Life's Dirty. Clean Easy.

How To Clean A RV

By Wet & Forget
Learn how to clean a RV with Wet and Forget cleaning products.

Unless you’re a turtle, being able to bring your entire home with you when traveling offers a break from the usual. Perhaps that’s why a record number of households now own recreational vehicles.

While RVs grant families the ability to travel anywhere without losing home comforts, they offer some challenges. Finding products that can keep things looking and smelling clean while not taking up significant storage space is perhaps first and foremost among these challenges.

So, it’s not just important to know how to clean an RV, but it’s also essential to know what products to keep in hand. So, check out our cleaning guide below for a head start on a mold-and-mildew-free road trip experience.

What Tools Do You Need to Clean an RV?

A small cordless vacuum is ideal for a surface-level cleaning of dirt, dust, and crumbs due to its size and easy stowing. An RV’s exterior will probably only need a spray from a hose and perhaps a soft-bristled brush to remove any stuck-on mud.

If you need a deeper clean, though, because the cabin’s beginning to get a wee bit musty or that weird stain is now fuzzy and growing, you need to use products clean powerfully yet gently. You want something that will disinfect or remove stains caused by mold and mildew but won’t damage any of your RV’s surfaces.

Enter Wet & Forget. We carry several products that help stem the tide against organic growth, deodorize obnoxious orders, and sanitize some of the grossest surfaces on this side of a band-aid lying face-down on a public bathroom floor.

For RVs, there are four products that pack a cleaning punch while minimizing the amount of space they take up:

  • Wet & Forget Indoor cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, and kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on hard, nonporous surfaces.*
  • Wet & Forget Shower is a weekly shower cleaner that clears surface mold and mildew stains, and cleans and prevents soap scum build-up and shower grime.
  • Wet & Forget Xtreme Reach™ Hose End gently removes stains caused by organic growth, like algae, moss, mold, and mildew, over time by working with wind and rain.
  • Miss Muffet’s Revenge creates an invisible barrier that keeps spiders out for up to 12 months.

Outside of a hose and maybe a dry cloth or two, that’s all you’ll need to keep your RV clean on the road or while parked in storage. You won’t have to scrub, power wash, or engage in any other sweat-inducing, back-breaking work.

* As a disinfectant, Wet & Forget® Indoor Mold+ Mildew Disinfectant Cleaner kills: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, Serratia marcescens, *Human Coronavirus,*lnfluenza Virus Type A/ Hong Kong, *SARS Associated Coronavirus cause of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, *SARS-Related Coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2 cause of COVID-19, *Vaccinia (Pox Virus), *Norwalk Virus (Norovirus), *Rotavirus.”

Getting Your Wet & Forget Products Ready

All of these products (outside of Wet & Forget Xtreme Reach Hose End) come with the same trigger sprayer set-up instructions. We’ll place those here so as not to repeat them three different times:

  1. Open the bottle’s flip cap.
  2. Remove the sprayer from its handle.
  3. Pull the hose tip end from the sprayer until it’s fully extended, about three feet.
  4. Press the hose tip into the open cap until you feel it click into place.
  5. Twist the sprayer nozzle to either spray (good for quickly applying to a large area) or stream (ideal for surfaces that are difficult to reach).
How to Clean Your RV’s Interior

Wet & Forget Indoor is bleach-free and contains no irritating odors. This makes the product safe on virtually every surface inside your RV:

  • Exterior of appliances, like refrigerators and oven doors/handles
  • Common surfaces, like cabinets, countertops, door handles, and walls
  • Fabric, including pet bedding, toys, and upholstery
  • Fixtures, including faucets, sinks, and shower
  • Garbage cans and hampers

Once you’ve readied the bottle based on the instructions in the previous section, a few sprays will leave your RV’s interiors clean and smelling fresh again.

To disinfect or control mold and mildew, apply Wet & Forget Indoor until the surface is visibly wet. After spraying, the surface should remain noticeably damp for at least 10 minutes.

Continue application once every seven days to help inhibit mold and mildew growth. If new growth appears before then, apply Wet & Forget Indoor as needed.

To clean and deodorize surfaces, simply apply Wet & Forget Indoor and allow to air dry. If any dampness lingers, you can also wipe dry.

To sanitize soft surfaces, hold the bottle around six to eight inches away from the surface and spray until the fabric is wet enough to remain damp for at least five minutes. Then let the fabric air-dry overnight. The area should be cleaned before sanitizing if the surface is visibly soiled.

For tough-to-reach areas, make sure to utilize the bottle’s unique design. For example, you can turn the sprayer upside-down or use all three feet of the spray hose for added flexibility in tight spaces. Finally, setting the nozzle to stream will help you reach distances of up to 10 feet.

clean your acrylic shower with Wet & Forget Shower

How to Clean Your RV’s Shower

A dirty shower is nobody’s friend. Unfortunately, daily shower cleaners force you to go through multiple bottles in your battle to maintain a consistently clean bathing area.

