Cleaning the roof ?

Gotta love the Dollar Store stopped by there today for some things and low and behold shelves of Spic an Span liquid floor cleaner ! Grabbed a few of them and will clean away this weekend, thanks guys !

I've been washing the roof with Mequires, in the pink bottle. Couple capfulls per bucket does the job. Treated it with one of the rubber roof protectors/rejeuvinators this spring. Looks great.

Ranger Smith wrote:
They say comet and spic and span is OK. They say stay away from any cleaner that has petroleum distillates and citrus

From RV site

Regardless of the type of rubber roof you have, NEVER use any cleaners or conditioners that contain petroleum solvents, harsh abrasives or citrus ingredients. These types of cleaners can cause permanent damage to rubber and vinyl surface. Rubber roofs already have built-in ozone and UV protectors, and cleaning a rubber roof is quite simple. You can use household cleaners like Comet and Spic And Span or Dawn dishwashing liquid for most routine cleaning needs

Spoke AT LENGTH to a Dicor rep at the recent CW/GS Rally in Syracuse about this topic. He told me exactly the same thing - stay away from ANY cleaner with petroleum, citrus, or abrasives. Many companies make "RV Roof Cleaner", but as he put it, "it's just soap". He did mention both Spic 'n Span and 409 as good cleaners, though, in-spite of the fact that Dicor has their own cleaner, which he was selling!

What DID say was important was the quality of the protective coat that you put on AFTER you clean! That's where the REAL protection comes from. He really was down on the "combination" cleaner/sealant products. How much protection is left behind with a product that you rinse off?

Not treating it like a new born baby I just bought the unit and I'm not sure the last owner ever cleaned it and its black even all the silicone is mildewy so I just want to clean it up and keep it healthy so it lasts longer

Use Blue Coral Wash and wax with same amount of Clorox in a bucket and mix in some water. Apply with a bristle brush on broom handle. Wet first then wash front to back allowing mixture to stay on until all is done only rinsing if heat dries it before you are done. Blue Coral has 10% bees wax in it that preserves the roof by putting a coating on it as it builds every time you use it. It will clean evaporation pans in A/C units and preserve them too. It also works excellent on awnings and sides of RV. It's in Walmart in auto section about $3.95.

I really don't understand why everyone is treating their rubber roof like it was a new born baby. To patch a roof you have to clean it with acetone or something that does not leave an oil residue which is far worse than everything that has been brought up. Try it before you tell me that it will eat your roof up. I have used acetone for many years to clean up rubber roofs before caulking and never had an issue of eating a hole through the rubber roof.

Amazon.com carries spic and span powder.

I use Protect All Rubber Roof Cleaner and do NOT spill anything down the side or front of my camper. I then use Protect All Rubber Roof Protector. Yeah, it's expensive at first, but a big bottle will clean and protect your roof for five or six dollars and you don't have to do the sides afterward.

Both products spray on, really work well to remove stains, and leave the roof just shining and well cared for.

I really think I would just use a mild soap, such as Dawn, to avoid possible damage. I've never figured out the big deal of getting a rubber roof extra super clean anyway. I used to think the black on my 1999 rubber roof was mildew or something but then I found that it's just the underlaying black layer showing through due to wear of the top white layer. Cleaning isn't going to fix that. We did have an RV dealer apply a prime coat and a topcoat of some sealer hoping to get a couple more years out of the roof. $400.

They say comet and spic and span is OK. They say stay away from any cleaner that has petroleum distillates and citrus

From RV site

Regardless of the type of rubber roof you have, NEVER use any cleaners or conditioners that contain petroleum solvents, harsh abrasives or citrus ingredients. These types of cleaners can cause permanent damage to rubber and vinyl surface. Rubber roofs already have built-in ozone and UV protectors, and cleaning a rubber roof is quite simple. You can use household cleaners like Comet and Spic And Span or Dawn dishwashing liquid for most routine cleaning needs