PAGE UPDATED: 08.02.2023
Motorhome cleaning inside and out takes the best part of a day if you want to do it right. To make the job easier you’ll want to use the best products.
The thing is that you can’t just use household cleaning products for certain jobs on motorhomes because the chemicals are too harsh and can damage rubber and plastic.
So, on this page we’ll take a look at some of the things we and our van life friends use that have proven to be good value for money, do the job well and are safe to use on your RV.
There are products to clean both the inside and outside of your camper, as well as our recommended cleaners for the water tanks and toilet cassette.
It’s time to get your RV looking great again…
Cleaning the outside of your motorhome
The first thing to consider when it comes to cleaning your camper or motorhome is where to do it. If you’re lucky enough to have your own driveway you’ll obviously want to do it there. We have no such luxury and usually end up taking the van to Gav’s parents for the day.
You could ask, why don’t you just take it to a car wash in town? Two reasons…
Firstly, the cost. Most hand-wash places will want at least £20 to clean a van-sized vehicle – and that’s just the outside. Secondly, the pressure washers they use are so powerful they can be damaging to the seals on a motorhome, especially if your van is an elder of the tribe like ours.
For these reasons, we decided we’d rather spend a few hours every couple of months or so doing it ourselves. And on a nice sunny day it’s fun anyway!
Our favourite motorhome cleaning products
The average car cleaning shampoos don’t quite cut the mustard with vans. Yes, they will do the job but what we’ve found is that motorhomes tend to get black streaks from the window trims, gutters and seals. Normal car shampoo doesn’t seem to be so effective at removing these.
We’ve found Dirt Busters Wash and Wax to be the best shampoo as it includes a cleaning solution specifically designed to tackle those blasted streaks! And it’s not just us saying this. Read the reviews on amazon and you’ll find most folks score it 4 or 5 stars.
We use a telescopic-handled squeegee brush to wash the higher parts of the van and the over-cab windows. The collapsible bucket (below) is a handy way to save space if you’re going to be storing it in your van.
We keep our van fairly clean to avoid a build-up of green algae but if yours has a problem with the old green mossy stuff – especially if you store the van for long periods – we suggest Wet and Forget Moss and Algae Remover.
Removing black streaks from your motorhome
If the shampoo doesn’t get rid of all the black streaks, we’ve found a quick rub with ‘Silky‘ will remove most of the more embedded ones.
Our VW Autotrail is now 30 years old and there are one or two dark streaks that have been on it for years, way before we got the van. Nothing we’ve found so far has been able to remove these older streaks. This is why it’s important to keep your van clean and remove those streaks regularly before they leave a permanent mark.
Silky will also take out scratches – which are inevitable on motorhomes if you ever have to drive along narrow, hedge-lined country roads like we do!
Fenwick’s offer an alternative black streak remover spray which requires a lot less elbow grease than ‘Silky’. We’ve not used this one ourselves but the reviews are very good.
If you’re more eco-conscious you might want to go for ‘Vistal’ cleaner and restorer. More expensive but better for the environment.
Cleaning the inside of your motorhome
When it comes to the inside there’s just as much ‘work’ to do. (We say ‘work’ in inverted commas because, to us, no time spent on the van is work; it’s all fun!)
We’ve got a little hand-held vacuum cleaner like the one shown below.
But it’s not just about keeping the floors clean and dust-free. In a campervan or motorhome the water tanks also need cleaning: the fresh and waste water tanks, as well as the toilet cassette.
We always use ‘Puriclean‘ to kill off potential bugs in the fresh water system at the start of the season (spring time) or if we’ve not used the van for a while. Simply put a teaspoon or two into the water system, leave for an hour or so, flush through and your tank is free of the nasties.
RELATED CONTENT: How to prepare your motorhome for the summer season
An alternative to Puriclean is Pro-Kleen Fresh Water Tank Cleaner. We’ve not tried this one but the reviews are excellent.
We were recently given some Elsan products (shown below) by an elder of the tribe who has sadly given up his caravanning adventures. We’re well pleased with them and say, “Thank you Ken,” if you’re reading this!
If you want to go green, Pro-Kleen do an Organic Toilet Fluid and Rinse.
Cleaning your motorhome’s upholstery
And finally we’d like to share a little story about cleaning our motorhome’s upholstery…
The previous owner of our van had a dog – a lovely long-haired Collie called Kiera. We loved her to bits but she left hairs everywhere! (You’ll know what we mean if you travel with your pooch).
Shortly after buying the van, Gav’s young son, Isaac, was drumming his hands on the sofa one evening – just passing the time. (We must have forgotten to bring his gadgets!) Plumes of dust were rising into the air!
We all had a go and before long the van was full of brownish clouds!
Suffice to say we stripped off all the upholstery covers and cleaned them in the bath back at home, stomping up and down on them with our bare feet, as if pressing grapes like in the old days. You should have seen the colour of that water!
The sponge mattresses were given a thorough bashing as well.
So, what do we use now to keep the upholstery clean? Nothing fancy – just good old fashioned Vanish Oxy Action Spray and a good brush to clean spillages straight away. We’ve had no more dust clouds since!
Thanks for browsing through our cleaning section. We hope you enjoy sprucing up your van with these products in the near future!
Remember to check out our other Motorhome Gifts and Accessories pages where we showcase gadgets, kitchen utensils, clothing, and cosy hab area items.
And if you’re new to van life, check out our road trip essentials page to see the things we always have in our van.