Wet & Forget Shower is a weekly shower spray that provides three months of cleaning power in a single bottle. A single spray a week is all most people need to clean and prevent everyday shower grime and soap scum.

The product is safe on almost any shower or tub surface:

  • Acrylic
  • Chrome
  • Cultured marble
  • Fiberglass
  • Glass, porcelain, and shower tile
  • Granite, slate, and stone
  • Stainless steel
  • Vinyl

Natural marble is the only shower or tub surface you shouldn’t use Wet & Forget Shower on.

To begin cleaning, get your bottle ready according to the instructions in the “Getting Your Wet & Forget Products Ready” section. Once you’re set up, the instructions are simple.

After the last shower of the day, spray all shower surfaces, such as fixtures, curtains, tiles, and shower doors. Then, before the first shower the next day, rinse the surfaces.

For best results, spray needs eight to twelve hours before rinsing. However, make sure to rinse any surfaces no more than 24 hours after application.

Please note that Wet & Forget Shower won’t remove embedded mold and mildew stains from grout or caulk.

If a corner of your shower is difficult to reach, you have options that won’t leave you with twisted muscles. The sprayer can be pivoted in any direction, and when the nozzle is set to stream, it can reach distances of up to 10 feet away.

How to Clean Your RV’s Exterior

When cleaning your RV’s exterior walls and roof of stains caused by organic growth, Wet & Forget Xtreme Reach™ Hose End can be a lifesaver — literally. The proprietary nozzle gives the spray that extra oomph needed to reach distances up to 30 feet away.

With such a far-reaching spray in hand, your feet won’t have to leave the ground to clean the vehicle’s top. That’s right — no more awkward clambering up untrustworthy ladders to get at otherwise hidden stains.

The solution contains no acid, bleach, or phosphates. And with a pH level of 8, Wet & Forget Outdoor products are far safer on surfaces than bleach, and its much higher pH level of 14.

In fact, Wet & Forget Outdoor products are safe to use on almost every outdoor surface, including those commonly found on RVs:

  • Aluminum
  • Fabric
  • Fiberglass
  • Plastic
  • Rubber
  • Screens
  • Vinyl

Before getting to work, you do need to check the weather forecast. Wet & Forget Outdoor works best when the following criteria are met:

  • Overall weather is dry, with temperatures of at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • The forecast predicts no wind or rain for four or five hours after application.
  • Surfaces must be dry before application.

Additionally, the product must not be applied within 100 feet of any pond, lake, stream, or river to prevent it from leaking into water runoff.

Before applying, cover any bumper stickers on the RV. You don’t need to cover decals put on by the manufacturer.

If the forecast looks good, it’s time to start removing stains caused by algae, moss, mold, and mildew. Make sure you have a hose nearby, as you’ll need to screw it into the end of the Xtreme Reach™ Nozzle.

With the hose attached, attach the blue tip to your nozzle, either “Fan” or “Jet.” The “Fan” setting allows a quicker application process while attaching the “Jet” tip will help you reach further distances.

Then turn the On/Off dial clockwise to its “On” position. Spray your RV’s exterior and make sure to get appropriate coverage on your roof.

Next, allow the spray to air dry. The formula will work with rain and wind to gently clean your RV over time.

Green stains caused by algae should clean up within a week or two with rainfall. Black stains caused by mold or mildew can take a few months. Long-established stains may take between six months and a year.

If you’re dealing with incredibly stubborn stains, consider a second application of Wet & Forget Outdoor a month or two after your first.

There’s no need to rinse, scrub, or power wash. Depending on your local weather, wind, and rain, your RV’s surface may remain clear of organic growth for up to a year or more.

Spiders like to create webs in corners.

How to Prevent Spiders From Moving into your RV

Anyone who has stored their RV for extended periods has likely encountered a spider web or two when they went to retrieve their vehicle. If they’re lucky, they saw the spider carcass nearby, where they quickly vacuumed it up.

If they’re not lucky, they’re left wondering where exactly those spiders went and what exactly those arachnids are planning.

With Miss Muffet’s Revenge, you can protect your RV from spider infiltration. The first step is to get your bottle ready according to the instructions in the “Getting Your Wet & Forget Products Ready” section.

Before storing your RV for the season, an outdoor application will create a barrier that spiders aren’t likely to cross. Simply spray a twelve-inch band of the product around your RV’s exterior.

For indoor applications, spray a four-inch band around the interior perimeter at floor level. The surface should be slightly wet when you’re finished.

With either application, remove any lingering cobwebs sometime within the next seven days. Regardless, a single application of Miss Muffet’s Revenge can keep spiders away for up to 12 months.

Where Can You Find Wet & Forget Products

Keeping your RV clean inside and out doesn’t have to be complicated, nor do you need a dozen-plus bulky products and tools hogging storage space. Instead, pick up a few Wet & Forget sprays today to keep your recreational vehicle clear of odors, stains caused by organic growth, and spiders.

Pick up Wet & Forget products today by visiting our online store or heading to your local retailer.