Motorhomes are to be lived in and enjoyed, and most of them are designed for a certain amount of wear and tear. If you’re camping by the beach or in the forest it’s extremely hard to keep your motorhome sand or mud free – particularly if you’re camping with kids! The result of that is, of course, that your upholstery can get dirty extremely quickly. This isn’t too much of a problem if you know how to keep things clean. Here’s our guide to upholstery cleaning… The biggest danger when you’re cleaning your upholstery is that something that was just loose gets rubbed in to your seats. A thorough once-over with a hoover is the best way to ensure everything loose gets picked up before you start cleaning. Often large vacuum cleaners aren’t actually the best for this job and you might be better off with a smaller, handheld cleaner for that very purpose. Next you need to determine the type of upholstery you have in your motorhome; are your seats soft leather, rougher suede or traditional cloth seats?

Each one needs to be treated differently so before you buy any products, make sure you know what you’re working with as if you make a mistake you may have to claim on your motorhome insurance. Some seats can be a combination of the two which means you’ll just have to treat both areas separately. Unfortunately upholstery is one of those things that really does need a specialist set of cleaning products and without them you do risk damaging your motorhome. Any DIY store should be able to help you find the right products; you’ll need a few clean cloths, a shampoo appropriate to your interior and some sort of aftercare product, whether it’s a leather balsam or a fabric protector. Once you’ve picked up your products, start with a wet clean. Unless otherwise instructed, you should always spray shampoo onto a cloth and then clean rather than apply the product straight to the upholstery. This should protect too much wear of the fabric and will leave you with a more even clean.

If you’ve got leather upholstery it won’t take too long for it to try, but fabric can take some time. Leave your motorhome in a secure place and get in as much ventilation as you can. Not only do you want your seats to dry before you start to treat them, you also want to rid your motorhome of the fumes of your cleaning products. Once your motorhome is dry again, it’s time to apply a treatment that should protect the integrity of your seats. top five vacuum cleaners 2013For leather or suede a specific balsam will keep the material ‘fed’ and moist which should prevent it cracking or drying out. duct cleaning equipment greaseFor fabric seats you’ll have a little more choice; best vacuum cleaners suction

water based treatments are extremely effective but need to be applied often or solvent treatments which last a lot longer. The choice is yours! This time it’s even more essential to dry out your motorhome because wet seats might actually increase the risk that stains will stick and permanently damage your upholstery. Equally, you should leave additional time for solvent products to dry properly; leather cleaner wipes amazonthe fumes can be very dangerous.best way to clean urine out of upholstery Depending on how much you use your motorhome, this is probably a regime worth repeating every six months or as necessary. best vacuum cleaner carpet stairsTreating your seats after cleaning doesn’t just protect them from dirt in the future;

it should actually prolong their life and will mean you can be a little more vigorous with your shampooing next time. If you’re ever concerned about applying something to your upholstery then a good idea can be to check the online blogs and the forums. Motorhome owners can get extremely creative with what they apply to their seats and, very often, there will be those who have already had the experience and can warn you off of it! Keeping your upholstery clean is a big job, but it’s well worth it. It will keep your motorhome looking clean and tidy and, hopefully, will preserve its value for if and when you decide to sell it one. Remember to treat leather and fabric differently and don’t be too afraid to invest in some heavy duty cleaning products; no doubt you will use them!Keeping the living area of your recreational vehicle clean and sanitized is important for overall comfort as well as health. Doing so also helps your coach to maintain some of its value. RV travel has many benefits and is a great deal of fun, but it is also dirty.

Unless you take steps to maintain your coach properly, you can end up living in an unsanitary, smelly and filthy environment. With a little elbow grease and a few inexpensive products, you can reduce or eliminate mold, mildew and rust and also improve internal air quality. Dirt is something you cannot ignore. Thus, there are certain chores you must do regularly if you want to avoid problems and discomfort.Dusting and VacuumingThe most effective way to deal with dust is to use a Shop Vac with attachments a small hand vac and a long handled duster so that you can reach every area of your coach. Use these tools to remove dust from floors, windows, curtains, blinds, dashboards, upholstery, counter tops and the insides of drawers and cabinets. After running the vacuum cleaner, wipe down every counter top and cabinet exterior in the entire coach with ammonia water or Windex to make them safe for food preparation.Windows, Mirrors and Window TreatmentsIf your windows are not covered with solar film, you can clean them with Windex.

If they are, follow the manufacturers directions because some types will become damaged by certain cleaning products. Make sure to clean both sides of all windows. Clean mirrors just as you would at home. Vacuum valances just as you would any other upholstery fabric. Cleaning curtains, shades and blinds can be tricky. Here are the best methods I have found to do these jobs. Roll up shades normally just need a good dusting. If stained, you can wipe them with a damp cloth and some Windex. Other types of shades should be hand dusted or carefully vacuumed. If blinds are not made of shiny aluminum, you really need to take them down, lay them on the ground, and carefully wash them with mild detergent an a soft,light mop and hang them up to dry. The shiny aluminum type only needs casual dusting because dirt does not cling to them. Day night shades break easily, so the best you can do is to vacuum them very carefully. If they are badly stained, you can wipe them with a cloth dampened with some Windex with Oxy, let dry, and then vacuum.

