Cleaning motorhome roof (Wet and Forget?)

[Deneb]

In my experience the tendency for the roof to go green is caused by two things.

Firstly parking under trees. I never, ever, park under trees.

Secondly allowing the roof to remain damp. This is exacerbated by the above, by lack of exposure to sun and wind, and by level parking which prevents water run off.

After four years ownership and very few roof washes the roof of my 'van remains clear of any algal growth or moss.

Yes, my van is on a slight slope, and I only get the green growth where water pools behind the roof vents. Because the Ducato roof is channelled, it pools in the depressions behind the vents and has nowhere to go.

 

[Jean]

I use autoglym caravan and motorhome cleaner for my roof. I spray it on leave it a wee while then use a brush and hose it off. Comes up a treat.

 

[witzend]

For drive and Patio I use THIS But never used it on a vehicle If you have a dairy supplies / farmers merchant nr by they should have some quite a bit cheaper

 

[barryd]

I use autoglym caravan and motorhome cleaner for my roof. I spray it on leave it a wee while then use a brush and hose it off. Comes up a treat.

Ive tried various cleaners, nothing seemed to work. I wonder if its because the surface is not smooth. Thats why I was hoping this Wet and Forget might do the job. At he least it might break it up enough to clean it off. I just dont believe it will do anything despite the positive recommendations.

 

[phillybarbour]

I've used Muc Off . Comes in pump spray bottle. Leave couple of minutes, agitate with brush on a stick, then gentle hose off or a garden pressure spray.

That’s what I’ve used in the past.

 

[Deleted member 71750]

Actually plain old DAZ washing powder is very effective in removing the green stuff. Even shifts most of the black spots too. Probably has salt in it so a good rinse afterwards would be best.

 

[Deleted member 71750]

Removes it but doesn't prevent it coming back.

I didnt say it did ! Certainly removes it though so at least I was half right !!

 

[delicagirl]

Well yes. That is true. Its that bad though I was getting worried about it eating into the Payload. :raofl:

why - is it a variety of the infamous Monster Mildew Munching Maggott - they poop more than they eat so the build-up of mildew can be rapid :lol-053::lol-053::lol-053:

 

[barryd]

All I use is a normal wash and wax, the same stuff as I do the rest of the van with.
The secret is, do it regular. I don’t wash the roof every time, but certainly every few weeks and it never gets green
Come on Barry, you are a young man, no excuses, just get up and do it

I might be young(ish) but sadly my knees and the facet joints in my back are not. Well they are they just had a hard life and are knackered. Im not kidding, ive tried shifting it and its just impossible. As said I even took it to a dealer and they couldnt shift it either. It improved slightly but a year later and it was just as bad. I think it needs killing off as it just multiplies and grows back. On the few smooth surfaces its not too bad to clean but Swift in their infinite wisdom made most of the roof area bobbley or at least not smooth and its just awful to clean.

Someone on here and on Facts recommended Patio Magic which seems to be a fraction of the price of Wet and Forget but is the same stuff apparently.

 

[witzend]

When you get it clean give it a coat of anti mold paint. I used some swimming pool paint from screwfix but can't find it there now but plenty on ebay rubberised so seals joints and no flaking

 

[QFour]

I do wonder what some of these products have in them and what it will do to the roof seals over time especially round windows. The roof of the Laika gets filthy because we live near a city. The house windowsills get a coating of the green algae but only the ones on the north side that miss the sun. The roof of the MH gets sun on most of it when it’s out but it can be washed off with a bucket of hot water, car shampoo and a long brush.

I can understand people having trouble climbing ladders and not wanting the cost of a trip to the Dealers to get the roof cleaned but I would be reluctant to spray anything on the roof that may start to attack the seals around roof joints and windows. These are only some sort of mastic / silicone. It’s the same with pressure washes. When you see what they can do to wood decking the silicone seal does not stand a chance.

I suppose what’s needed is a long term test to see what these chemicals actually do to silicon / mastic.

 

[Canalsman]

Happened upon these people today ...

http://www.tourershine.co.uk

 

[barryd]

I do wonder what some of these products have in them and what it will do to the roof seals over time especially round windows. The roof of the Laika gets filthy because we live near a city. The house windowsills get a coating of the green algae but only the ones on the north side that miss the sun. The roof of the MH gets sun on most of it when it’s out but it can be washed off with a bucket of hot water, car shampoo and a long brush.

I can understand people having trouble climbing ladders and not wanting the cost of a trip to the Dealers to get the roof cleaned but I would be reluctant to spray anything on the roof that may start to attack the seals around roof joints and windows. These are only some sort of mastic / silicone. It’s the same with pressure washes. When you see what they can do to wood decking the silicone seal does not stand a chance.

I suppose what’s needed is a long term test to see what these chemicals actually do to silicon / mastic.

Your the second person that has said that today. I was about to go and get some of that Patio Magic tomorrow which is basically the same as Wet and Forget and someone on FACTS said it might cause a problem if there are cracks on an old roof long term. Plenty of people have recommended both products though for GRP / Fibreglass. This stuff has a similar PH value to water I believe (8 I think) and no bleach so it should be safe. I wonder if I should try a small area first as an experiment.

 

[Fisherman]

Your the second person that has said that today. I was about to go and get some of that Patio Magic tomorrow which is basically the same as Wet and Forget and someone on FACTS said it might cause a problem if there are cracks on an old roof long term. Plenty of people have recommended both products though for GRP / Fibreglass. This stuff has a similar PH value to water I believe (8 I think) and no bleach so it should be safe. I wonder if I should try a small area first as an experiment.

Hi Barry,

Distilled pure water has a neutral ph of 7, but your waters ph varies depending on where you live.

In the west of Scotland we have what is referred to as soft water which is slightly alkaline at around ph 7.5-8, whereas in London most of their water comes from water bores and can be quite hard at around ph 5.5-6. Hence why we canny Scots don’t put as much soap powder in the washing machine. It’s not that we are miserable (well maybe we are ) it’s simply with softer water we only need half as much soap powder than those poor souls down south

 

[barryd]

I have had a reply from Brinton who make "Patio Magic" after I emailed them this afternoon regarding any consequences of using their product on a motorhome roof where there are lots of seals, sealant, rubber etc and this is the reply.

First of all, the product is PH-neutral and non-corrosive and is suitable for use on all hard surfaces including metallic, fiberglass and painted surfaces.

It can dull the sheen of a surface, which is simply the result of product residues adsorbed to the surfaces - but these residues will degrade over a few months. For this reason we would not recommend using the product on solar panels.

Needless to say it has not been tested on all types of seals (rubber or otherwise), but it is very extensively used on yacht decks and to our knowledge has not caused any damage to sealants/caulking over any period of time. Being PH-neutral, there’s no technical reason why it should not be compatible with all sealant types.


Sounds good enough to me