QUIZ: Which RV Roof Cleaner Works BEST? (Full Time RV Living)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.พ. 2022
- What is the best cleaner for an RV rubber roof? We have the unscientific answer!
There are a a lot of cleaners that can be used to clean an RV rubber roof, but there are only a few that are recommended. We go over the recommended cleaners and perform a cleaning challenge with Dawn dish soap and Simple Green. You might be surprised which one came out on top.
This is the brush we used to clean our roof, Adjust-A-Brush PROD274 Rubber Roof Wash Brush
www.amazon.com/dp/B003VAYNAY?...
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We're Dan and Deena MacLeod and our Golden Retriever Rodeo. We began the biggest adventure of our lives, becoming full time RVers. We love the RV life, the freedom it provides us, adventure, and this great country we're blessed to live in. We want to see and experience as much as we can, while we can. Hopefully we can give you some RVing tips about life on the road and take you along with us as we explore and hike this great country of ours. Please subscribe to our channel and come along on this great adventure with us. Remember, always Live Life To The Fullest!
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My favorite RV roof cleaner is LA's Totally Awesome. I purchase it at Dollar General for $3 for a 64 oz bottle. It also works great for removing the black streaks that form on the sides of the RV that flow down from the roof.
@seantonnesen1636 thank you so much for the information, maybe we'll give it a try some day.
Dan
I totally agree. This roof is not even dirty compared to my mom's RV which is kept at a forest site (with pine trees) year round. She has used Simple Green, Zep, many different ones from the RV stores and this year 30 seconds. The others eventually clean, like after 2-3 go overs. Each time I end up going back with the LAs. She used to use Scrubby Bubbles on the awnings, again LAs did great. Of course read how to dilute it properly. Was even able to clean out the clogged rain tracks with the hose after using LA's to deal with the algae build up. Only issue with the LAs is there is a not a UV protector or conditioner/wax in there. Either way it is the easiest to get the gunk off and can go back and add what is needed. I also use it as a deck cleaner, furniture cleaner, kayak/gear cleaner, BBQ and refreshes patio cushions....again dilute as on label. A 1/4 cup in a wash load or tub of water (again kayak gear/life jackets/feather pillows) cleans/freshens musty/moldy fabrics. I mix it and put in a pump sprayer for application on he RV then scrub/rinse.
@TH-eb5ro thank you for the information. I'll have to check with my RV manufacturer to see if it's safe to use on my roof, if so, I will have to give it a try.
thanks
Dan
My wife watched this video. Our RV is 3 years old and the roof has never been washed. Now guess what I get to do next week!!
SORRY ONEALMR!!!!😬😂 But remember, a happy wife is a happy life.
I've used Simple Green for many years, starting as a teenager mechanic on my engine, tools, pre spray on laundry then wash it. Unlimited uses but pretest it with any vinyl apps because it can remove adhesives also. It's non toxic and biodegradable making it environmently friendly 😊
Hey LuckyDragon - Yes! - we too have used Simple Green for many, many years for many, many different ways of cleaning! It's always comes through for us. Thanks for watching & for the comment! Have a super weekend!😊👍
The active ingredient in scrubbing bubbles is the only way to clean the scum markes on gutters
I was a window cleaner for 12 years
@tomrobertson3236 thank you for the information, I did not know that. We'll give it a try. Thanks for watching and commenting
Dan
Simple Green is awesome stuff. On my solar panels (two trailers), I use Lemon Pledge. Cleans well without any build up.
@larrymangold1048 thank you for watching our video and leaving a comment. We agree, Simple Green is great stuff. Thanks for the tip on the Lemon Pledge, we may give it a try.
