How To Clean The Underside Of A Camper Awning?
RVs provide shelter and a sense of home on holidays and road trips. There are many accessories that can be purchased to make a motor home or truck even more enjoyable, including an awning. The awning is made from either acrylic or vinyl fabric and extends outside the RV like a tent and canopy. The awning offers shelter from the sun and rain. Because the awning is exposed to moisture, heat, and water, there is a possibility for mold to develop on the fabric. A thorough cleaning of the awning using an RV awning cleaner, hose, and a soft cloth or sponge will clean and remove the mold, dirt, and bacteria in general.
Some basic materials you will need are a cleaner suitable for the material and color of your RV’s awning (Specialized RV Awning Cleaner Soap, bleach or alcohol are other options), a hose and a cloth or sponge.
- Wash the RV awning fabric using a hose. Washing will remove loose dirt particles making it easier to remove mold. Spray or pour some of your cleaner of choice over the entire awning area. RV awning cleaner can be purchased from most camping and outdoor tents.
- Roll up the awning and allow the cleaner to sit on the fabric for several minutes. By rolling the awning up, the cleaner has had the time to work its way into the mold.
- Unroll the awning and wash the awning fabric with a hose to remove the cleaner and loose dirt and mold.
- Spray cleaner on a soft cloth or sponge and wipe off any remaining mold stains. Allow the cleaner to sit on the stain for several minutes. Dry and apply cleaner to each mold stain.
- Wash the RV awning one more time with a hose to rinse and remove any cleaner and mold or dirt remains manually.
Once you are done with all these easy steps make sure you allow the awning to completely dry before rolling up for a long period of time. If the awning is rolled when it’s still wet, mold and bacteria can form again due to wet conditions and humidity.
Another thing to keep in mind before you start with the cleaning process is to make sure you stay away from oil-based or abrasive cleaners if you are still not sure 100% you can perform quick tests under the shadow in tiny areas of the awning to see how it reacts to the cleaner. These cleaners can cause permanent damage to your awning’s acrylic or vinyl fabric in an irreparable way and you don’t want to invest in a new awning. Don’t forget that a way to prevent a dirty awning is to always make sure it’s dry after every time your RV is exposed to water instead of leaving the wet materials for days.
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