Ultimate Motorhome Cleaning Guide

Although when you first get your motorhome, it’s sparkling clean inside and out, be under no illusion, this spotlessness will not last forever. Making sure your motorhome is clean protects the vehicle for the future, maintaining its longevity and value while also ensuring that it’s safe and operational to drive. Exactly how to clean a motorhome will be covered in this ultimate guide.

As motorhome specialists, at Spinney, we are well informed to bring you this guide, taking you through how to clean every aspect of your vehicle, both inside and out. Selling brand new motorhomes from the very best brands in the industry, we promise exemplary quality so that you can be sure to drive away with a vehicle that stands the test of time.

But, if you’re looking for a quality motorhome at a more affordable price point, why not consider our range of used motorhomes for sale? Not only are we ready to help you through your initial purchase, but our aftercare service makes sure that your vehicle is protected for the future, too. Explore our servicing options to discover how you can safeguard your motorhome, from water ingress reports to our full service plan.

But whether you’re exploring how to protect your future purchase or need to know how to clean your motorhome right away, let’s get into our ultimate guide.

The accessories you need before you start

If you’re ready and raring to start cleaning your motorhome, first make sure that you’ve changed into some clothes that you don’t mind getting mucky and you’ve got all the accessories on the following list. Thankfully for you, you can get everything you need to get started at our accessories shop in-store, so that you can enjoy a streamlined cleaning process.

• Long-reach telescopic brush – Excellent for avoiding back-breaking work.
• Toothbrush – For the small nooks and crannies.
• Wheel brush – A specialised brush used to thoroughly clean the wheels of your vehicle.
• Ladder – To access the roof of your motorhome.
• Microfibre cloth – Perfect for polishing (better than a chamois leather in our opinion)
• Washing mitt or sponge: For general scrubbing.
• Motorhome cleaner or dishwashing fluid: Only use chemicals and products made for leisure vehicle use.
• Motorhome glass and window cleaner
• Vacuum cleaner

Avoid these common mistakes

Knowing how to clean a motorhome is a little different from being a proficient domestic God or Goddess. Make sure you avoid these common mistakes to avoid damaging your vehicle.

• Don’t use boiling water for cleaning: You might think using boiling water would make for a more efficient cleaning process, but using this risks permanently damaging some of the plastic exterior components.
• Don’t use domestic cleaning products: Harsh cleaning products that are made for domestic use might cause permanent damage to your motorhome. Using harsh products on acrylic windows, for example, can lead to cracking or clouding.
• Don’t use pressure washers: It might be tempting to use your high-powered pressure washer on your motorhome, but unless you can adjust the pressure, this will damage the and weaken seals on doors and windows.
• Reusing dirty water: Make sure to change the water you’re using for cleaning regularly. Reusing water that’s already dirty risks scrubbing grit into the vehicle’s body, damaging the paintwork.

How to clean a motorhome exterior

So, you’ve got all the gear and you’re ready to begin cleaning your motorhome! Let’s start by cleaning the exterior.

1. How to clean a motorhome roof

By starting with the roof of your motorhome, the rest of your vehicle can get a minor soaking as the water streams down from the top. Use your ladder and telescopic brush to easily access the whole of your roof, scrubbing the top using warm (but not boiling) soapy water. Once all the grime is gone, use a hose or a bucket of water to get rid of any residue.

While it might be tempting to climb on top of your motorhome to give it a clean, we would not recommend this. Motorhome roofs can be uneven, and when this is mixed with a layer of soapy water, you’ve got a major health and safety liability on your hands. With a ladder, a telescopic brush and a washing mitt, you’ll have plenty of coverage to get all the traces of dirt off.
Spinney tip: 

• Have solar panels installed? Use a soft sponge to clean your solar panels of dirt – remember, they are far more inefficient when dirty.
• Use a toothbrush to clean the lichen and general dirt around the seals of the rooflights.

2. Cleaning the body of your motorhome

Next comes arguably the most enjoyable part of cleaning your motorhome – washing the body of the vehicle. Hopefully, by the time you get to the sidewalls, cab and rear, the watery suds from the roof may have softened the grime, making it easier to remove it with a sponge. Particularly stubborn stains or debris may need some specialist motorhome cleaner before you apply some good ol’ fashioned elbow grease.

Just like caravans and campervans, motorhomes can be susceptible to black streaks on the body of the vehicle, which usually occur when dirty water drains from the roof and stains the side body. Specialist black streak remover can be used to get rid of these stubborn marks along with a brush and microfibre cloth. You can prevent these marks from appearing at all by regularly cleaning your motorhome, particularly after use.
Spinney tips: 

• Preserve the exterior of your motorhome with wax or polish twice a year – this will make it look spectacular and make it easier to wash when stubborn stains inevitably come calling.
• Use two buckets when cleaning the body of your motorhome, one ‘dirty’ bucket where you rinse off your dirty cloth, and the other a ‘clean’ bucket filled with water and a cleaning solution. This will prevent any grit from being present.