Dan
Great test, but something that should be pointed out is that the simple green was undiluted whereas the dawn was. I'm actually going to try this test with my dirty RV roof but I don't think I'll use a bucket for the dawn, I'm just going to wet the roof down and pour some streaks of dawn straight on the already wet roof and scrub from there. I'll try to remember to let you know how that goes :)
@tommytmt great point you made, I'd be curious how your test comes out. Please let us know.
thanks for the comment
Dan
Soooooo. how’d it go ? Pls…we’re all waiting. 😂
Simple Green worked the best
Appreciate the video, I’ve always been a Simple Green guy, I didn’t know until later on in life that it’s actually environmentally safe and also safe for pets.
@1StudMuff1n Thanks for watching & for the comment! Yes! - we love Simple Green & use it religiously! It's a fantastic product! Have a great weekend!🌞
Deena & Dan
Very informative!
Thank you, hope you were able to get something out of it.
Right after doing my roof...with Dawn, I see this video. I had Simple Green in the house, but tech at Forest River forum said to use Dawn. Sigh! Luckily my RV is only a few months old. Still looks good. Just wanted to clean it this early to start sealing places missed by factory.
Hey Scott - We're so happy to hear from you! You should be fine with your RV being so new - we think you're good! Thanks so much for watching! Safe travels!😊
I use Bar Tenders Helper . On the black streaks And on part of the roof. It came very clean fast. It was recommended from a freind.
Hey Paul - Thanks for the tip & thanks for watching! Have a great week!😊
Bar Keepers Friend, works on everything, won't scratch.
I've heard Bar Keepers Friend works great from multiple people, we'll have to give it a try one day.
I appreciate you taking the time to talk with Grand design to find out what products they prefer. From my experience, i like to use the same soap I wash the sides with. If soap dries on the side, the foam cannon and wash process removes dried residue. I actually wash rvs professionally in the greater yellowstone area.
Harry, I wish I new you were in the Yellowstone area, our RV could use a washing 😀 We try to talk to manufacturers before we use products just to make sure we don't damage anything, and we don't want to put out bad information if we can help it.
Good to know SimpleGreen worked well. I do not use Dawn on any of my vehicles because it can remove the wax/polish. And I would rather not wax our traveling beast more than I have to.
Thanks for the info!!
Hey Bruce - We can totally relate! You're so welcome! Have a great week!😊
Life is too short for that.
We agree, have a great day
Dan
It may be best to use an EPDM roof cleaner and conditioner, it is formulated to clean it and leave a UV inhibitor behind to protect the rubber. A high-pressure washer also works great with a fraction of the effort.
Thanks for the information, we'll look into it
Dan
I just saw the EPDM cleaner at my RV dealer. It was $70 C. for a 2 litre jug. And the instructions said to spray on, and wet mop off, no hosing down, to keep the runoff from possibly damaging the side wall graphics etc. The UV/conditioner liquid was a separate jug again.$$$ Think I’ll get the Simply Green too.
Too expensive for me, we're sticking with Simple Green. Thanks for the information
Dan
Extend the brush handle a bit more to help yourself. Also look into the Unger extending pole system. All parts are replaceable. I don't think the head is replaceable on that brush and in comparison it does not extend very far. I used a product called 30 Seconds earlier today and it was not slippery. I was wearing Chacos hiking shoes and I was in a hurry, sitting on your butt and using the brush is my preferred method. I suspect Dawn puts a lot of effort into getting their products used for different things but we don't use due to EWG ratings but I do have a mechanic brother that will use for his laundry and double rinse. Murphys Oil is not that sort of product, even recommends not using on floors. Thank you for the comparison.
Thanks for the info on the Unger poles, we'll look into it. Also, I like the idea of sitting down while cleaning, might help save my back after a long day.
Safe Travels
Dan
Your lucky I have a park model and the trees are dropping pine needles and pine cones and has to be done every few days
Sorry John, that has to suck. Lucky for us, we only clean our roof a couple of times a year. Good luck with your roof. So, what cleaner do you use to clean your roof?
