Mold in your RV is not something you want to find. But unfortunately, lots of RVers end up having to deal with mold at one point or another. Luckily, there are easy life hacks and some do it yourself ways to prevent fungus from rearing its ugly head. You’ll also learn about removing mold if it does show up in your home on wheels!
The first step in dealing with any problem is prevention. Mold can be prevented by keeping your RV well maintained. Check your faucets and water lines as well as around toilets and vents to ensure that nothing is leaking from your water supply. If you notice any leakage, fix it right away. Also ensure that your roof is in great condition – RV roofs are the top cause of water leaks and consequently of mold. If you’re not a full timer, consider doing a quick roof check each time you use your RV; if you are a full timer, at least twice a year is a good frequency with which to check up on your RV roof.
Related Read: Preventing Mold in your RV
To help with the humidity in the RV while you’re using it, a simple life hack is to run your air conditioner, which keeps the air dry as a byproduct of cooling. A dehumidifier may take up some space in your rig, but is worth the sacrifice if you’re more of a cold weather camper. Of course, you could always use mold prevention as a great reason to move to a warmer climate (as if you needed an excuse)!
Those who live in their RV year-round are at an advantage in the fight against mold, as the time a camper is in storage is when it will most often develop problems, whether from being covered with a tarp or simply from being stored in a humid environment. For RVs in storage, you can buy or even DIY your own Damp Rid. For tiny areas, simply save the silica gel packets that come with your shoes and beef jerky and place them in small cabinets and compartments around your RV.
If you’re wondering what type of mold you have already, there are some ways to tell. One way is to purchase a DIY mold test kit, which allows you to collect a surface or air sample and send it to a lab for testing. You could also experiment with testing the samples yourself (we’re talking protective gloves and petri dishes!). Your best tools, of course, are your senses. It can be difficult and ineffective to determine a mold type, even for professionals, so if you smell a musty odor or can visibly see any type of mold, it is time to spring into action, find the mold, and remove it.
If you’ve found mold on a hard surface, you’re in luck! Mold can be removed from hard surfaces fairly easily. The easiest way is to use soap and water or water mixed with bleach. There are also commercial products which work very well to kill mold. Be sure to take precautions like opening windows and wearing gloves when working with bleach or commercial chemicals. If you’ve found mold in your carpets or they’ve been soaked, you’ll really need to up your DIY game. Soft surfaces with mold should be replaced. That’s okay – your rig will look great with new flooring!
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