It occurred to me that I have not cleaned my awning for some time. I have “rinsed” it off and tried to ensure it was dry when rolled up but I just can’t remember when I last did a real cleaning. So with the aid of Google I did a search for RV Awning Maintenance. The results were amazing as normal. There were a lot of sites found and everyone has their own ideas on how to do this chore. My choice for the steps to just cleaning it were:
- Extend awning to the fullest extent and rinse it thoroughly
- Spray it on the top surface with cleaner
- Roll the awning up (this will wet both surfaces and keep the cleaner in contact with the fabric while preventing the cleaner from drying out)
- Allow to sit for 60 minutes to allow the cleaner to act on dirt and mildew on both sides
- Extend the awning again
- Scrub lightly and hose down on both sides
- If stains persist, spray again with cleaner and scrub with a soft brush
- Allow to dry completely before retracting.
Regardless of the method used, it is advisable not to clean the RV awning in bright sunlight or extremely hot weather, as these conditions will dry the cleaner before it can be effective and may cause spotting.
Read more at Suite101: How to Clean an RV Awning:
I had not actually been thinking about the mechanisms but they too should be inspected and cleaned and this was in the same article:
Cleaning RV Awning Hardware
"Caring for the hardware is pretty simple," says Dougherty. "Basically keeping it clean, and inspecting it for wear is the most you’ll ever have to do." He recommends that the RV owner check for
- Rusted or broken adjustment knobs.
- Broken springs and/or lock assemblies.
- Any parts that are difficult to open or close because of dirt or wear.
Replace any defective or worn parts. Clean the hardware with any good RV or standard cleaner (and a brush if necessary), rinse well, and allow to dry thoroughly. Lubricate any springs, threads, or moving parts with a moisture-absorbing lubricant such as WD-40.
In the search I cam across this site that is a huge inventory of links to other things and it may be useful for me to keep this link here – RV-Basics link Collection page. It is filled with checklists, and basics on nearly all the things we have to deal with in our RV’s.
Just like everything else today, everyone has an opinion and for sure someone has a webpage expressing it or listing some good information. What did we do before all this information was so easily available? – WD0AJG