Cleaning ouside trim

[c214dick]

I'm not sure if this is an appropriate title but "oh well". I have spent two days washing my 3400 with a good deal of time spent cleaning the mildew off the white strips.

At first I tried Awsome with a wash cloth. I than moved up to a bleach water solution which was a little better. Instead of the wash cloth I used 00 steel wool. Today I used the 00 with Awsome and that worked the best. It even worked on the sections that were yellowed which I thought would never get white again w/o having to be replaced.

[Ronnelly]

We tried cleaning that stuff off too, but were suprised to find that after spending 4 months in Arizona our white strips looked like new. We think it was the dry weather.

quote:Originally posted by c214dick

I'm not sure if this is an appropriate title but "oh well". I have spent two days washing my 3400 with a good deal of time spent cleaning the mildew off the white strips.

At first I tried Awsome with a wash cloth. I than moved up to a bleach water solution which was a little better. Instead of the wash cloth I used 00 steel wool. Today I used the 00 with Awsome and that worked the best. It even worked on the sections that were yellowed which I thought would never get white again w/o having to be replaced.

[c214dick]

Monte has been residing in Florida since January 2011. The humidity really seems to add to the problem. I was pleasantly surprised when it cleaned off using the Awsome and steel wool.

[CamillaMichael]

quote:Originally posted by c214dick

Monte has been residing in Florida since January 2011. The humidity really seems to add to the problem. I was pleasantly surprised when it cleaned off using the Awsome and steel wool.

Dick, did the steel wool cause any abrasion to the gelcoat?Michael

[bullroc3]

I tried the steel wool. Seemed like it was taking a lot of time so I purchased new trim and is less time that it would take to clean it, I replaced it. It was not expensive.

[tomd]

quote:Originally posted by bullroc3

I tried the steel wool. Seemed like it was taking a lot of time so I purchased new trim and is less time that it would take to clean it, I replaced it. It was not expensive.

Has anyone purchased the trim from Amazon? They have a lot of different widths and colors. Their price was reasonable, especially on the larger rolls.

[jsmitfl]

Dick, I had a guy and his wife clean my fiver 2 years ago. They used a product called Streak-X. It clean everything reall well, even turned the rub rails white. He then used the Poli-Glo over the top of it and it still the same as it was. Saves the fingers. Didn't you have problems with the wool and the paint on the moulding? I used awesome and the Mr clean erasers the last time I done it myself. Still takes lots of work.

[c214dick]

I was careful not to allow the steel wool to scratch the gel coat. One side, which was shady, was heavily mildewed and that's where I use a bleach/water solution. The other side, that was more in the sun, is where I used the Awsome. Both sides came out equally white. The mildewed side did take longer. I probably spent a total of 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. Total cost $1 for the Awsome, 1/2 cup of bleach, 2 steel wool pads = $2.

[ols1932]

I found the easiest way to clean it was with lacquer thinner. However, I also found that it keeps getting dirty so I just leave it alone. When I get tired of looking at it I can either clean it again or replace it. You can never get away from the trim getting dark and mildewed. At least I can't.

Orv

[c214dick]

I suppose that it is ordained that the trim will eventually get dark or mildewed. Like anything else it does require periodic cleaning. This is the first time that I tried getting the trim "clean" and I was very happy with the results. I normaly hand wash the trailer 3 times a year and wax it once a year. Im very proud of the way my 3400 looks with the exception of the lugs and the decals.

[Snowbirds]

My rub trim was black and I used everything I've read about attempting to clean but nothing worked. Some fine soul told me about outdoor bleach at Lowes. I wiped it on the plastic, left it on overnight and wa-la, the next day it was white again. Great stuff...

[c214dick]

We have seen the outdoor bleach and was wondering what the difference was between it and regular "indoor" bleach.

[Snowbirds]

Outdoor bleach is much stronger than laundry bleach and is almost a gel, quite thick. It works great on mildew......

[RRman]

An RVer I met suggested putting Liquid floor wax on the molding vinyl after cleaning to fill the "pores" and slow mold development.
I think it may be working, or else the drought and lack of rain is responsible...

[Native Tex]

quote:Originally posted by c214dick

Monte has been residing in Florida since January 2011. The humidity really seems to add to the problem. I was pleasantly surprised when it cleaned off using the Awsome and steel wool.

Awesome is a great product for the money. I use to keep the Monty and my bass boat clean. I do make sure I rinse with lots of clean rinse water as it has a high level of phosphates. Of course, that is why it cleans so well.

[garyka]

I take all mine off and soak them in a bucket of water and bleach overnight and they come out brand new again,been doing it for years

[The Dukes]

We were washing our 5th wheel today and while removing bugs, my wife discovered spraying a used dryer sheet with Awesome Cleaner and wiping them, the rub strips cleaned up quickly with their original color restored. Warren

[c214dick]

Weather permitting we will wash Monte, after it gets back from the service dept., and clean the rub rails again but will try bleach this time as I left my Awsome in Fl. One thing we did notice, was streaking under the rub rails where I did not rinse enough after cleaning with the Awsome.