3. Cleaning motorhome windows and seals

When cleaning your motorhome windows, it’s important to remember that there are often two types: the plastic habitation windows and the glass cab windows. For the glass windows, an alcohol-based glass cleaner should be used, meanwhile, habitation windows can be washed with warm soapy water, followed by a dedicated acrylic window cleaner.

To prevent water ingress, which can seriously damage the integrity of your motorhome, you should also give special attention to the seals around your windows, doors and hatches. These seals can attract algae and dirt, which, if left unchecked, can deteriorate in quality, so wash them with soapy water using a toothbrush if necessary to access any small gaps.
Spinney tips:

• Using a seal lubricant once cleaned will prevent cracking and extend the quality of the seal.
• While cleaning, check all the hinges on windows and doors and repair them if necessary.

4. Cleaning and protecting the wheels of your motorhome

It may not seem important to keep the wheels of your motorhome clean, but ignoring the buildup of black grime can lead to the corrosion of the wheels. Thankfully, it’s easy to clean the wheels of your motorhome with specialist wheel brushes using thick bristles to get into all the corners and get all the grime out where your sponge cannot reach.
Spinney tip:

• Take the cleaning of your wheels to the next level with wheel spray and tyre dressing from the likes of Autoglym, which will protect your rims from dirt and the rubber of your tyres.

5. How To Clean Your Motorhome Awning

At this point, your motorhome should look sparkling and like-new, but if you own an awning, it’s also worth giving that some TLC, too. Use warm water, a soft spray cleaner (specialist awning cleaners are also available), and a clean cloth to gently clean both sides of the awning to make sure that every mark has gone. To prevent mould from forming, leave the awning open to dry and don’t fold it up.

6. How to clean a motorhome’s water tank

Cleaning the water tank and general water system of your motorhome is essential to protect the integrity of the vehicle, as well as your own personal health. While the process can take some time, it can be done efficiently with the use of a purpose-made steriliser (we’d recommend CleanTabs’ Puriclean). This should be swilled around the tank, left to sit and thoroughly flushed with clean water afterwards.

For a full breakdown on how to clean and maintain your caravan water system, read our blog that delves into everything you need to know about the essential practice.

Read more

How to clean a motorhome’s interior

Once the entirety of your motorhome’s exterior is gleaming, from the roof to the awning, it’s time to step inside and breathe new life into the interior of your vehicle. Cleaning the interior of your motorhome is similar to how you would clean the inside of your home, starting with the general dusting and vacuuming of the space.

1. Cleaning your furnishings and upholstery

Once the space is generally clean, remove any dirt from the upholstery of the seats with a vacuum and use a wet cloth to remove any marks. If possible, remove any furnishing coverings on sofas or chairs in leisure areas – many brands offer internal furnishing covers that can be machine washed. Leave any furniture coverings to dry before replacing them. In addition, unhook any curtains and give them a wash.

2. Cleaning your motorhome’s kitchen

Treat your motorhome’s kitchen just like you would your kitchen at home, just make sure to use cleaning spray that is made specifically to be used in a leisure vehicle. Empty all the cupboards and drawers, including any food that may still be in your fridge from the last trip away. Next, use a damp cloth to clean every inch of these internal spaces.

3. Cleaning your motorhome’s bathroom

Just like your kitchen, you should use a specially-made motorhome bathroom cleaner so as not to damage the seals and surfaces of the space. Your motorhome toilet works a little differently from your domestic one, so normal cleaning products may damage plastic components and could also disrupt the breakdown of waste in the cassette toilet.

4. Cleaning your motorhome’s bedroom

We don’t need to tell you to change your bed sheets after every trip, but we would recommend taking a spare set if you’re travelling for weeks at a time. Aside from this, a motorhome bedroom can be cleaned in exactly the same way as your one at home, just make sure to give it extra special attention to avoid the build-up of dust, dirt and potential mould.

How often do you need to clean your motorhome?

There is no set number of times you should clean your motorhome per year, with this being totally up to the vehicle owner. If you’re using the motorhome frequently, cleaning it every other month would be ideal, but others prefer to scrub it after each holiday.

When it comes to cleaning, it’s best to use your own initiative. Had a rain-drenched holiday in the Lake District? It’s probably time to spruce up your motorhome inside and out.

Now you know how to clean a motorhome, you can protect its longevity and value for the future. Then, once you’re ready to upgrade, you can come to Spinney, sell your motorhome with us and explore our range of vehicles for sale from the very best brands in the industry. Simply contact us, and we can help you through every step of the selling and buying process.