Dawn is not the best on your roof. For one it gets very slick when wet on flat surface. Second it is a oil eater which in your wax on your rig it will attack on its way down your wax on the sidewalls of your RV. That only makes extra work. Now I do like simple green but it is a acidic liquid that could not be good for all roofs. Love the video. Keep them coming.
Larry, you're right, Dawn was very slippery on the roof. In our humble opinion Simple Green cleaned the roof better anyways, so we'll be using Simple Green on our roof unless we find something better. Always great to hear others opinions.
thank you
Simple green will remove wax from the sides of your RV as it tins off the roof when you rinse. It's also great for removing black steals from the sides of the rv, but you have to reapply wax. We've had our trailer for 12 years and have always used the products made to clean/condition/protect EPDM roofs. I clean and treat it 1-2 times/ year and it still looks like a new roof.
Hi @rodwesley2779 can you share with us the products you use? I'd love to give them a try.
thanks
Dan
Exito bendiciones
thank you
You should try Wet and Forget and see how that works!
Hey Will, thanks for the suggestion. If the manufacturer says it's ok to use, we'll give it a try.
thanks
Dan
The key to clean roof is to use roof sealant after a good clean. Put it on thick and when you clean it it’ll be like new every time and protect from Sun. Plus cleaning it is no effort.
Good tip Mark! What kind of sealer do you use?
I used Camco sealer. It comes in a set with the roof cleaner. I did it in the spring last year, but wanted to get to it again in the fall and did not. It was hard to clean...very dirty and the dirt did not come off easily. I had to use a scrub brush and do most of it by hand. Both our brushes on extensions just didn't get into the grooves of the TPO.
Thanks for the info! We will have to give it a try! Have a great weekend.😊
Thanks!
I was wondering if simple green would do the job (definitely don't like how slick dawn can get)
Good video. What drone and video equipment do you use?
Hi Kimberly, thanks for the comment and glad we could help. Simple Green works very well and that is all we use now.
As far as camera equipment - we recently had our main camera stolen from us when we were in Oregon, you can watch our "WARNING! - Don't Let This Happen To You (rv lifestyle)" video for the details. We purchased a Canon EOS 90D for our main camera. It's a great camera but it's not the top of the line. We don't have sponsors like the big channels so we pay for everything and this is what we could afford. We also have a GoPro 5 and a GoPro 7. We love the GoPros and will upgrade them at some point. The drone is a DJI Mavic Air 2. The drone is awesome and very simple to fly. We only use the drone as a tool for videos and not as a toy so we really don't fly it that much, but when we do, it's so much fun.
@@RiversToRidgesRV sorry to hear your camera was stolen. Not sure if I will ever use much video or even a drone but for sure will try to clean my RV roof before too long. My husband passed away and he was the one that cleaned and serviced the RV. It has leaks up there so a good clean and reseal is in the future. (And new exhaust vent caps & sky light cover & .......)🤔
Thanks again !
🙂
Looks like the brush is working great. Would you go with a harder bristle brush after you washed the roof?
The brush we use on the roof is a medium bristle brush, the brush we use on the RV is a soft bristle brush.
This is the brush we use on our roof, it was purchased on Amazon:
Adjust-A-Brush PROD274 Rubber Roof Wash Brush
This is the brush we use on the RV, it can be purchased on Amazon:
Shurhold 960 6" Deck Brush with Soft Yellow Polystyrene Bristles
Thanks you saved me from asking grand design the question. I’m so aggravated with them and their QUALITY. Has any one besides me figured out their gray and black tank vents are crossed??
Glad the roof cleaning video was helpful. We love to hear when one of our videos was able to help a fellow RVer out.
take cane
Thanks, you gave my hubby something else to go do🙂
Glad we could help you out 😁 let us know what you want him to do next and we'll do a video on it too 😁
@@RiversToRidgesRV He said , "How to relax for the day", 🤣🤣🤣
Not sure how soon we could do a video on "How to relax for the day", it takes a lot of research. I'll start relaxing today and keep working on it until I get it perfected, I'm a slow learner so it will probably take me years before I perfect relaxing for the day. Maybe your husband can work on relaxing also and we can put our notes together to help other husbands out there 😁 It's a tough job but someone has to do it 😁
Did you dilute the simple green and what ratio of dilution did you use?
