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It’s Time to Come Clean
Copyright Janet Groene
If you’re lucky, your RV came with manuals covering everything from cleaning the air filters in the microwave to changing the water filter cartridge under the sink. If not, the manuals are probably found online, on mattress tags and on hidden labels.
They matter. For example, my friend’s RV has an costly Italian leather sofa that comes with its own line of cleaning products. It’s a multi-stop process from pre-cleaning to a final protective coat. After five years, my friend says they have been worth every penny.
Another friend cleaned windows with the wrong window cleaner for that material and fogged them badly. Not all RV windows and coatings are the same.
Before you tackle that red wine stain on the suede sofa or the lube job on the worm gear in the awning assembly, take a second look. Get out the original instructions, relax with a cold drink and come up with an attack plan and a shopping list.
It’s OK if you can’t get to it today. The important thing is to get it right. The wrong product in the wrong place could hurt, not help.
Worse still, you could void the warranty.
We often need specific RV products for each type of upholstery, carpeting, the granite counter, dashboard, wood cabinets, fiberglass shower enclosure, chrome-plated bath fixtures, non-porcelain toilet, composite sink, and so on.
Know if your wood cabinets are finished in paint, spar varnish or shellac. Is the kitchen counter Corian? Formica? Polished cement? Granite? Marble? Is the shower door acrylic or glass?
Are the blind slats vinyl or aluminum? What kind of stain-proofer was originally applied to the carpeting and upholstery? What cleaners are safe for solid brass kitchen faucets? How do you clean the OEM window film?
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| Get out the dirt without damaging the finish |
Step One is to get out the dirt without damaging the finish. Step Two is to leave behind as little residue as possible. At best it leaves a dull look. At worst it attracts new soil. Many cleaners leave a residue that is a dust magnet.
Step Three in some cases is to apply a protective coating to keep the freshly cleaned surface clean longer. The final coat may also contain a UV inhibitor against sun damage or a water proofer, bug repellant or a stain proofer.
Shop in RV specialty stores for the best product for each job. Here are just a few more random cleaning tips:
* Nylon net, available inexpensively by the yard in fabric shops, is a safe scrubber indoors and out. It’s ideal for getting dried bugs off the RV’s snout.
. * Have the right brushes and rags on hand. Automotive supply shops have a good selection of brushes in all sizes and shapes to get into tight spaces. All-cotton and 100% linen fabrics ( old diapers, tee shirts, tea towels) make good cleaning rags. Wadded newspaper puts a lint-free shine on glass. Use only plumbing products formulated for marine or RV systems. Delicate RV plumbing, tanks and sensors could be damaged.
* Buy high-efficiency vacuum cleaner bags and change them often. Change all filters often. They’re in the air conditioner, clothes dryer, heating system, air purifier and also may be in the microwave, refrigerator, stove hood, engine room ventilation system and bathroom exhaust vent.
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| Often it's best to call a professional |
* Sometimes it’s best to call in a professional for, say, floor and upholstery cleaning, detailing automotive materials in the cockpit and re-coating kitchen counters.
Save time and space with Janet’s shameless cooking shortcuts. See new camping and RV recipes each week at See weekly posts at https://CampAndRVcook.blogspot.com
Could YOU Go Full-timing and Make a Living Along the way? We did.
FREEDOM OF THE OPEN ROAD?
Do you dream of living and traveling in a complete home on wheels? Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition by Janet Groene & Gordon Groene is a total guide to the full-time life on wheels. Should you sell the house or rent it out? Downsize possessions or put them in storage? Too young to retire? See the chapter on ways to make a living anywhere. Kids on board? We cover home schooling and also an exit strategy if and when the time comes to settle down. Order at any book store or let Amazon gift wrap and ship it for you. https://amzn.to/29XFEkq
Where to go next? Check road trip ideas at https://janetgroene.blogspot.com/
RV CAMPGROUND GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
Stuff happens, sometimes at the last hour. Before leaving for any campground, check for last-minute closures or changes at the destination or along the way. These news breaks may be premature or incomplete. You do the follow-up.
Locations by state or province are in big print. Event dates are in red.
CAMPGROUND/ RV PARK UPGRADES, CHANGES
NEW CAMPGROUNDS, RV PARKS, RV RESORTS
The massive, $5 million development project at the Yakima (Washington) State Fairgrounds in Washington will include a new campground with full hookups and ADA showers and restrooms. Reservations are open at (www.) . fair.bookmysites.com
FUTURE RV PARKS
A federal Superfund Site on the Keweenaw Waterway in Michigan is being cleaned up and redeveloped as a 25-acre, eco-friendly campground with 89 RV and tent sites, fishing dock, beach and nature boardwallk. Follow up at www.michigan.gov/egle/
Near White Oak, Texas, the old “Buster’s” Longview Country Club has been sold to a New York buyer to become a development for 150 homes and 150 RV sites. To follow this developing story contact the Gregg County Council.
CAMPGROUND CLOSURES
The campground at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Felton, California will remain closed through 2025. The new reopening date is April, 2026. If you have reservations for 2025 your money will be refunded. When it reopens the 107- site campground will be ungraded throughout and will have more ADA facilities. (831) 335-4598 (Www.) ReserveCalifornia.com/
RV-friendly EVENTS
August is Perseid meteor shower season at The Cove Palisades State Park, near Bend, Oregon. Make campground reservations now to be here for the program at 9 p.m. on August 10 to review early showers and learn about the meteor showers displays that will become more numberous as the season progresses. Crooked River Campground in the park has a dump station and 91 sites with water and electric. Deschutes River Campground has a dog park and 87 sites with full hookups.
(Www.) oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com/ Call for reservations: 800-452-5687 or for park information, (541) 546-3412.
The three-day Blossoms & Bones Music Festival is scheduled for September 11-13 at the Ghost Ranch, Abiuiu, New Mexico. Dry camping reservations for the festival grounds are on sale now. The music line-up features Lucy Ducas, Santigold,, Durand Jones and the Indications and many more performers as well as DJ’s, dancing, food and family fun. (Ages 14 and under get in free.) Come rain or shine to enjoy all ranch amenities including a swimming pool and hiking trails. Details at https://ghostranchmusicfest.com/camping-lodging/
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