This method also works well for curtains that have water stains on them. Otherwise, you can choose to just vacuum them or have them professionally cleaned. Dashboards and UpholsteryAfter vacuuming the dash area thoroughly, clean all surfaces with a vinyl and/or a leather protector, including the steering wheel and foot pedals. If your furniture is leather, use that same product to clean it after wiping it down with a damp cloth. If it is fabric, vacuum well, spray with Febreeze and cover with a small blanket or throw to protect it. Once each year, have a professional steam clean all upholstery in the coach, if any. Toilet CleaningTo do a thorough job of toilet maintenance, you have to use items that are made specifically to clean and disinfect, but not damage. To do otherwise could create the kinds of problems you really do not want to deal with. Examples of items you should never use are brushes of any kind, rags that are not disposable or rags that have chemical residue on them from other jobs.

Your coach’s toilet should be cleaned at least once a week. More often if an entire family is traveling. To do a good job, use disposable paper towels, water and a disinfecting pine based cleaner such as Pine Sol. Add some water to the toilet bowl. Pour some cleaner into it. Use paper towels to thoroughly wipe down and disinfect the bowl and its upper rim. Make sure to clean under the rim as well. Partially open the flapper and wipe it thoroughly, making sure to rid it of any toilet paper or other residue. Fill the bowl about half way with water and flush. Check the bowl to see if it is totally clear of residue. If not, repeat this process. Once the bowl is clean, Add some more water and cleaner to it. Use the paper towels and the contents to wipe down the tops and bottoms of the seat as well as the sides, and back of the entire toilet. Flush the toilet and add some more water. Use clean towels to wipe down everything you just cleaned to rid the area of sticky residue.

Spray the entire toilet with Lysol. Dry the toilet’s exterior, and you are finished. As you can see, you don’t need much in the way of equipment to do this job, but you do need to use what you have in the appropriate way to clean and sanitize the right way. If you clean the outside before you do the bowl, you will be moving germs and filth to an area that you are trying to sanitize. If you do the bowl first, you can then use it as sort of a bucket that will make finishing the job much easier. The Rest of the BathroomRV shower stalls and tubs are made of heavy plastic materials. These scratch easily, and once they do, dirt builds up on the walls and floors and ruins them. This also happens if you use the wrong cleaning products. The best way to keep your shower or tub clean and in good condition is either to wipe it down completely with a dry towel or squeegee after each shower and use Windex with Ammonia to clean the glass and metal or spray it with a product like Clean Shower immediately after each use.

These are gentle products that will keep showers and tubs sparkling clean. Directions for cleaning other bathroom areas: Spray and wipe glass, mirrors, counter tops, sinks and the exterior portions of cabinets with Original Windex with Ammonia and paper towels. When finished, spray sinks, toilets and counter tops with Lysol Germ Spray. Then mop or wipe down the floor either with an ammonia based product, ammonia water or a pine based deodorizing cleaner. Next you will need to clean and sanitize your holding tanks.Holding TanksHow to Clean and Sanitize Your RV's Black Water Holding Tank" and RV Fresh Water Tank Care give detailed information about the best way for you to keep these vessels sweet smelling and safe to use, so I won't repeat that information here. What I will say is that germs are killers. If you do not sanitize your tanks, you are opening yourself and your loved ones to serious health problems and can also damage your coach. The sewer tank requires the most work because when it is not kept clean, it emits a noxious smell throughout the coach and can lead to clogs and other problems.

The above articles give you specific directions for tank cleaning and also tell you what you need to have to do the work. There are many chemicals you can use for this task, but the ones those articles tell you about the best and safest ones. I know they work, because I have used them many times.FloorsRV floors can be hard to keep clean, but I make the job easier by using these techniques: I use ammonia or ammonia and water to clean vinyl, or ceramic tile floors. I use the normal method for cleaning laminate, which basically is to dry mop first and then lightly mist and mop with a mixture of 1/4 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water, using a microfiber floor mop. We get carpets professionally steam cleaned, then cover them with clear plastic adhesive backed runners. Although we have to replace these runners every so often, doing so is easier than vacuuming and eliminates the need for further steam cleaning. We keep a rubber mat in front of the RV stairs, cover the stairs with the same adhesive backed plastic material if they are carpeted and keep another rubber mat at the top of the stairs.

We remove our shoes once we reach the mat at the top of the stairs and ask guests to do the same.vacuum and launder as needed. Laundering them at the end of each vacation makes them fresh for the next one. I sweep the RV floors before, during and after every trip and clean the hard floors with Ammonia, etc. as needed. I use throw rugs that have rubber backing and are washable and sweep, vacuum and launder as needed. A Clean RV Means Comfortable, Healthy TravelDoing the work to clean and sanitize your coach is what makes it livable and safer for your health. Vacations should be pleasant times, and you can help to make them that way with just a bit of elbow grease, some time and a few inexpensive products.Easy Way To Clean RV Windows And MirrorsDo you think it is important to clean and sanitize your RV regularly? Can I Live in an RV on My Property?Is placing a motor home, trailer or camper on your own land legal or even a good idea? Find the answers here. The Truth About Year-Round RV Park LivingA detailed overview of what you can expect if you decide you want to start living in a campground.