Hey David - Great question! We used the spray bottle of Simple Green and we did not dilute it at all. It worked beautifully! Good Luck & if you think about it, let us know how your roof turns out. Thanks so much for watching - we're so happy to hear from you! 😊
We haven’t washed our RV ourselves. Nice share. 👍
Ohhhh, you don't know the FUN you're missing 😁😁😁
TL;DR: Simple Green
Hey Andy - Simple Green it is!!🤩
Which product works the best to get of Black streaks
@frankmcclellan9506 we like Simple Green, but a lot of people are starting to talk about LA's Totally Awesome All Purpose Cleaner. It is cheap and can be purchased at Dollar General or on Amazon. Here is the Amazon link: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007F19O8G
Hope this helps
Dan
I use Spray9 works well
We've never heard of Spray 9, but thanks for letting us know,. Maybe we can try it next time we clean our roof. Always appreciate the advice.😊
Spray nine is my go to for almost everything. Awesome stuff !
🙂
After watching this video, i wonder how awesome cleaner from the dollar store would turn out???
@randy1203 That's a great idea, maybe a future video? We may have to check out the Totally Awesome All Purpose Cleaner sometime!👍
When you say rubber roof, is that typically the same as silicone roof?
Our roof is a Superflex roof and the manual says it's made of rubber. Sorry, but I don't know if some people call this a silicone roof also.
I've heard lots of comments about dish soaps potentially doing damage to the side surface, possibly damaging paint, etc. Have you seen or heard that info? Or seen any cumulative damage over time? It won't do damage once or twice, but over time, supposedly could. Nice video! About to do mine so I'm watching a few for ideas.
@travelingwithtroyandrhoda6442 Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. We've heard dish soaps will take off the wax from the paint, but nothing about any other damage. We only use Simple Green when we wash our roof and have not seen any signs of paint damage.
Safe travels
Dan
If they use Dawn on cleaning wildlife after oil spills, it can’t be that bad. Can’t burn the critters skin.
@@blueman5924 paint and animal skin are not the same. The skin can heal after one use. Paint and the coatings on top of the paint will be damaged long term by grease fighting substances. Scrub those animals every week for a few years and report back. 😂
we're sticking with Simple Green on our roof until I run across something better, thanks for the comments.
I can't wait to clean my roof!
I'm wondering if I could use OxiClean??
Cleaning your roof is sooooo much fun, Trust Me!
@@RiversToRidgesRV
We have a foam cannon and simple green concentrate, and pressure washer , won't take long at all,
,,😜
@Ryan-yi6su OK, now I'm jealous! But, I think you should practice on my roof. 😀
Did you dilute the simple green at all with water or just used it straight out of the bottle ?
Hey Daven, we just used it straight from the bottle and it worked great. We also make sure we hose everything down with water to remove any left over chemicals after we finish cleaning.
Dan
I watched a video awhile ago where I seen a man using 30 seconds Cleaner, looked as the RV had a lot of mold and mildew buildup on his roof and it cleaned it up very nicely. Have you seen that product?
@budnuttall7903 Sorry, we have never heard of it.
Dan
@@RiversToRidgesRV I found it on Amazon
Great! Please let us know how you like it! Good luck!👍
Do you treat the roof with anything after cleaning? Like a sealant or wax of any kind for the roof?
Hey Steve, no we haven't had to treat the roof with anything after cleaning. Our roof is only 1.5 years old, we may have to seal it after a few years.
