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Old 04-20-2013, 05:39 PM   #1
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Washing Exterior?

Hey everyone getting ready to take our first trip but want to make sure that our TT needs a little bit of washing up first to get her all nice for the trip. I have read several different things about what I can not use and every where is different from what soap to whether or not i can use a sponge. Any suggestions would be great.
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Old 04-20-2013, 06:04 PM   #2
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I use one of two things to wash the TT; I use a McGuire’s carwash soap, or Dawn dish soap. I have now upgraded to a carwash brush that is connected to the hose and has a soap reservoir in it, so now I do not need a bucket.

Happy Washing
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:12 PM   #3
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You can use any car wash or rv wash product. Soft brush, sponge are both good.
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Old 04-21-2013, 08:22 PM   #4
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I use Dawn liquid detergent. If it's good enough for oil soaked ducks it's good enough for me!
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Old 04-21-2013, 08:56 PM   #5
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Dawn or any other dish soap will remove your wax. A wash or wash/wax product is the best thing to use.
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Old 04-22-2013, 08:27 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by sgscomps View Post
Dawn or any other dish soap will remove your wax. A wash or wash/wax product is the best thing to use.
Not only will it remove wax it will soften any paint.. all dish detergent will... do not use it on your RV.. (or car)
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Old 04-22-2013, 09:49 AM   #7
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So then why does Jayco recommend dish soap to clean the roof? You cannot keep it off the sides if you are properly washing the roof.

The soap is not used in concentrate form, nor left on for any amount of time.
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Old 04-22-2013, 10:12 AM   #8
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So then why does Jayco recommend dish soap to clean the roof? You cannot keep it off the sides if you are properly washing the roof.

The soap is not used in concentrate form, nor left on for any amount of time.
Where do you find Jayco's recomendation to use "Dish Soap" to clean the roof? I have read on this an other forums too, but I haven't seen it in the Jayco Owners Manual. What I read is...

"Frequent washing and waxing is the best way
to protect your RV from this damage.
Frequent washings also protect your RV from
environmental elements, such as rain, snow
and salt air."

"Do not wash the RV when it is in direct
sunlight. Park the RV in the shade and spray
it with water to remove dust. Next, using an
ample amount of clean water and a carwashing
mitt or sponge, wash the RV from top
to bottom."

"Use a mild car-washing soap if necessary.
Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry with a chamois
or soft cloth."

I don't know if Dawn (or any other dish soap) will soften paint, but I do know that it will strip any wax you have applied. I use Meguires Deep Crystal carwash soap. It is very inexpensive and doesn' have Petrolium Distilates that I understand can damage the rubber roofs...thats also why I don't use any Wash/Wax combos.

I have heard that "Spic and Span" is a good product for cleaning. My FIL uses it exclusively, I have never tried it and I don't see Jayso calling it out by name so I simply use carwash soap with good results.
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Old 04-22-2013, 12:27 PM   #9
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Dish soap will remove wax and is harsh for washing cars and RV's IMHO.

There also is a difference in materials by which ours units are made. I have fiberglass sides where I use a soft bristle car brush with either marine, car or RV soap.

The aluminum sides however are treated differently by some and house siding cleaner is used when the job requires it. Whether or not that is good I cannot say, I am simply stating what I have heard of being used. If you stay on top of it the RV, Car or Marine soap will work fine.

The roof is cleaned by Spic and Span in my case as this is what the manufacturer of mine suggests.
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:00 AM   #10
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Dish soap will remove wax and is harsh for washing cars and RV's IMHO.

There also is a difference in materials by which ours units are made. I have fiberglass sides where I use a soft bristle car brush with either marine, car or RV soap.

The aluminum sides however are treated differently by some and house siding cleaner is used when the job requires it. Whether or not that is good I cannot say, I am simply stating what I have heard of being used. If you stay on top of it the RV, Car or Marine soap will work fine.

The roof is cleaned by Spic and Span in my case as this is what the manufacturer of mine suggests.
Well your humble opinion is just that - an opinion, and it's wrong - according to the Jayco owner's manual. They recommend a mild dish soap (because you know, it's mild) and recommend AGAINST washANDwax products. I'm just going to leave this here:
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:14 AM   #11
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Not to be snarky but that says mild liquid soap, not mild dish soap. It suggests car wash shampoo


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Old 10-11-2016, 10:21 AM   #12
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Well your humble opinion is just that - an opinion, and it's wrong - according to the Jayco owner's manual. They recommend a mild dish soap (because you know, it's mild) and recommend AGAINST washANDwax products. I'm just going to leave this here:
Not to be argumentative, or cause offense. However, it says "mild soap or detergent". It does not say "Mild Dish soap".

