Roof Cleaning - Fiberglass

Kazoo Tom · 05-31-2006, 06:04 PM

WOW, just spent over 2 hours scrubbing the roof. I bought this used last summer, and I think this is the first time the roof was cleaned since it was new. I did discover that the roof is actually white instead of gray!

I used a mild marine soap made for fiberglass boats which did a fair job of cleaning. There are still some stains and areas that aren't quite a clean as I would like. Can anyone suggest a good cleaner, soap to clean it up?

I would love to get a good coat of wax on there to make the next time easier, but I don't think my arms would hold up for it.

Kazoo Tom · 05-31-2006, 06:04 PM

WOW, just spent over 2 hours scrubbing the roof. I bought this used last summer, and I think this is the first time the roof was cleaned since it was new. I did discover that the roof is actually white instead of gray!

I used a mild marine soap made for fiberglass boats which did a fair job of cleaning. There are still some stains and areas that aren't quite a clean as I would like. Can anyone suggest a good cleaner, soap to clean it up?

I would love to get a good coat of wax on there to make the next time easier, but I don't think my arms would hold up for it.

FlashG · 05-31-2006, 06:33 PM

I used some Mr Clean Erasers on the crevices and stains on the roof of my MH. The erasers worked well.

troth · 06-01-2006, 04:14 AM

Tom, you've done good. And if I were you, I wouldn't get too concerned about some spots or discolored areas. remember your roof is 8 years old... A good roof wash is in order about two or three times a year for me. Keeping it clean reduces black streaks down the sides. I use a wax by Collinite, called Insulator wax (100% carnauba). Goes on & off easy, really lasts 4 to 6 months too. I used to swear by DuPont Rain Dance, but the Insulator wax is the best ever. Insulator wax is expensive and hard to find; here in NE Ohio we can get it at Advanced Auto Parts or Federated Auto Parts stores. Fiberglass loves wax, and once you've done it a few times, it really makes the roof easy to keep clean. But it's slicker than sn*t when wet, so be careful up there!

ISLAPP · 06-01-2006, 04:48 AM

I personally will not wax my roof. I get up there several times a year and give it a good cleaning with spic and span mixture or a car wash solution.
I also get up and clean the rain water and junk off the awning toppers before bringing in the slides when we are camping. I dont want to be walking around on that thing on a slippery surface.
Mike

jafortune · 06-01-2006, 05:17 AM

I have used Simple Green to spot clean stained areas on the roof.

John

Kazoo Tom · 06-01-2006, 07:15 AM

Thanks all for the suggestions. I've been thinking about the wax, and agree that a slippery roof is probably not what I want to have (although it would make cleaning a lot easier). The Spic and Span or Simple Green would probably do what I want, along with some more elbow grease. Now to get myself on a schedule to do it more often.

smlranger · 06-01-2006, 08:59 AM

Tom:

I also have decided I will not 'wax' my roof but use Protect All instead. It has some wax in it and is easy to apply and buff. Mine gets a wash 2 - 3 times per year and a once yearly coat of Protect All. That is going to be 'good-nuf' for me.

FrontRangeRVer · 06-01-2006, 04:15 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by smlranger:
Tom:

I also have decided I will not 'wax' my roof but use Protect All instead. It has some wax in it and is easy to apply and buff. Mine gets a wash 2 - 3 times per year and a once yearly coat of Protect All. That is going to be 'good-nuf' for me. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ditto....

dawg · 06-01-2006, 05:22 PM

I wax mine with Finish 2000 or Nu Finish once a year. Usually takes about 4 hours depending on how I feel. I sometimes use 2 buffers, and sometimes I wax by hand. Not a big job at all.

arkaussie · 06-01-2006, 06:55 PM

Just my 2 cents... I also use Protect all, just rub it on and leave it so not too much work and hopefully not too slippery to walk on. My plan was to ease the black streak problem and make the roof easier to clean.

dirko · 06-02-2006, 12:36 AM

Hi Ho: We have been in Germany for 3 months now and have not had internet, so we haven't been in touch. We use a pressure washer on the roof as well as the rest of the motorhome. I know that some will claim that it is dangerous, and some care is needed. The roof can be done in about 5 to 10 minutes depending on how dirty. The best part is that you can get dirt from places that are hard to reach using other methods. The only problem with the rest of the MH is that decals can be taken off with the pressure washer, so you need to hit them straight on and not too close. I think I would give up without my tools (toys). Tschuss.

NeilV · 06-02-2006, 05:00 PM

I used my wifes old Hoover floor scrubber and PolyPrep the first time and applied several coats of PolyGlow on the roof when it was dry. After that it would basicly rinse clean without being slippery and even if I had to use a mild car wash soap with a long handled truck brush, washing the roof took only a few minutes. Every six months I was putting on a touch up coat of the PolyGlow which just mopped on with a chamois mop in less than a half hour. No more streaking and easy care.

Below you may be able to see a pic of how the PolyGlow looked on the last day then again maybe not.

Last Pic

Regards,

JandM1947 · 06-02-2006, 08:20 PM

I've used a product called BIG SHOT from Alco-Chem on my Winnebago roofs. They sell it to schools for janitorial cleaning & it's designed to clean fiberglass & porcelain fixtures (ie; toilets!). It's non-toxic & has built-in polish. This stuff really cleans those fiberglass roofs! They have a toll free number 1-800-589-ALCO (2526). I bought a case of the stuff & use it for many cleaning jobs, both full strength & diluted. (It really takes the bugs off the front of the MH.) I put it in a garden sprayer, wet the roof, spray it with 50 percent Big Shot/water solution, scrub with a brush & then hose it off. The roof will be pure white when you're done & it's not slippery. Good luck.

Kazoo Tom · 06-03-2006, 07:40 AM

NeilV, Your pic did not come through, Would love to see the results.

JandM1947 - thanks for the tip, Big Shot sounds like it would be worth investigating. Appreciate the phone number, do they also have a web site?

NeilV · 06-04-2006, 02:01 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Kazoo Tom:
NeilV, Your pic did not come through, Would love to see the results.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tom,

Let's try again. I didn't thnk it wise to try and get a shot on top but the shine matched this.

Kazoo Tom · 06-04-2006, 06:51 AM

That really is quite a shine. How hard is it to apply the poly glow?

NeilV · 06-04-2006, 10:21 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Kazoo Tom:
That really is quite a shine. How hard is it to apply the poly glow? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tom,

It goes on with a sponge mop that has a chamois wrapped around it. They provide the mop head, a hand chamois for detailing, a scrub pad with holder and the PolyPrep cleaner along with the PolyGlow when you buy the kit. You provide the length of mop handle that works best for you and it just mops on.

Regards,

Kazoo Tom · 06-04-2006, 05:35 PM

That poly glow sure puts a nice finish on, but doesn't it get slippery up on the roof with that stuff applied? I'd love to get a good easily cleaned seal on the roof, but I don't need to fall off either.

NeilV · 06-05-2006, 12:24 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Kazoo Tom:
That poly glow sure puts a nice finish on, but doesn't it get slippery up on the roof with that stuff applied? I'd love to get a good easily cleaned seal on the roof, but I don't need to fall off either. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I didn't find it slippery and that is probably because it is not a wax but a polymer coating. It actually seems similar to the sealer used for exterior terrazo surfaces. Caution is still required when walking on a wet soapy arched surface but I did not find that the PolyGlow in itself made the roof slippery.