It’s time to clean your RV and you’re struggling to pick a cleaner after spending what feels like hours looking at shelf after shelf of cleaning supplies. 

You’re wondering what the difference between them all is and how many you need to buy. You want a cleaner that’s safe for you, your pets, and your family but it has to be able to clean too. 

It can be overwhelming trying to choose the right one! 

They all sound like they smell great and clean well - but they have lists of complicated, scientific-sounding ingredients that put you off.

Here’s how to choose the right cleaner for your RV. Let’s break it down and simplify what to look for, starting with the soil.

What is soil?

Here at Gabe’s Pride, we consider soil as the material you need to remove to make your RV clean. Soil is a substance that is occupying an area you don’t want it to. 

For example, peanut butter on toast is a tasty treat but if it falls onto your counters or floors it then becomes soil. 

Body soaps are used to keep our bodies clean but when mixed with the minerals in water and body oils, residue builds and creates soap film and scum in your shower. 

Mud and oils are also unwanted soils when tracked onto your RV floors from outside.

Basically, soil is any dirty substance that’s in your RV that shouldn’t be there. 

Why should you remove soil? 

Germs live on and survive by eating soil. So, by removing the soil with thorough cleaning,  the germs won't have food and you will have a cleaner, safer, and more sanitary surface.

There are only 2 types of soil. 

Soils are either acidic with a low pH or alkaline with a high pH. Yes, cleaning is nothing but science. Don’t worry, it’s very simple. 

A few basic tips and you’ll be able to match the cleaner to the pH of the soil – in layman’s terms – match the cleaner to the soil. 

What is pH?

pH is the measurement of how acidic or how alkaline a substance is. Only substances that dissolve in water will have a pH.

The pH scale goes from 0 – 14. Water has a pH of 7 which is defined as neutral. Any pH below 7 is higher in acidity and pH above 7 is higher in alkalinity.

Soils with a pH further away from 7 (higher or lower) will also have a higher static charge and store energy. This is how soil is held to the surface. This is similar to the alkaline batteries used in your electronic devices or acid batteries in cars. As you get closer to pH 7 (neutral) there is less static charge.

The goal in cleaning is to bring the surface to neutral so the soil can be released. Cleaners that claim to be “neutral” don’t remove the static charge and tend to leave soil behind.

So, what about oils, grease, and fats? These aren’t actually defined as soil. 

Since they don’t dissolve in water, they’re neither alkaline or acidic and can be difficult to remove. They’re called binders since they’re sticky and hold all soils on surfaces. 

A surfactant needs to be added to the water to break up the binders into extremely small particles. Then the water can grab hold of them and carry them away. The quality of the surfactant plays a very important role in how well the cleaner will work and how safe it is to use.

Let’s recap before we proceed:

• Soil is either alkaline or acidic
• Binders are sticky and hold soils to surfaces.
• Water is the vehicle to remove soil, not the cleaner.
• You need to neutralise the surface to release  the soils.
• When the soil is thoroughly removed, the surface is clean, safe, and sanitary.

Now that you know more about soils and pH on surfaces, you can better understand and choose a high-performance, eco-responsible cleaner wherever your home and RV adventures may roam.