Spring Don’t Want No Scrub - As Seen In I Heart RVing Magazine

Pam Kennedy • April 22, 2022

Essential tips and supplies to get your RV primed to shine this camping season.

As spring rolls in, it’s time to roll out. And while we all take pride in our RVs, very few of us are truly in love with the idea of spring cleaning—especially when we think about getting on our knees to scrub at marks we’ve almost learned to live with. Truth be told, like TLC, we don’t want no scrub.


Well, I come bearing good news: Spring cleaning can be easy. With this quick and clever guide, you’ll be equipped with all the essentials you need to give your RV a frustration-free cleaning—so you can roll out with pride.


Shimmer on the Inside


Interior Cleaning Essentials



I Heart Tips: Don’t use the same cloth for different cleaners.


Go Section by Section 


Use the multi-surface cleaner to clean your interior. Start with the ceiling and work your way down. When you wash the walls start at the bottom and work up to avoid clean streaks. Moving to the bathroom, grab the bathroom cleaner and a fresh cloth then clean in this order: toilet (inside and out), shower, walls, sinks, and floor. (Don't forget to use a different cloth to wash and dry with.)


Next, apply your Gabe's Pride window cleaner to a wide variety of surfaces, from mirrors and windows to your TV screen. In the kitchen, wipe down your microwave, oven glass, and any glass cabinet doors so they’re streak-free. Using both broom and vacuum, get rid of all the dust and debris from inside your cabinets and on your floors. And don’t forget to sweep any detritus off your mattress and carpets. 


With a flat mop, use your multi-surface cleaner to mop all the floors starting at one end of the RV and working your way to the other. Rinse your mop out occasionally to ensure it's always clean. Also, according to the CDC and EPA, you must preclean any surface on which you'll be using a disinfectant. Disinfectants don't work on dirty surfaces because they're not cleaners. Remember: Cleaners clean, disinfectants disinfect.

Dirty Cleaning Rag

I Heart Tips: Don't use vinegar, bleach, oil-based cleaners, citrus cleaners, ammonia, or any cleaner with a disinfectant. They only harm your surfaces and leave a gross film behind.

Sparkle on the Outside


Exterior Cleaning Essentials

  • Garden hose
  • Foam gun for cleaner
  • Smooth microfiber pad
  • Soft brush
  • Soft cleaning head


Good nonpetroleum- or nonacidic-based cleaner that can be used on the roof, sides, and awnings without damaging surfaces (like RV Streaker)


Let the Cleaners Do the Work


When you’re ready to tackle the outside, go in this order: sides, underneath your awnings, roof, then top of awnings. As you clean the sides, start at the bottom and work upwards in small sections at a time. Rinse well from top-down before moving on to the next section.


I Heart Tips: Don’t use anything abrasive or solvent-based. A good cleaner should do the work for you. If you're scrubbing too hard, your cleaner isn't working.


To finish up, do a final rinse of the entire RV, clean the windows, and voila! Spring cleaning is behind you (for one year at least). Now hit that open road!


As seen in I Heart RVing magazine

I Heart RVing

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August 15, 2025
At Gabe’s Pride , we really enjoy our peeps in the RV community! Because we appreciate independence and time on the road, our conversations about cleaning needs cover a lot of ground. We’re thankful for our regular customers! And we appreciate the questions and specific cleaning challenges you bring us at Gabe’s Pride. While we ARE RV and home cleaning experts, gray tanks require a particular knack. That’s why we reached out to the team at Kleen Tank . We urge you to keep in mind that cleaning your gray tank demands time, care and most of all, safety. Why Does the Gray Tank Stink? Believe it or not, gray tanks can have worse odors and be more of a health risk than black tanks – especially galley grays. While black tanks are collecting urine, feces, water, cleaning materials and whatever didn’t “agree with you” last night, gray tanks get everything else. Laundry, Dishes & Heat. Oh My! Germs, bacteria and mold. All three are living things and all three require something from their environment to thrive. Those are: Food Water Heat Shelter  Unfortunately, we can find all of those in your RV’s gray tank. Food particles and a warm, moist environment inside your gray tank make this a perfect breeding ground for germs, bacteria and mold. Most people don’t think about Mold As we discussed in a previous blog, when cleaning your black , the most important ingredient is water! Mold can be trouble enough on its own. However, when mold gets dried out, it can become airborne. Once inhaled, mold can wreak all manner of havoc on your health . Headaches, congestion, cough, and many other symptoms are associated with exposure to mold spores. So what do you do? Because gray tanks generally don’t come with an on-board sprayer, using a reverse flush device is the best way for an RV owner to get extra water into that tank to help flush out food particulates. You may also consider using a water meter to prevent tank overflow. It's important to test the water meter before each use to make sure it's working correctly. To use or not to use an additive. Tank cleaning companies such as Kleen Tank do recommend using additives for cleaning your gray tank. Traditionally they use a Calgon base solution. This is used to coat the sides and prevent waste from sticking. The Kleen Tank team says “use plenty of water” to keep things liquid and moving both before and during the cleaning process. Should you choose to use a tank treatment product, consistency is important. Product formulations may be similar but are not identical. For this reason, frequently changing these may create a chemical reaction. Be careful and always read the instructions and use the product accordingly. When you’re looking for cleaning tips and tools for your RV or home, check us out our products and blogs . Since we’re part of the RV community ourselves, you may see us during this season’s rallies. Our Eco-Friendly cleaning materials are made right here in the USA. And we’re always happy to answer your home and RV cleaning questions. If you have a question that can’t wait, contact us here !
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