Caravan Servicing Bolton
Carravaning - Articles
Tips, advice and info for caravanners.
Tips, advice and info for caravanners.
Cleaning Tips for Caravanners
Your caravan is your home away from home, and should be treated as such. This means keeping your caravan clean and tidy, just as you would your own home. However, the thing about cleaning is… most people don’t like doing it! Thankfully, our caravan cleaning tips are designed to make even the most tedious of cleaning jobs, faster and easier, with effective and long lasting results.
Your caravan is your home away from home, and should be treated as such. This means keeping your caravan clean and tidy, just as you would your own home. However, the thing about cleaning is… most people don’t like doing it! Thankfully, our caravan cleaning tips are designed to make even the most tedious of cleaning jobs, faster and easier, with effective and long lasting results.
Cleaning Caravan Skylights
Caravan skylights are designed to flood interiors with natural light, but in order for them to do this, they need to be kept clean. Even a thin film of dirt on a skylight can block a significant amount of natural light, resulting in a dark and dingy interior. Freshen up your caravan’s interior and allow the light to shine through once again with our skylight cleaning tips.
Many caravan skylights are made up of two layers which are sandwiched together. While this is necessary for insulation and airflow purposes can be a pain to clean if dirt ends up making its way between the layers. To properly clean between these layers, it is best to remove the skylight altogether. Some caravan owners like to replace their skylights after a significant amount of grime builds up between the layers. This may be necessary if the layers are bonded together. If they are unbounded, it is possible to get them looking good as new using the methods below.
Unscrew the skylight from the inside. Make sure to use the appropriate tool to remove the screws. For most skylights, a standard Phillips head screwdriver will not work. If you are not sure what tool to use, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually a Torx key or star key will be sufficient. Once the screws have been removed it should be easy to lift and remove from the exterior. Usually skylights will have four screws which secure spring loaded arms.
Once the skylight is removed, it can now be cleaned effectively. Start by using a garden hose to blast away loose dirt trapped between the layers.
Caravan skylights are designed to flood interiors with natural light, but in order for them to do this, they need to be kept clean. Even a thin film of dirt on a skylight can block a significant amount of natural light, resulting in a dark and dingy interior. Freshen up your caravan’s interior and allow the light to shine through once again with our skylight cleaning tips.
Many caravan skylights are made up of two layers which are sandwiched together. While this is necessary for insulation and airflow purposes can be a pain to clean if dirt ends up making its way between the layers. To properly clean between these layers, it is best to remove the skylight altogether. Some caravan owners like to replace their skylights after a significant amount of grime builds up between the layers. This may be necessary if the layers are bonded together. If they are unbounded, it is possible to get them looking good as new using the methods below.
Unscrew the skylight from the inside. Make sure to use the appropriate tool to remove the screws. For most skylights, a standard Phillips head screwdriver will not work. If you are not sure what tool to use, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually a Torx key or star key will be sufficient. Once the screws have been removed it should be easy to lift and remove from the exterior. Usually skylights will have four screws which secure spring loaded arms.
Once the skylight is removed, it can now be cleaned effectively. Start by using a garden hose to blast away loose dirt trapped between the layers.
Once you have washed away any loose dirt you are likely to find a lot of dirt still remains inside the light. Do not panick, this can easily be removed in a number of ways.
Cleaning between the layers
Method one:
Bottle cleaning brush
Bottle cleaning brushes are usually made of flexible wire and are designed for cleaning in hard to reach spaces. Lather up a bottle brush with washing liquid and water or caravan cleaner and carefully slot the bristle end between the skylight skins. ‘wash and wax’ cleaners are less likely to leave streaky marks. When cleaning, you may want to start with a larger bottle brush and use a finer brush for smaller crevices. This pack of 10 nylon cleaning brushes from Amazon is ideal as the brushes are supplied in 10 different sizes.
Push the brush back and forth from all angles until you feel all the dirt has been loosened. Rinse and repeat if necessary once you have removed most of the dirt using this method rinse once again with the hose pipe and allow to dry naturally in a well ventilated area. If you find the light is streaky after cleaning thread a microfiber cloth between the layers until it is poking out of both ends. Grab each end and thread back and forth in a flossing motion. This should be enough to buff away any dried soapy spots or water marks.
bottle cleaning brushes
Cleaning between the layers
Method one:
Bottle cleaning brush
Bottle cleaning brushes are usually made of flexible wire and are designed for cleaning in hard to reach spaces. Lather up a bottle brush with washing liquid and water or caravan cleaner and carefully slot the bristle end between the skylight skins. ‘wash and wax’ cleaners are less likely to leave streaky marks. When cleaning, you may want to start with a larger bottle brush and use a finer brush for smaller crevices. This pack of 10 nylon cleaning brushes from Amazon is ideal as the brushes are supplied in 10 different sizes.
Push the brush back and forth from all angles until you feel all the dirt has been loosened. Rinse and repeat if necessary once you have removed most of the dirt using this method rinse once again with the hose pipe and allow to dry naturally in a well ventilated area. If you find the light is streaky after cleaning thread a microfiber cloth between the layers until it is poking out of both ends. Grab each end and thread back and forth in a flossing motion. This should be enough to buff away any dried soapy spots or water marks.
bottle cleaning brushes
Method Two:
Wire coat hanger and microfibre cloth
Take an old wire coat hanger and gently squeeze one end together until both wires meet. Wrap a microfibre cloth around the bent end and secure with an elastic band. Lather up the microfiber cloth with soapy water or caravan cleaner and gently ease it between the two layers of the skylight. Wipe away the dirt, rinse and repeat until clean. Use the same method and a dry microfiber cloth to buff away streaks.
Remove handles
Some caravanners with a heki roof light may prefer to dismantle it and give it a thorough clean. Take a look at this video from Carefree Caravanning to find out how to do this.
Wire coat hanger and microfibre cloth
Take an old wire coat hanger and gently squeeze one end together until both wires meet. Wrap a microfibre cloth around the bent end and secure with an elastic band. Lather up the microfiber cloth with soapy water or caravan cleaner and gently ease it between the two layers of the skylight. Wipe away the dirt, rinse and repeat until clean. Use the same method and a dry microfiber cloth to buff away streaks.
Remove handles
Some caravanners with a heki roof light may prefer to dismantle it and give it a thorough clean. Take a look at this video from Carefree Caravanning to find out how to do this.
Cleaning the outside
The outside of the skylight can easily be cleaned with a sponge and soapy water. There are many caravan cleaning detergents out there but we recommend using an all purpose caravan cleaner followed by a rain repellent. Make sure to buff the surface dry with a microfiber cloth. For those awkward nooks and crannies, try using a toothbrush to scrub away trapped dirt, followed by a rinse with clean water. Ensure the skylight is fully dry before attaching to the caravan again.
The outside of the skylight can easily be cleaned with a sponge and soapy water. There are many caravan cleaning detergents out there but we recommend using an all purpose caravan cleaner followed by a rain repellent. Make sure to buff the surface dry with a microfiber cloth. For those awkward nooks and crannies, try using a toothbrush to scrub away trapped dirt, followed by a rinse with clean water. Ensure the skylight is fully dry before attaching to the caravan again.