@@RiversToRidgesRV I’ll be sure to tune in when you post the “we sealed or roof” video!! Lol! Ours is only 2yrs old and I’m wondering if I need to and what to use. I’ll keep researching! Safe travels🤙😎
🙂
I used a pressure washer on mine. No soap. It looks good.
Hey JanX9 - That's really great to hear & a great recommendation! We've wondered/thought about getting a pressure washer some day but haven't made the commitment just yet. Thanks for watching & writing in - we love to hear from you! Safe travels!😊
@@RiversToRidgesRV well thanks for your video. I tried Simple Green on my roof today and it did a great job.
🙂
A better test would've been using just plain water VS these two chemicals.
Hi Daniel, that is actually a great idea, it would have given us a good baseline to compare with.
I imagine yours is a rubber roof... mine is fiberglass. Same principle? Simple Green?
Hi Larry, to be honest, I'm not sure. I have not tested Simple Green on a fiberglass roof and I don't want to give you bad information. Sorry I couldn't help, but your best bet would be to contact the manufacturer.
Dan
My concern is permanent streaking down the sides from the cleaner.
We've been using Simple Green whenever we clean our roof, so far, no issues with streaking. However, we do hose down the sides of the RV after we clean our roof to try to get as much of the chemicals off of the paint.
thanks for the comment
I usually wash the trailer after I wash the roof
@Patrick Gniech what do you use to wash the trailer with
Hey Daven, that depends. If we're in a campground that allows us to wash our RV with water, then we'll just a car wash/wax product, nothing in particular. Our RV has full body paint, so auto products work fine. If we're in an RV park that does not allow us to use water, then we'll use our Aero Cosmetics products. We did a video on the Aero Cosmetic products, you can find it in our Review section on our TH-cam Home page. th-cam.com/video/mPFf5GoT3fI/w-d-xo.html
Hey Patrick - We normally wash the RV after cleaning the roof also, however, sometimes due to running out of day light &/or maybe us getting older (!!!), we sometimes break it up over 2 days. Hope you're having a great week!😊
Can you walk on a roof of a travel trailer?
@frankmcclellan9506 All travel trailers are different so it is best to check with the manufacture to make sure your roof is safe to walk on. However, if your travel trailer has a built-in ladder on it, then it is most likely safe to walk on. If you are not sure, don't rely on my answer or anyone else, check with your manufacture to be sure.
Dan
Why do Deena keep you working LOL and have a blessed day
Hey William - it's Deena!....I've got to keep Dan busy to keep him out of trouble! LOL! So happy to hear from you - thanks for watching and you have a blessed week! Stay safe.😊
Did you turn off your power?
Hello Summer Knight,
great question, no we left our power on and did not have any issues. Thanks for the question.
Better done as a two day job?
Hey Flatland Texan, I don't think so. It's been a while since we washed our roof but I believe it only took us about 2 hours to do the whole roof. Might as well just get it done all at one time if you're physically able to.
thanks for the comment
Dan
@@RiversToRidgesRV my comment was on how tired you were getting. It might make my shoulders sore, but get it done. Thank you for the video. I like Simple Green myself
I'll admit, I was tired and sore, but once I get started on a job, I like to get it done. That may change as I get older :)
Don’t ever use Dawn Dawn strips the oils out of a rubber roof it will ruin the roof my brother-in-law is an RV tech they said that is the worst thing you can use to clean your roof use I believe it’s a Dycor product for rubber ruse there’s a cleaner and then there’s a sealant
Hey Robert, we tried Dawn on our roof one time to do a comparison and we didn't like the job it did. Between doing a bad job and stripping the oils out of the rubber, we will never use it again. Our RV manufacturer suggested Simple Green and that is what we use all the time now.
thanks for the comment
Anyone ever use TSP?
@martinparmer Thanks for watching. Sorry, never heard of it.
Dan
12:45 Not as young as you use to be, eh?
That's for sure! LOL! I don't mind doing projects myself to help save money, but I sure feel it the next day.🙄