ROOF CLEANING

[jackel1959]

Trailer Life Magazine ran a feature in their September edition entitled "KEEPING AN RV ROOF IN TIPTOP SHAPE". Here is a link to the article: Roof Maintenance

In there they talk about cleaning the roof with Murphy Oil Soap and give other maintenance advise too. I have used Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid and a medium bristle brush on the roof the entire time we have owned this rig and on our previous rigs. The roofs did come clean, but I always thought they could be cleaner than what they ended up, so I thought I would give this a try the next time I washed the rig.

Well yesterday was the day. Once up on the roof, I poured 1/2 of a 32 oz. bottle of Murphy Oil Soap into a 5 gallon bucket and filled the rest with water. I began my scrubbing routine at the front of the roof working my way back. The first thing I noticed was that the roof was coming significantly cleaner and there was a lot of oxidation being removed and rinsed over the sides onto the ground. By the time I got done, the roof looked real good and I am convinced that if I would have tackled smaller sections at a time or if I had gone over it a second time it would have looked completely new.

I think I will be using this method from now on, but would like to hear any comments pro or con.

Jack

[DQDick]

Interesting idea. We used it for a lot of things around the restaurant. I'd just check the ingredients to make sure they are compatible with our type of roof.

[tweber502]

I use a combination of Murphy's and Spic and Span to clean the roof. Learned about it on another forum and have been using it for years. Like others, I was skeptical at first so I contacted the manufacturer of the EPDM rubber roofing and was assured that it was safe to use. Works great and have never had a failure with the rubber roofing. Neither product contain petroleum distillates so safe to use. Tim

[K0LCB]

Murphy's and Spic and Span could be a toxic mix.

[drsmart]

I like the idea of using a cleaner that won't harm the infamous decals as it washes down the sides from the roof. I'll have to try Murphy's.

I starting using Captain Phab years ago to protect the EPDM after cleaning. It does help prevent dirt and pollution from settling on the roof. I have no affiliation with the company:

Rubber Roof Treatment

Seals surfaces to repel and prevent dirt penetration.
Makes cleaning much easier/faster.
Full UV protection to prevent chalking and extend roof life.
Water-based and biodegradable.

Code 568 - 1L.
Code 569 - 4L.

Captain Phab Ltd. 18 Vale Crescent Ajax, Ontario, Canada L1S 5A4 Tel: (905) 706-0583 Fax: (905) 686-0592

RUBBER ROOF TREATMENT: Code 568 - 1 L.
Code 569 - 4 L.


Although EPDM rubber has a natural resistance to the effects of ultraviolet and ozone, it will eventually degrade, oxidize and crumble if sufficiently exposed (ask any experienced RV dealer).

Full or partial replacement of a rubber roof is rather expensive and can be delayed or forestalled by applying a proper treatment after a good cleaning. In fact,it's a great idea to treat a brand new rubber roof to gain immediate protection and make cleaning a lot easier.

This is what Captain PHAB Rubber Roof Treatment will do for you …

Fully protect against ultraviolet degradation.
Condition the EPDM rubber to retain suppleness.
Minimize "chalking" accumulation.
Seals off the surface to minimize dirt penetration to reduce cleaning frequency.
Subsequent cleaning is much faster and easier.

Rubber Roof Treatment is water-based, fully biodegradable and 100% compatible with rubber (by actual extensive testing under actual conditions).

[oldelmer1]

We have a lot of humidity here, so the roof is usually covered with black mold. I called Dicor and they said to use Tilex on it first, then clean it good.

So, bleach first, then a combo of Spic and Span & Murphy soap. Been doing this for years, and the roof is so bright I have to put sun glasses on when I'm up there.