RV Window Cleaning

Keeping the windows on your RV clean improves the view and, in the case of the windshield and other driver windows, is necessary for safety.  Windows accumulate dirt and road grime on the outside and film from cooking and upholstery inside.   You might also get hard water stains on the outside from sprinklers, depending on where you park your RV.  Chemicals leech out of vinyl upholstery and floors and create a hazy film on the inside of the windows that can be surprisingly hard to remove.   You may not even notice it until you driving into the sun and find your view really hazy and the glare extremely distracting.  Rear windows are often covered with road grime flung up from the back of the vehicle.

You can use an ordinary household window cleaner to clean your RV windows or one specially designed for automobile windows.  Really stubborn deposits may require using household cleanser like Ajax or Comet.  If your RV has been parked where it gets hit by sprinklers, you may have hard water stains on the outside glass, and those can be VERY hard to remove.  Hard water cleaners like CLR may help but sometimes it takes scraping them off with a razor blade.   A standard, single-edge razor blade in an appropriate holder will do the job but a wider painter's scraper will make it go faster.  Soak the window with window cleaner or with a vinegar and water solution and keep it wet while scraping. Interior windows tend to develop a film from cooking fumes and chemicals that leach out of vinyl upholstery.  This is especially noticeable on the windshields of motorhomes with acres of vinyl dashboard.  Regular window cleaner usually does a pretty good job on interior windows.  RV supply stores and catalogs often offer a "streak free" glass cleaner that is also very good.  I generally save it for cleaning mirrors since it is a little pricier than standard window cleaner (which you can usually get at your local dollar store), but it also works well on windows.  I prefer the window cleaner with ammonia, which also works well to clean and prevent mildew in ice chests and refrigerators.  Some window treatments include an anti-fog ingredient that is again, especially useful on bathroom mirrors, but can also help keep your windshield clear on humid days.

Homemade window cleaning solutions that work well include vinegar and water (about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to 2 cups water; for extra cleaning power to remove film left by commercial window cleaners, add about 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent).  Another vintage window cleaning solution uses ammonia.  You can use ammonia and water alone or add rubbing alcohol or vinegar.  Use equal amounts of water, ammonia, and alcohol or vinegar.   As mentioned above, a little liquid soap or detergent along with the vinegar may help with some extra stubborn surfaces.  Don't use too much soap or it will leave a soapy residue.  NEVER mix ammonia with anything containing chlorine bleach!  It can produce deadly vapors.

Whenever you are working with ammonia, wear rubber gloves.  In fact, it is a good idea to wear rubber gloves for cleaning windows no matter what solution you are using.   None of the cleaning solutions, even "environmentally friendly" ones, are particularly friendly to your skin and will, at the very least, most likely leave their distinctive odor on your hands.

Paper towels or microfiber towels are least likely to leave streaks or residue.  You can often use crumpled newspaper for initial cleaning of bugs, mud, and crud of the outside and save the costlier paper towels or microfiber towels for final buffing and polishing.

You should be able to reach all of the interior windows from inside the RV.  You might have to reach over dashboards and furniture or duck under cabinets or crawl over the bed and move aside shades and curtains.

You will probably need a ladder or step stool to reach all of the exterior windows unless you have a very small RV.  Be sure to use a ladder that is tall enough for the task and don't stand any higher than the second from the top step.   Standing too high up on a ladder is unstable and you could easily fall and be injured.   Also resist the temptation to stand on a handy chair or stool.   They are not designed for that purpose and are likely to be unstable.   It is often tempting to over extend your reach instead of moving the ladder, but this is a dangerous practice.   Reaching too far will likely cause the ladder to tip or you to fall off of it and the consequences of either event are not pleasant and will ultimately slow the cleaning process more than stopping to move the ladder as needed.  One way to avoid the temptation to over-reach is to position the ladder in the right position in the first place.  Large windows may require you to move the ladder once or twice to safely reach the whole surface but being able to safely clean even the edges and corners is well worth the extra effort to re-position the ladder a few times.

I recall a product called "Glass Wax" that did an exceptional job of cleaning windows.  Like any wax, it takes some rubbing, but it sure did a nice job!   I wasn't able to find a current source for this brand but the search turned up lots of high powered window cleaners that might be worth checking out.  An established standard is Windex and there are many imitators that have a similar blue formula.  I prefer the ones that include ammonia, which are also good for sanitizing and deodorizing coolers and refrigerators.

Wash the screens when you wash the windows.  In many cases you'll have to remove the screens in order to wash the windows anyway, so go ahead and wash them before you put them back on.  If they're just dusty, simply spraying them with compress air or rinsing them with a garden hose should do the trick.  If they are oily or greasy or stained with tree sap or bird droppings you may need stronger methods, like hot soapy water and a brush or maybe even some solvents.   Be careful using solvents since some may damage the screen fabric.  Shake or tap the screens to remove the water or, if you have an air compressor, use a blow gun to get rid of the leftover drops, taking care not to damage the screen.  Lacking a way to blow dry them, blot them with a towel and/or let them stand in the sun to dry before reinstalling them.   If you need to scrub them hard to remove stains or deposits, lay the screen on a flat surface so you don't stretch the material, pull it out of the frame, or bend the frame.

Wash the windows frequently to prevent a build up of film or hard water stains.   Regular washing may take time, but ultimately it will save hours of scrubbing if you allow the crud to bake on and your RV will be more safer and more enjoyable.

With proper care and appropriate cleaners your glass will be "so clean it seems to disappear" ( a registered tag line of Windex brand window cleaners).