Good Coachkeeping

A clean RV interior enhances your RV travel experience. While cleaning your RV may not be a leisure activity, these tips will shorten the time you spend doing it as well as make it easier to accomplish, giving you more time and energy for travel fun.

Equipment Needed

–Three microfiber dustcloths for cleaning sinks, counters, mirrors, shower walls, and other interior parts of the RV. Available at discount stores and at some RV shows.

–Two-gallon bucket with a microfiber cloth or wet mop for floor washing.

–Dry floor mop with removable cleaning pads for noncarpeted floors. Available at discount and other stores.

–Vacuum cleaner. A central vacuum cleaner with attachments in your RV is the handiest type.

–Stain remover for carpet. I use Spot Shot from a local discount store.

–Follow cleaning instructions in your RV's manual for fabrics, leather, and counters for equipment needed and procedures.

Suggested Procedure

General:

–Collect trash.

–Begin in the room at the rear of the RV, clean around that room, and work forward.

–Clean glass and mirrors. Use a damp microfiber cloth followed by a dry one.

–Dust.

–Vacuum.

Kitchen:

–Clean fronts of cabinets, appliances, window sill tracks, outside of trash can, chair arms and legs, vent hood, and counter. Move items as needed and put them back immediately.

Living area:

–Vacuum with appropriate attachment any furniture with fabric. Use a damp microfiber cloth on leather furniture; if the cloth leaves moisture, wipe dry with another cloth.

If possible, wash all cloths after use so they are ready for the next cleaning.

Maintenance

–In the spring, after de-winterizing the plumbing system, give the RV's interior its best cleaning. During the travel season and before winterizing in the fall, a light once-over is sufficient to remove crumbs, spillage, and dust.

–Keep your RV's interior neat by having a place for everything and everything in its place.

–Make the bed every day. The entire RV will look better even if other areas have a little clutter.

–Put items away when you are finished using them. It’s a simple rule but one that’s easy to procrastinate about. Things that are not put away keep getting in your way, so you save time, energy, and frustration by putting items away in the first place.

–When you begin a task, try to complete it before moving on to something else.

–Keep cupboards/drawers/files neat.

–Before you hit the road, take a quick look around the coach to be sure everything is stowed by starting at one side of the interior and gazing around to the other side.

–Check screw tops on jars (especially those in the refrigerator) occasionally to make sure they're tightly closed. That way you'll be able to enjoy yourself at your next destination instead of mopping up spilled items.

–In the refrigerator, sort through and discard old leftovers no one will ever eat or soda bottles with two sips left in them.

–To keep the refrigerator/freezer smelling clean while the RV is not being used, leave their doors ajar so fresh air can get in.

–Keep a toilet bowl brush in a holder beside the toilet. Use it to brush inside the toilet bowl to keep it clean and fresh.

–Although the actual space in your RV's kitchen may be small, you'll manage quite well if you make sure the counter is cleared off and the sink is free of dirty dishes before you begin to prepare a meal.

–At the end of each trip, pour two ounces of chlorine bleach down each drain, wait five minutes, and flush with water to retard bacteria and keep odors down.

–When your unit is in storage, moth crystals in an open small jar placed in outside access compartments to the heater and refrigerator help keep spiders from building nests in the gas nozzles. Always remember to remove the jars before activating the appliances--the crystals are flammable.

Preventive Maintenance

–Place a rug or old piece of carpet outside the door to minimize the amount of dirt carried inside on everyone's feet. Better yet, leave shoes at the door.

–Keep a small whisk broom near the entry so your family can brush dirt or sand off their shoes and clothes before they enter the RV.

–Encourage users to wipe down the shower walls after each shower. It keeps water residue from building up on the fixtures and walls. Keep a microfiber cloth nearby for this use. Use this same cloth for cleaning the wash basin and mirrors.

–Encourage RVers to clean and straighten up after themselves. Good travelers do that.

A clean RV environment is also a healthy environment both physically and psychologically. These tips will help you to be a healthy, happy RVer.