Many of us will rely on an awning when we’re on tour, liking how it provides valuable extra living space, storage, and even somewhere to sleep. However, knowing how to clean and treat a motorhome awning will be a key step in maintaining it, ensuring it stays in as good a condition as possible.
Regularly putting up the awning and taking it down inevitably means that a bit of muck, mud or grass staining will blemish the material from time to time, and after spending out on the best motorhome awning, it’s understandable you will want to look after it.
As a pernickety bunch, we motorhomers like things – so here’s my advice to keep your awning in as-new condition. If it’s your ‘van that needs some attention instead, my guides to cleaning a motorhome and how to clean a motorhome roof are bound to come in handy too.
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Choose your moment – a dry, breezy day with a bit of warmth is perfect. Start early in the day, giving the fabric plenty of time to dry before storage. Erect the awning: it will make cleaning simpler and help it to dry evenly in the sun.
Begin by brushing away loose dirt with a soft brush, then mix up a mild detergent or proprietary cleaner solution, and test it on a concealed patch first. Products we’d recommend for this are Fenwicks Awning and Tent Cleaner, HLS Supplies AT-55 Awning & Tent Cleaner, and Fabsil Awning Cleaner.
Next, using a soft brush or sponge, work from the top down, letting the soapy water do the heavy lifting. Rinse thoroughly and admire the transformation as any blotches and blemishes disappear.
Thorough drying is crucial, so let the breeze do its thing until every seam and fold is bone dry – any trapped moisture will soon turn to mildew, so don’t put it away after a dew has fallen. Once it’s completely dry, roll it up neatly, taking care not to crease the windows.
For extra brownie points, treat your awning with a water-based reproofer to restore its weather resistance and fend off UV damage and fading. Fenwick’s Awning Reproofer can be worth a look if you’re after one here.
Avoid pressure washers and harsh cleaners, and you will keep your awning looking fresh, and completely watertight.
Modern awning fabrics are very resilient and dirt-resistant – it sits on top of the fabric, and doesn’t soak in – so cleaning has become much easier over time. That said, a bit of extra TLC every few months means a cleaner, better-performing awning for years to come.
If you’re also in the process of looking for a new leisure vehicle, don’t miss what Diamond Dave has to say about why he thinks the “perfect” motorhome doesn’t really exist.
Future Publishing Limited, the publisher of Practical Motorhome, provides the information in this article in good faith and makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of the advice to their circumstances. Individuals should take appropriate safety precautions and be aware of the risk of electrocution when dealing with electrical products. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future nor its employees or agents shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information. Double check any warranty is not affected before proceeding.
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