Cleaning & Disinfecting Your RV

Summer is upon us and it’s a challenging time, but you still want to go out on trips with your family. Your RV provides you with the perfect getaway that’s safe and secure. However, you’ll want to ensure that it’s all clean and ready to go before you leave, and you’ll also want to make sure you thoroughly clean your RV when you return home. Here’s what to do.

Gather Supplies

Before you begin, ensure your RV is parked somewhere convenient for cleaning near your house. Gather up your supplies for cleaning so you don’t have to run into the house and track them down. You’ll want a bucket, vinegar, sponges, rubber gloves, paper towels, rags, a mop, a broom and dustpan, bleach wipes (or a diluted bleach/water solution), a vacuum cleaner, baking soda, a powder cleanser for stains like Comet, trash bags and scrub brushes. 

Remove Personal Items

Next, go through your RV and remove all personal items that either need to be stowed in the house or cleaned and placed back on your RV. This means stripping beds of their linens and removing towels to wash them in hot water. You may also want to launder curtains to remove dust. Wipe down personal items like electronics with a bleach wipe. Now is also a good time to bag up trash and recycling to remove these from your RV.

Kitchen

Spray vinegar or a spray cleaner onto countertops and wipe them down with a rag or paper towel. Stubborn stains can be treated with a paste of water and baking soda or the powder cleanser. Wipe down drawer pulls, switches, appliance handles and panels with a bleach wipe to sanitize them. 

To clean a microwave, place a dish of vinegar in it and microwave it for 30 seconds, then use a sponge to wipe off residue. Make sure your cabinets are free of crumbs. Sweep and mop the floor. Remove all food items from the fridge and place them in your house. Spray down shelves with vinegar and wipe them off, then put a box of baking soda in the fridge to deodorize it.

Living Room

Wipe all high-touch surfaces with a bleach wipe, including light switches, knobs, handles and remote controls. Use a damp rag to dust flat surfaces. Clean windows from the inside with a glass cleaner and paper towels. If the floor is hard, sweep it and then mop it. If it’s carpet, vacuum it. You can use a steam vacuum afterwards if you’d like to get it really clean. Fluff pillows and adjust cushions.

Bedroom

To refresh your mattress, you can spray it with a scented deodorizing spray in a calming scent like lavender. Put fresh linens on the bed. Wipe down flat surfaces with a wet rag; bleach-wipe the doorknobs and light switches. Vacuum or sweep floors.

Bathroom

You can’t use a traditional toilet cleaner in your RV’s toilet so you’ll need to use a spray cleaner and paper towels to wipe out the bowl. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and dispose of paper towels in the trash. Wipe the exterior of the bowl with clean paper towels and vinegar or cleaner. Use a glass cleaner on the mirror and wipe down shelves and cabinets. Use a vinegar solution and a sponge to clean shower walls and remove soap scum. Treat any mold or mildew you find now to prevent it spreading.

Looking to buy an RV in Ohio? Come see us at our dealership in Grafton, OH, to take a look at our wide stock of new and used RVs for sale. JTS RV Supercenter serves our customers in the greater Cleveland, OH, metropolitan area.