Your RV awning does not have to get very messy before you make attempts at cleaning it. While you will be unable to get the best from your RV awning if it is moldy, you do not have to wait for it to get moldy before making attempts at cleaning it. When your RV awning is cleaned properly, not only will it last you a long time, you will also enjoy it to the fullest each time you make use of it.

If you are not sure how to properly clean your RV awning, simply follow the steps below to do so.

Step One

When looking to clean your RV awning, the first thing you should do is open it. After opening it, you will need to lower it until you are comfortable with its height. After lowering it considerably, if it still appears too high, you will need to make use of a long brush or a step stool to make cleaning easy.

Step Two

This is the point where you get your cleaning solution ready. You will have to choose between a DIY solution and a store-bought solution.  If you are settling for an already prepared solution, you will do well by choosing Valterra’s RV Awning Cleaner #V88542. This cleaner removes mildew, mold, tree dap, and dirt very efficiently. It also treats your fabric well. Before selecting any cleaner from a store, you must be certain it was designed for awning fabrics. If a solution is abrasive, caustic, or oil-based, it just might not be the best for you.

If you do not want to buy a solution that has already been prepared, it is okay if you make one for yourself. This can be done by mixing water and dish soap.

You do not have to limit yourself to just using a mixture of dishwasher and water. You can also make use of bleach. Although bleach can help keep your RV awning clean, it does not always work. Before going ahead to make use of beach and water, you must go through the manual attached to your awing as certain manufacturers do not encourage the use of bleach in washing RV awnings.

Step 3

To get started, you have to clear debris and leaves. Once you are done with this, wash away any remaining loose dirt by using a hose.

Step 4

This is the point you make use of your cleaning solution in ridding your awning of dirt. It is up to you what method you consider most appropriate. You can choose to make use of a brush, a pressure washer, or a spray bottle. While cleaning your RV awning, you must keep the awning’s top and bottom covered. This should be followed by rolling up the awing. This way, it gets properly soaked.

Step 5

At this point, you should unroll the awning and clean the fabric with either a sponge, a brush, or a piece of cloth. When trying to reach difficult areas, you will do well by making use of a car wash brush.

When using acrylic awnings, you will get very good results by using a stiff brush. However, a soft brush will be ideal for vinyl awnings.

Step 6

With a pressure washer, take out time to rinse the awnings. Continue at this until there are no traces of cleaning solutions on the awning. This is important if you made use of bleach in cleaning the awning. If every trace of bleach is not removed, your fabric could get damaged.

Step 7

You must allow the awning dry completely. This will need a lot of patience. While waiting for the awning to get dry you must avoid heating the fabric.

As soon as the awning gets dry, you can go ahead to protect the fabric with the use of 303® Aerospace if you make use of vinyl awnings. This way you can keep dirt away for a long time.

How Frequently Should You Clean Your RV Awning

All things being equal, your RV awning should be cleaned at least once every year. This should be done after you store your monochrome as winter approaches.

In addition to cleaning your RV awning once a year, you should clean it when it gets dirty. Your awning could get dirty when it is parked under trees. While your RV awning can be cleaned once a year, if you use it very frequently, you will need to clean it more frequently.

How to clean different Awning Fabrics

Awning fabrics are either made from acrylic or vinyl. These different fabrics come with various cons and also need to be maintained in different ways.

How to Maintain Vinyl

There are not a lot of challenges associated with cleaning vinyl. This is because vinyl surfaces are not porous. Going by this, issues of dirt and tree dap getting settled will not come up.

Although vinyl awnings are resistant to mildew, they are far from being mildew-proof. While they resist mildew, they create an easy surface for dirt to collect. When collected, this dirt makes it possible for the formation of mildew. It does not matter how mildew is formed, it is a major challenge for RVs.

When cleaning a vinyl awning fabric, you need water, dish soap, and a soft brush. Be careful with scrubbing so you do not wear off the coating that resists mildew.

How to Maintain Acrylic

Cleaning acrylics can be quite challenging. This is because it is woven and easily traps tree saps and dirt. Although it can absorb dirt deeply, acrylic materials are water-resistant. Due to this, when scrubbing, you need to be careful as this way, you can avoid taking off the water-resistant finish.

When cleaning an acrylic fabric, you need to make use of water, a dish soap, and a stiff brush. Be careful with scrubbing to avoid taking off its finish. When making use of protectant spray, you should make use of a product that can restore can help it stay resistant to water.