Awning cleaning

lc47 · 06-03-2012, 08:02 AM

What is the best way to clean an awing? Particularly trying to remove/clean the spots, some of which look to be rust spots. Thanks!

Ruffus · 06-03-2012, 08:14 AM

Hi Ic47
The best way to clean your awning is to have someone else do it

. Seriously though what I do is use a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush on an extension pole. Rinse, scrub and rinse. For the hard spots and stains I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it works really good. It's a lot of work but those awnings are exspensive. I'm sure there are other products that members use but that's what works better for me in this humid climate. I have to do this two or three time a year. Good Luck.

therink · 06-03-2012, 08:37 AM

I use a mixture of clorox cleanup & dawn, put in on the awning fabric with spray bottle, then close up the awning and let it soak for an hour. I then unroll it, the scrub with brush on extension pole. Rinse and good as new. This saves me a lot of unnecessary elbow grease.

f6bits · 06-03-2012, 02:50 PM

Are the spots on the underside or top of the awning? Mine’s fairly new, so a wet rag cleaned up most of it. I’m not even sure what’s the best treatment for the topside, since that’s rougher and won’t wipe as well. Or should both sides be cleaned using the same method?

mguay · 06-03-2012, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by therink

I use a mixture of clorox cleanup & dawn, put in on the awning fabric with spray bottle, then close up the awning and let it soak for an hour. I then unroll it, the scrub with brush on extension pole. Rinse and good as new. This saves me a lot of unnecessary elbow grease.

X2

P.S. it cleans both sides at the same time!

06-03-2012, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by therink

I use a mixture of clorox cleanup & dawn, put in on the awning fabric with spray bottle, then close up the awning and let it soak for an hour. I then unroll it, the scrub with brush on extension pole. Rinse and good as new. This saves me a lot of unnecessary elbow grease.

This is a good tip. Going to give it a try soon. Both of my awnings are getting quite dirty and I wasn't sure the best way to go about it. This sounds easy. Perfect for a lazy guy like me :-)

PA5er · 06-04-2012, 05:18 PM

Aother Option: I just cleaned mine by spraying 2 cans of Kaboom w/Oxyclean. Closed the awning for an hour or so then used the wash brush. Cleanest the awning has ever been. The under white is white again.

Good luck.

lc47 · 06-04-2012, 07:52 PM

Thanks for all the great tips. I am going to try the Mr Clean eraser on the spots which are on the underside.

Cougar1957 · 10-09-2014, 08:02 PM

Old thread, I know, but I am having fits trying to clean a 5" wide by total length of awning brownish stain. There are some black walnut tree limbs from my neighbors trees hanging over my Cougar, and can only assume the stain came from them. And I suppose it didn't help that I had rolled the awning up the wrong way so that the white was on top...doh! By the way, no actual black walnuts on the trees this year after a bumper year last year.

Have tried the water/bleach/dawn spray and roll procedure, but that had zero effect on it. Then I used a soft cleaning brush with that same mixture...still nothing. Next I tried some foaming greased lightning product, and once again...nothing. Think I'll pick up some Mr. Clean Eraser tomorrow and try that.

jsmith948 · 10-10-2014, 05:10 AM

Maybe you could try a chain saw? (on the tree - not the awning)

**JRTJH** · 10-10-2014, 06:55 AM

Cougar157,

If the stain is on the first foot (closest to the trailer) it probably won't come out. That part of the awning fabric is different from the rest. It is designed to be the "protective cover" for the awning when rolled up and doesn't have the color that's on the rest of the top of the awning. On my awning and previous "fabric protective covering" awnings, that part stained easily no matter what I tried to do. On a couple of previous rigs, the awning had a metal strip that made up the first foot of awning so when the awning was rolled up, it was encased in an aluminum sheath. That didn't stain quite as much, but still stained.

There's not much, as you've found, that will remove the stain and make the awning white again. Once the oils from the tree get baked onto (and into) the vinyl of the protective covering, it's pretty much there for the duration. If you're going to be parking in the same area, once you do replace your awning fabric, you might look at the option of getting one with the metal storage sheath rather than the vinyl storage sheath.

Sometimes the chemicals from cleaners and the mechanical abrasion from brushing to try to make things look clean and new are worse for the fabric than the stain. You can easily damage the protective coating and the color layer of your awning by being too aggressive in cleaning it, still have the stain and find that when it rains, water leaks through and drips from the underside. I wouldn't get too aggressive or you may destroy your awning fabric, making it "old before its time".....

Good Luck, and don't worry about the stain, just have another "adult beverage" and enjoy the shade the awning produces. Heck, after all, even we get "wrinkles and sunspots" when we get older......

GmaPaTime · 10-10-2014, 07:38 AM

X2 jsmith948..... My thoughts exactly

GaryWT · 10-10-2014, 07:46 AM

I usually spray Tilex on and rinse off. Of course you need to use old clothes especially if windy. My wife thinks we should try a Mr Clean magic eraser on it so we might give it a try.

Cougar1957 · 10-10-2014, 02:41 PM

My neighbor has agreed to take down the three trees and has their removal scheduled for November.

So today I picked up Simple Green, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, and some RV awning and black streak product made by Crown I think. It was on sale at Menards for $2.49, so I figured why not. I tried all three products this afternoon and none of them really made a dent. The Simple Green may have lightened the stain ever so slightly, so I just put another non-diluted coat on the awning and currently have it rolled up. I will let it soak for an hour and see what happens.

I was very surprised that the magic eraser did absolutely nothing since so many have had good luck with it.

chris199 · 10-12-2014, 06:14 PM

Doesnt a mixture of bleach and Dawn give off harful/dangerous fumes? Maybe I'm thinking of bleach and detergent...maybe Dawn isn't in that category. ....

**chuckster57** · 10-12-2014, 06:54 PM

Bleach and ammonia are the ones not to mix.

therink · 10-13-2014, 01:35 PM

I believe on the Dawn bottle, it does say not to mix with bleach; however being outside any vapors will not be harmful. I have done it dozens of times. I wouldn't use the mixture to clean my bathroom floor. It will be ok.

ace1125 · 10-16-2014, 05:53 PM

Clorox cleanup and dawn is the best I have found for a lot of things! And yup, ya gotta let it work....don't dilute it ...Cleaned our automatic awning this week. Been grungy for a year. (broken leg interfered) Used soft scrub brush on telescoping pole with a pail of Dawn and Clorox Cleanup..... Wonderful team! Not truly easy.....................easier is the best word!

mcsearch1 · 10-24-2014, 05:34 PM

Take it from my painful, and dumb, experience cleaning my awning - wear goggles. Safety glasses don't quite cut when you are working with detergents over your head. You may not feel the irritation to your eyes until the damage has been done and you find yourself at the ER.

buzzcop63 · 10-25-2014, 09:23 AM

Living in the Willamette valley of Oregon we get a lot of rain and our trailers awning seems to grow lots of black on the bottom side and just look dirty, it is supposed to be white. Cleaning by hand is a real chore as is getting up high enough even when the awning is tilted down. Wife was cleaning floors with the Swiffer mop that has cleaning rags and solution that attach to its face, tried it and it just melted the dirt away! Long handle allows me to get the entire surface clean now

You may also like: