although using traffic film remover means that not only will it remove the dirt it will also remove any waxes you may already have on the caravan, you will need to re-wax your caravan after you have used the traffic film remover. Well done, now you’ve got the outside of your caravan sparkling it’s time for the interior, of course you can always return to this another time or may have already done it! In that case you should plan your next trip away, ready to show others how a caravan should be cleaned.