Spring Cleaning
Haven’t been on the road since last summer or autumn? Now’s the perfect time to give your caravan or motorhome some love!
Shake off the cobwebs, air it out, and get it sparkling for your next adventure. Whether it’s cleaning the surfaces, checking the essentials, or freshening up the cushions, what’s your top tip for getting road-ready? Or share a snap of your spring cleaning progress!
Comments
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But I am a man.
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So?
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We are out all year round so I clean the caravan, both inside and out, including the roof, as soon as possible, weather permitting, so that it is ready for the next trip. I always use Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler after giving the van a clean which helps when the next cleaning session comes round.
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I'm also a fan of Bobby Dazzler. I treat the caravan very much like the car. A good soak, lots of soapy car shampoo and a wipe down. Stubborn marks and tar spots get a wipe over with kitchen towel and white spirit, followed by a spot of car polish.
A general purpose cleaner is used on all inside surfaces after a good vacuum.
Stubborn marks on upholstery respond well to "Stardrops" a mild ammonia cleaning fluid.
Mr Muscle or similar cleans the windows nicely.
A squirt of PTFE is great on the window stays and silicon spray on a piece of kitchen towel wiped over the window rubbers.
Colin
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Must get it done in next few days. It is very dirty after winter and I need to move it from storage and find somewhere to do it. I cannot do it at home as on a steep hill and the club no longer let us wash it at the site on the basis we might pollute a nearby stream although frankly I cannot see it.
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Don't forget that polish is just that. It works by removing a microscopic layer of paint from the metal surface it is applied to. On the other hand wax affords a protective layer with some cosmetic (shine) effect. So polish should only be applied when needed, i.e. some dulling of paint finish so probably not more frequently than annually.
However the terminology used by manufacturers is confusing, i.e. wax polish. Is it wax or polish. Its both
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We're the same as @nelliethehooker and, usually, the day after returning home, the van gets a deep clean inside - shower, loo, sink in the bathroom - fridge/freezer done with antiseptic cleaner - hob, oven, kitchen sink - around the base of the taps with white vinegar and a toothbrush to get rid of any limescale etc. A thorough vacuum of carpets and all surfaces wiped down.
About once a year, all the window and locker rubber seals get a wipe down with silicone spray as eribaMotters says.
I only ever use Stardrops when washing the van because there's no salt in it, unlike other detergents - so it doesn't degrade the polish. I try to polish the van two or three times a year and always use Autoglym Resin polish.
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I forgot, how many of us descale the toilet cassette at the end of each season. If you have not done so yet then I really would advise you do so.
Colin
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I steralise both the water pump and the waste pipes after each trip, and the onboard water system on an annual basis. The shower compartment gets a full wipe down after every use, often twice a day, so no real need to clean it when we get back from a trip. I try not to empty washing up waste down the sink drain as we have had problems in the past with build up of gung in the fan's waste pipes which had to be dealt with using products such as Mr Muscle Sink Cleaner.
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It's taken me best part of two days to give the van it's first coat of polish for this year - making the most of the glorious sunshine😀 Even though I say so myself, I don't think it looks bad for a van coming up to 7 years old, this year😎
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Our daughter and family are using the van this coming week, so we have been busy cleaning everything inside it this week. She came and helped me to clean the outside last week, so it does not look too bad. It is however 17 years old, so certainly not shiny like yours Richard!
I have sterilised the water system and deep cleaned the toilet cassette, always done before its first use in the year, and cleaned limescale off in the shower compartment. Further cleaning of that has to be done at the first site as our driveway slopes the wrong way for draining water from the shower. Luckily the pitch is serviced, so plenty of water available.
Inside, I have removed and shampooed the carpets, cleaned the windows, all the cupboards inside and out, and vacuumed the floor and under the seats and bed, while OH did the fridge, kitchen area and bathroom.
Everything now loaded back in, having had to be removed for the service, bed made up for the holiday makers, and other stuff they have provided such as towels and some food items put in place.
This afternoon I have been working on the car, clearing it out before loading tomorrow, and putting in Adblue. We have to tow the van to the site as their car is not suitable, then the following week we will take over for our holiday. After filling diesel tomorrow I will load up the awning, outside tables and chairs etc etc, so very glad we are having lovely weather right now.
Hard work this holiday making!!
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I think you could find a nice little retirement job.
Colin
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@richardandros the caravan is looking very smart, well done. You deserve a good rest now after all that work. I don't know when I will find time to polish our van, as we intend getting away again just a couple of weeks after getting back from this trip, and it has to go into the dealers for a job to be done during those two weeks.
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