We all wish we could be out on the open road right now, enjoying the feeling of heading towards our next RV adventures. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for most of us as we shelter in place due to COVID-19, but we can make the best of our time at home. We are no doubt itching to get back to traveling ASAP once life returns to “normal,” and now is the best time to prepare for it. If you find yourself with extra time on your hands this spring, giving your RV a good spring cleaning could be the perfect way to spend it. The more road-ready your rig is when stay-at-home orders are lifted, the quicker you can get back to the adventures you love. We’ve compiled a few tips for how to get started with spring cleaning your RV.
Get rid of things you don’t use
RVers often live by the saying “one thing in, one thing out” when it comes to keeping their motorhomes from being overcrowded with clothes, gadgets and tools. Chances are you’ll be bringing a few new things into your RV before you use it next, so why not clear out some space ahead of time? Go through your drawers, cabinets and shelves and determine what you use frequently, and what hasn’t been touched in ages.
If it hasn’t been used or even thought of in a while, it’s probably time to part ways with it! Every inch of storage in your RV is valuable, so don’t let useless items take up space. Use Marie Kondo’s “spark joy” method if you need to, where you only keep that item if it sparks joy! Whatever strategy works for you, just clear out unwanted and unused items so there’s plenty of room to move in when it’s time to hit the road.
Clean out the pantry and fridge
Everyone has “staples” they keep in their RV pantry or fridge at all times – salad dressings, condiments, dry goods, spices, etc. While this is a good habit to have in any kitchen, it’s wise to check those labels everyone once in a while. Find the expiration dates on everything that’s in your pantry, and toss what isn’t good anymore. This way, you won’t find yourself panicking when a recipe calls for a tablespoon of mayo and the only the jar in your RV fridge is expired! Make a list of all the staples you need to refresh from the grocery store when it’s time to get on the road again.
Get organized
Doing a deep clean is the perfect time to put things back in their respective places around the RV in a more organized manner. If you’re going to drag everything out of the kitchen cabinets, why not put it back in better than you found it? There are hundreds of ways to DIY storage solutions around the RV to make the most of the space you have. In fact, we wrote a whole blog post about it! Us our tips on RV space saving ideas to get started.
Wash the exterior
Chances are, it’s been a little while since your last RV trip. Even if your rig has been in covered storage, it’s not a bad idea to prepare to kick off the summer travel season with a thorough exterior wash. You’ll definitely need a brush with a long handle to reach the tallest parts of your RV if you don’t already have one. And don’t forget the roof during your “car wash!” This is one of the most neglected parts of your RV, so while you’re up there cleaning, you’ll want to carefully inspect it for any damage.
Check seals and vents
That brings us to our next point. You should routinely be checking these throughout the year, and spring cleaning is the perfect reminder to perform important maintenance checks. The roof can be tricky when it comes to seal and vent damage, so make sure you take a detailed look. Check for broken seals that need to be repaired and make sure there aren’t any leaks or water damage that you’ll need to get fixed ASAP.
Disinfect
This is something we’ve all gotten very good at in the last few months! While this would make it on a spring cleaning list any year, it’s especially relevant now. If you can get your hands on any of the coveted bleach wipes or antibacterial sprays, do a floor to ceiling disinfection of your rig. By now, you’ve most likely become very conscious of where the common touch points are in your RV: door handles, cabinet knobs, steering wheel, gear shift, remotes, sink knobs, etc. Be sure to include showers, toilets and sinks in your disinfection process as well.
RV Spring Cleaning
If you are able to mark all of these RV spring cleaning tasks off of your to-do list while you’re still at home, you won’t have any tedious cleaning tasks holding you back from hitting the road when things open up again! You can focus on the fun times and friends you finally get to enjoy. Visit our blog for more tips and tricks on RV care and ownership.