Dish soaps, especially dawn are designed to breakdown oil and grease, often left on dish and cooking utensil surfaces when cooking and eating. Which is why Dawn has been used so successfully with oil coated water fowl and other animals stuck in oils spills and slicks. All wax products and many paint products have a petroleum base to them. So the science is easy to see how Dawn and other dish soaps which are designed to break down petroleum distillates from cooking oils and other oils, will also break down the wax coatings. Softening paint will occur after prolonged exposures (i.e., leaving it on to soak and not rinsing it off.

In the end. To each his own. I have never seen or heard of anyone stripping the paint or roof off of an RV or car when they have utilized a dish soap to wash them. I have heard of roofs deteriorating when washed and scrubbed with the wrong product and when left unwashed. Personally, I believe the key is not what you use to wash the dirt off, but rather what you put back on it to protect the finish after you wash it.
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Old 10-11-2016, 11:10 AM   #13
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So then why does Jayco recommend dish soap to clean the roof? You cannot keep it off the sides if you are properly washing the roof.

The soap is not used in concentrate form, nor left on for any amount of time.
Dicor recommends fantastik, Formula 409 or the like for the Diflex II roof. I just used a diluted mix of reliable 1 cleaner that i bought at an RV show.
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Old 10-11-2016, 11:41 AM   #14
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Not to be snarky but that says mild liquid soap, not mild dish soap. It suggests car wash shampoo


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You're right - they don't use the word "dish." Though I'd consider "mild" something I'd be comfortable washing a surface with that may then later need to contain foods or liquids I'd later store on/in and use to consume & ingest from.

Likely you're fine with anything between dish soap and car shampoo so long as it isn't wash & wax type, and a dish soap type that explicitly says "Cuts through grease." Joy is a good dish soap that's mild - heck we use it to make bubbles for the kids when mixed with corn syrup and water.
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Old 10-13-2016, 03:02 AM   #15
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Aren't dish soaps almost by definition "grease cutters"? Mild or not, I would not want a dish soap that didn't "cut through grease". How does a dish soap clean a dish if it doesn't "cut through grease".

And certainly Dawn, as mild as it is, definitely cuts through grease.

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Originally Posted by armyturtle View Post
You're right - they don't use the word "dish." Though I'd consider "mild" something I'd be comfortable washing a surface with that may then later need to contain foods or liquids I'd later store on/in and use to consume & ingest from.

Likely you're fine with anything between dish soap and car shampoo so long as it isn't wash & wax type, and a dish soap type that explicitly says "Cuts through grease." Joy is a good dish soap that's mild - heck we use it to make bubbles for the kids when mixed with corn syrup and water.
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Old 10-13-2016, 06:54 AM   #16
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Ya'll are all invited over to test these theories on my rig!
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Old 10-13-2016, 07:11 AM   #17
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Well your humble opinion is just that - an opinion, and it's wrong - according to the Jayco owner's manual. They recommend a mild dish soap (because you know, it's mild) and recommend AGAINST washANDwax products. I'm just going to leave this here:
No where does it say "dish" soap, but "liquid" soap which 95% of auto/boat/RV washes are liquid soap...just saying...and so is consumer reports as well...

"use household cleaning agents like hand soap, dishwashing detergent, or glass cleaner on the paint. These aren't formulated for use on a car's paint and may strip off the protective wax. Do... use a dedicated car-wash product, which is milder and specifically designed for use on automotive paint."

I think the same principles can be applied to our RV's surfaces.

MHO...
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Old 10-13-2016, 08:47 AM   #18
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In the Jayco recomendations I did not see the word "dish". It does state "a mild liquid soap". A soap or detergent made for dishes WILL strip any wax you have on the surface, A product made for washing automotive or rv surfaces should not. I prefer a soap that is neutral PH.
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Old 10-13-2016, 09:25 AM   #19
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Prior to this trailer I always used a car wash solution. When we bought this trailer our dealer recommended a product called Voom. I was skeptical but since we had 15% off anything that day I bought a gallon. I must say that it is the best cleaner I have ever used. I use it on the awning now, nothing I've used on the awning has been able to get it as clean as it is now. I'll be cleaning the roof before putting it in hibernation for the winter and I'm anxious to see how well this stuff does on it.

Regarding the ability of dish soap to soften paint, Sean you're the only person I've ever seen say that. I've been painting cars and restoring paint since I was 16. Dish soap isn't the best thing for any paint, but it won't soften it either. Unless maybe you leave it on the paint for hours? That would be an interesting test. The other thought is that the paint used on RVs is not the same as used on cars.
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