How to keep mold out of your RV Camper

Mold! O My!

A conversation we once had:

Let’s go camping! Pack the bags! Get the food! Fill up the tank for gas! LET’S GO!

“Oh sweetheart, there’s a little question I need to ask you. What is that strange looking gross mold doing on this wall?” says Mr. Freedom. “No! It’s got to be dirt. Well, I now remember I left the ceiling vent open just a little and now look at the wall. It’s got mold on it.” I reply.

“Can you get the mold off?”

“All depends on how much mold to clean to be honest. Usually if it has mold you have to repair the whole area to get all the growing hidden mold spores. “

That’s a break in the bank moment from a savings for a vacation in the darn thing.

Seeing mold in the camper can just drop the ball of joy to the mind of how the heck are we to clean this up. Take the time to check all corners inside cupboards and window wall areas for mold growth. Window weep holes need to be cleaned and wiped along with the simple window rubber seal.

Tip: Did you know this can help seal the window for continued closers properly and from the slightest water crawling in when driving or sitting still in a storm.

How to Prevent Mold

Check your door seal and wipe clean and keep it in good working condition.

Check the ceiling vent hoods for cracks on the lid area. Remember to shut them vent hoods before driving. When you’re going to be gone a while out of the camper or RV, Shut the ceiling vents and windows unless your parked under a carport for roof protection.

There are some simple things to do to minimize the possibility of mold growing. Maybe even recommend cooking foods outside the RV and Camper to help minimize the moisture in the air. Maybe even after a bath or shower have some towels to wipe down the walls if you don’t have a fan and in plans to have the towel air dry outside on a rope line before you repack them for home to wash and dry.

Get a fan or two to help circulate the area for air flow. Simple little fans can help so much of the air to help keep it dry when you’re occupying it. Our bodies make so much humidity as well as the cooking or showering. Simple 1 inch gap on a couple windows helps make air flow inside too. Sticky note or check off list on a mirror to say: shut the windows please.

Keeping it smelling fresh!

On a good sun shining day you can have the ceiling vents open or even the windows. Don’t forget to close your camper or RV when done enjoying your recreational unit. Toxins build up from the products that made the camper or RV inside and just 30 mins a day can help pull out build ups in the inside air. Simple sticky note on the mirror might help you remember to shut all open areas. Weekly opening for fresh air is just fine too.

You can also buy an air cleaner to help keep mold spores down and circulation going for a bit of freshness.

Simple gathering all the linen items such as towels, sheets, cloths will help also pull stale smells and odors out of the camper. Mold spores could grow on simple cloths and when ever you have a rug put that sucker out in the sun and on its way to destroy mold spores. Maybe you even have a removable cushion or two that needs some sunshine to help air it out.

Shoes can bring in mold spores as well as germs and dirt. Shake and kick them shoes a bit before walking in your RV or Camper. Leaving shoes outside is nice but you might need to know snakes or critters can crawl into them. Animals can even take one shoe for quite a distance all because of a smell in the shoe! Odor eaters will help will some of the moistures and odors that may happen when having shoes on for quite a while. Makes a big difference for your nose or someone else who is in a small area right by you.

Sometimes RV Camper seat cushions need a bit of refreshing at times and you can’t get the cloth off. You know it’s time to do something to them camper cushions. You can try some baking soda and lightly sprinkle it on to the cloth cushion and let it sit for 20 mins. When you’re ready, just vacuum this up very well and now you’re ready to have a smell better cushion. You can do this to rugs as well and mattresses after blankets and sheets are removed first.

Some products we use

Damp Rid

Buy some Damp Rid product to place in the bathroom as well as other areas through out to help control moisture. Damp Rid also help remove odors in the air too. They have some for areas you put your cloths and compartments. Pretty good stuff to have in your camper or RV.

Lysol Disinfecting Spray

You can simply get Lysol Disinfecting spray and use that to spray your toilet inside lid and inside bowl. Around the floor area as well. It helps prevent mold from growing on or in the inside of the toilet lid and bowl.  Even spraying the shower corners and room corners just help with where mold could attach. Maybe even on the window frame areas. You don’t need a lot of spray, just a quick spray to be placed over on the area or object and let it dry. Even around the fridge seal helps. You may need a simple napkin to cover yourself to not inhale so much of the product and step out for a few minutes.

Pledge Cleaner

Wiping up or freshening the doors or walls can really freshen up the whole feeling inside the RV or camper. I like to use multipurpose Pledge Cleaner to just give a little lemon on the areas as I clean.

Vinegar

If you have a small amount of mold in your RV or camper, use vinegar to wipe the mold clean. Vinegar kills the mold and bleach only turns the mold another color such as white. Bleach does not kill mold. The darkness of the mold is from dirt particles attaching to it. Gross right? You really shouldn’t use bleach in the RV or camper. Bleach is not good for sewer tanks because of possible chemical treatments inside the sewer tanks. Can make a nasty gas and can be harmful to breath. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer itself after it dries. A little goes a long way. Cleaning with Vinegar in the bathtubs and shower walls can help mold spores and prevent them especially when it has a fan to help dry the area. 

Fridges can be wiped clean with a little vinegar as well. Floors and walls and even sinks and stoves. Get a spray bottle. Taking old food out and if you’re not going to return to empty all foods incase of expiration happens and mold grows such as ketchup, mustard, mayo, and relish bottles.

Vinegar spray cleaner:

3 parts waters

1 part distilled vinegar

1 clean spray bottle

Shake well before usage. It helps destroy mold and deodorizes.

Vinegar spray cleaner with aromas of essential oils:

3 parts filtered water

1 part distilled vinegar

1 clean spray bottle

10 drops of lemon, lavender, lemon grass, orange essential oils.

Shake well before usage. The filtered water is because oils and regular tap water may have bleach in it or water softeners so it will not help make a proper aroma sent.

Tip: Use a fan to dry any area that has been cleaned with vinegar to help dry the surface or area.

LET’S GO CAMPING!