Cheap way to clean a caravan/motorhome exterior?

Nice_Username
Nice_Username Posts: 3,735 Forumite
edited 13 April 2010 at 6:36PM in Old style MoneySaving
Hi, does anybody have any tips for cheaply cleaning a motorhome's outside body to remove black streaks, diesel fumes, drainage stains, algae, moss, fungus, traffic film etc instead of buying an expensive cleaning product like Fenwicks?

Thanks for any advice.:A

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  • Our car is white and I have always used stardrops and if there is a reallt stubborn tar mark I make a paste of bicarb and water and leave it on the mark for twenty mins then rub off with a soft rag (milk is good too)
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  • wssla00
    wssla00 Posts: 1,875 Forumite
    I use cif for the plastic upvc stuff and it comes up a treat!
    Feb GC: £200 Spent: £190.79
  • babyshoes
    babyshoes Posts: 1,771
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    Sounds like almost any cheapo car cleaning product would work (I get the wash and wax from the poundshop), along with plenty of clean sponges and elbow grease!

    If after a good wash, there are still marks visible, then you may wish to invest in a specialist product to use ONLY on those marks.

    By the way, be careful of using things like washing up liquid on cars, as it contains salt to soften the water. Not sure about other cleaning products such as stardrops or cif, though of course these would be fine on the plastics!
    Trust me - I'm NOT a doctor!
  • I had my car treated with a product called Gtechniq - available via Hayling Sea School, it puts a protective lacquer film on the car and it looks shiny and new all the time - Once a month I clean it with water and chamois off -had it done two years ago and it it still looks squeaky clean and shiny - but expensive for the first treatment though about £160 but i havent had to put it through a car wash since its brilliant stuff saves time and money.
  • Kevie192
    Kevie192 Posts: 1,146 Forumite
    I find that Fenwicks is really good but I don't use it how you should.

    I have one of those pressure spray bottles which I fill 1/3 with Fenwicks and the rest with cold water. Then I spray that on the van, leave it for 30secs or so then wipe off with a cloth.

    We got our van ready after the winter a few weeks ago and this solution just washed off any black marks or dirt. Sparkly as new!

    If you want a dealer-shine on the van, use 1 capful of the Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler in another spray bottle and spray liberally, just letting it roll off and dry. Voila!

    Kevin
  • lyndorset
    lyndorset Posts: 132
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    My husband swears by white spirit for getting the tar, black streaks etc off.

    I'd recommend Washing Soda and rinse well then leather off to dry.

    Be careful of any cleaner that may have salt or abrasives in.
  • grunnie
    grunnie Posts: 1,789
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    My neighbour uses cheap white toothpaste on a nylon scrubbie thing then rinses it off. His motor home always looks like new.
  • sillyvixen
    sillyvixen Posts: 3,612
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    for the caravan my dad uses a mix of washing up liquid and bleach in water - he has a cobbled together extra long brush - he washes the front, back and sides and then turns the caravan 90 degrees in the drive (once the cars are moved onto the road) then scrubs the top with his brush from the bedroom window and then drags the hosepipe up to the bedroom to hose the top before hosing the vertical sides from the drive.

    hope that makes sense!!!!
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  • nuttybabe
    nuttybabe Posts: 2,299 Forumite
    washing powder brings our caravan up a treat. just get the caravan wet, sponge it with washing powder in water and rinse off. easy! :D
  • meritaten
    meritaten Posts: 24,158 Forumite
    for our static we used a washing up liquid and for stubborn marks there was Cif!
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