Cleaned the black streaks

[tedontario]

Hello All, We hope your summers are going well and lots are having safe camping trips. Due to medical issues we are staying home but the Sunline is used in the back yard. One of the uses is Judy, my sweet heart, is teaching two of our grandchildren cursive writing and math. They really enjoy doing it in the trailer.

I do not wash the trailer as often as I would like or should but I made a job of it recently. One of the big complaints is always getting the black streaks off the side. I decided to try some bar soap we made from Lye many years ago. I was very pleased with the results until I took a closer look at the bar of soap. Turns out it was an old bar of Ivory hand soap. Well I washed it all down then went over it again with RV wash and wax. I have to say it looks very nice with the streaks gone and all shiny. Hope that helps anyone trying to do that job.
Have a great day stay safe on those busy roads.

Ted

[Relie]

Hi guys, do you have a Dollar Store, Dollar Tree, Dollar General etc. up your way?
I just washed my trailer for the first time in two years. I used a product called Amazing. Its available at the stores mentioned above. Its just that "Amazing"..
Give it a try. Another good one is CLR but, its a lot more money.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.
Dave

[johnnybgood]

Combination of Totally Awesome ($1 at Dollar Tree) and Magic Erasers works, well awesome.

[Janalee]

Originally Posted by Relie

Hi guys, do you have a Dollar Store, Dollar Tree, Dollar General etc. up your way?
I just washed my trailer for the first time in two years. I used a product called Amazing. Its available at the stores mentioned above. Its just that "Amazing"..
Give it a try. Another good one is CLR but, its a lot more money.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.
Dave

Did you mean AWESOME! Most popular at the dollar stores for removing those streaks..Make sure your unit is wet though or dilute the product a bit...

[Relie]

Originally Posted by Janalee

Did you mean AWESOME! Most popular at the dollar stores for removing those streaks..Make sure your unit is wet though or dilute the product a bit...

That's exactly the stuff. And it's awesome.

Dave

[enormiss]

So I had seen it posted before, but finally tried it.
Totally Awesome is Simply Amazing!
I had tried half a dozen different cleaners an nothing really worked well.
I had really given up and figured I was stuck with the streaks.
With the recent mention here I asked my wife to pick up a bottle if she is at a dollar store...
This stuff was like acid to the streaks, just melted them away.
The bottom of my trailer has a band of textured siding vs. the smooth that covers the rest.
I was actually believing it was tan not white, but I'm happy to find it is all same color.
I'll have to get a pic, its unbelievable!

[enormiss]

Here's a corner pic of the cleaned front and unwashed side.
I guess the texture of the bottom band of siding holds more grime than the smooth. TA removed it!

[johnnybgood]

Looks good. Are you using a Magic Eraser along with the Awesome?

[enormiss]

That was just the awesome. If I find stubborn stains I can add in the eraser, but after that test section I dont think it'll be necessary.

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by enormiss

That was just the awesome. If I find stubborn stains I can add in the eraser, but after that test section I dont think it'll be necessary.

That's a good plan. The magic eraser is good for an initial cleanup, but it can wear through the paint pretty easy if you scrub hard.

[johnnybgood]

Originally Posted by Sunline Fan

That's a good plan. The magic eraser is good for an initial cleanup, but it can wear through the paint pretty easy if you scrub hard.

Also need to be careful with the Awesome as it will remove paint. It doesn't seem to harm the crystal coated siding, but be careful with the sections that don't have it. On my 1996 it's the sections with the stripes. Not sure if all years are like that or not.

On a side note, it's best to start at the bottom and work your way up if your sidings really dirty. If you start at the top the chemical can run down onto the dirty sections and leave streaks.

[Digmenow]

Based on the information in this thread, I decided to go ahead and try the Totally Awesome (which I use in the house, already) along with the Magic Eraser. I have to admit to being a little freaked out by the chalky water that's washing off but I suppose that's just the road dirt. Or so I hope!

Here's a picture of the side where I had cleaned from the front edge to the back of the first window, below the top stripe (didn't have a ladder handy so I stopped...short ). It is just about one-third of the side. We originally thought the camper was some sort of tan color but I was surprised to find out that it was actually white!

BTW, I think either the TA or the ME might cause discoloration of the decals so I will avoid scrubbing them for the rest of the job.

[Janalee]

Tom...I don't particularly like hearing the word "scrub" in the same paragraph as cleaning your Sunny....be gentle or you may regret it..those two products are wonderful when used with a bit of caution but overdone can be hazardous..love them both especially on my awnings! JMHO of course...

[Relie]

I just finished cleaning mine with the above mentioned stuff. I diluted the Totaly Awesome 50/50 with warm water. Worked like a charm.

Dave

[Digmenow]

Originally Posted by Janalee

Tom...I don't particularly like hearing the word "scrub" in the same paragraph as cleaning your Sunny....be gentle or you may regret it..those two products are wonderful when used with a bit of caution but overdone can be hazardous..love them both especially on my awnings! JMHO of course...

Keeping an eye on the future?
When it comes to Magic Erasers, "scrubbing" is a relative word. I think wet toilet tissue maintains its structural integrity longer than a Magic Eraser!

Originally Posted by Relie

I just finished cleaning mine with the above mentioned stuff. I diluted the Totaly Awesome 50/50 with warm water. Worked like a charm.

Dave

I'll try that next. Thanks, Dave.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Digmenow

BTW, I think either the TA or the ME might cause discoloration of the decals so I will avoid scrubbing them for the rest of the job.

Ah, yup. Avoid the ME on the decals. It is not good there. You can use it wet on the siding. Wet meaning, hose the siding first, then on stubborn stains you can use the Awesome direct with the ME. But do semi small sections only big enough to not dry before you rinse. It is starts drying, then the yuk will bond itself back on. Rinse well as soon as practical before it drys.

Oh and where all that stuff is coming from. A lot (almost all) comes from dirt off the roof. When the roof is dirty, the camper gets dirty from it in the rain. I clean the roof before I do the siding to help curb the dreaded black stuff from coming back so soon.

It is amazing how well some of these can come back to life again with some TLC.

[CapsFan]

I am happy to see this message this morning as I was just heading out to pick up some cleaning products for my Sunliner, and Dollar Tree was one of my stops. I started cleaning the roof yesterday and love their dollar mops, so I will be able to use a fresh one each time I take on that task. I tried to remove black streaks yesterday, with little luck (using a product made for them). Can't wait to try the Awesome!


Thank you! Love the great advice found here!


Karen

[Wannabes]

As JohnB noted, it helps to have a clean roof and it also helps to clean the drainage gutters and the inside and edges of the rockguard. Any flat surface where dirt can collect is a culprit when it comes to black streaks. (Of course, it really helps if, after it's clean, the Sunny can be stored indoors but that's not always an option.)

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by Digmenow

I think wet toilet tissue maintains its structural integrity longer than a Magic Eraser!

So true! The erasers with the blue thing in the center seem to hold together a little better, but not much.