Awning and mold problem

[JRBEN]

Has anyone had a problem with mold on their awning? The underside of our awning is almost completely covered with mold. When we had the unit in for service I asked the dealer to clean it as we do not have the capability to clean it ourselves where we store the unit. They told me that the mold cannot be removed and suggested that we replace the awning for $400. What I find strange is that every time I open the awning it is full of water, even if it was dry when we last closed it, which explains the mold. The only thing I can think of is that when the unit is at the storage lot and it rains, water is getting inside the awning from the ends, which then causes the mold to grow. Should this be happening? If you close the awning dry, shouldn't it remain dry on the inside?

 

[cookie]

I think that anyone with an awning has had mold on it.
It is important to open the awning every chance you get to dry it out.
I clean mine with a mixture of a little bleach and dawn detergent in water.
You can apply this to the awning and roll it up for a while. Then unroll and scrub with a long handle brush. Then rinse.
Be sure that you do not allow any solution to sit on the sidewall or vinyl graphics. It's important to rinse the sidewall while doing this.
And no, the awning will not remain dry on the inside even if it is closed.

Peace
Dave

 

[Phil Smith]

And be VERY careful of a dealer that tries to sell you an awning to fix a little mold and mildew on the fabric!

 

[pegmikef]

We use Awesome (from the dollar store) and water. Cleans it up nicely.

 

[jnbhobe]

Dave has the solution, I do the same on both awnings and the slide out awnings.

 

[coffeeman]

I recently used ZEP Clear Shell on the interior of our MoHo to clean up some mold and mildew. It also is a inhibitor, I'm not sure how this would work on heavy mold but I was very impressed with the product. I contacted ZEP to see about using on the roof of our Bighorn and here is their response:

Thank you for contacting us. The Clear Shell Mold & Mildew Inhibitor is safe for use on awnings and an EPDM rubber roof without disturbing the adhesive.

I hope this information is of help. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at zephelp.commercial@zep.com .

Thank you,
Zep Commercial
Customer Relations Department

My slide covers are really dirty so it will be a good test and when I reclean the roof I plan on treating it as well. I purchased at Home Depot for around $8 for 32z. If it keeps the mold off it for 18 months I'll be very happy. Awesome does a nice job on our awning as well. Take care

 

[priorguy]

I like the Zep when I can find it. A similar product here in Canada with the same results is Hertel Plus. I Used it to clean my roof and awning before winter storage and everything pretty much rinsed off with no scrubbing necessary.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tboy]

I finally tried Mr. Kleen magic eraser, on a family members awning that had a lot of mold on it, from being stored on my property all summer here in Florida. The results were amazing, with no scrubbing at all the mold wiped completely off. I have never used this product and could not believe how well it worked.

 

[JanAndBill]

We lightly spray this on the awning, let it set for a few mins, then scrub with a long handled brush and rinse. This has to be the most versatile cleaner I've ever used. From heavy grease to bugs off the front of a vehicle, it pretty much does it all. http://www.krudkutter.com/index.php?option=com_products&task=product&pid=4&Itemid=62

 

[danemayer]

Here's a link to a Dometic Tip Sheet that describes how to clean the awning.

 

[TGLBWH]

I have used Fantastic Clean Up with Bleach on four different rigs with no problems. spray on, roll up, lightly brush and rinse. Looks like new