Forum Discussion

oxygen's avatar
oxygen
Explorer II
Oct 26, 2014

washing gel coat siding

wondering if most dish soaps can be used to wash the exterior of tt?
time to clean up and get ready for winter.

14 Replies

  • wincrasher65 wrote:
    Yikes! Dawn will remove any wax you have, so if that is your goal, go right ahead.

    I typically use an automotive car wash - you can buy it in big jugs at walmart. If you are going to wash the rubber roof, which is also a good idea at this time, there are specialty products for that. I wouldn't use a harsh detergent or bleach on the roof as that could damage the membrane. Spend the money for a rubber roof cleaner and a treatment product.

    If you are putting it up for the winter, it's a good time to put on a coat of wax after your thorough wash. Again, I just use an automotive product like NuFinish, or you can use a product meant for boats.

    X1000!

    Dish soap is for dishes. OP is advised to use the proper product for RVs and that means automotive car wash.
  • Yikes! Dawn will remove any wax you have, so if that is your goal, go right ahead.

    I typically use an automotive car wash - you can buy it in big jugs at walmart. If you are going to wash the rubber roof, which is also a good idea at this time, there are specialty products for that. I wouldn't use a harsh detergent or bleach on the roof as that could damage the membrane. Spend the money for a rubber roof cleaner and a treatment product.

    If you are putting it up for the winter, it's a good time to put on a coat of wax after your thorough wash. Again, I just use an automotive product like NuFinish, or you can use a product meant for boats.
  • Dawn is generally safe for everything, including baby ducks, and many of us use it. If you have a good brand of plain ole carwash soap, Turtle, etc, that is perfectly fine, too.