17 Effective Ways To Make Your RV Smell Awesome – No More Musty Smells!
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Doesn’t matter how much we clean or air out our RVs – small space, close contact to mother nature and dampness cause sometimes musty smells to form in our RVs. But worry not, there are many ways to combat these funky RV smell – I gathered 17 best ways to make your RV smell great.
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First things first, let’s get rid of those bad smells in an RV
In order to make your RV smell better, we need to eliminate any unwanted odors first. Typical places to smell in your RV and how to fix them are:
Plumbing & Bathroom
1 – Black water tank – Don’t let your black water tank get fuller than 3/4 of the holding capacity.
After emptying add some liquid to cover the bottom – black water tank chemicals break the waste and don’t let the waste dry to the bottom (=smells!).
If you don’t want to buy harsh and expensive chemicals, you could make your own – add one cup of dishwashing soap (powder or liquid) and one cup of water softener (like Calgon) and let sit in the black water tank until the next emptying time.
2 – Greywater tank – As with the black water tank, don’t let it get too full. Having said that, we don’t have a warning light for ours so we know when we need to empty it by the smell……. Pour a little bit of dishwashing liquid on the bottom of your grey water tank or try some holding tank treatment.
3 – Freshwater tank – Yes, even your clean, potable water tank can start to smell, especially if you haven’t used your RV for a while. Toxic bacteria can also begin to form in stagnant water, so it is important to give your freshwater tank a proper clean every now and then.
4 – Toilet/Bathroom – Check around the toilet that all the seals are OK. Make sure there is enough air ventilation. Drop a few drops of essential oil inside your toilet roll, or get some lovely smelling soaps.
Kitchen
5 – Garbage can – Get a garbage can with a lid. Wash it properly with hot water and soap, and let dry thoroughly. You can get scented trash bags or drop a few deodorizer disks on the bottom of the can.
6 – Drains – If your drains start to smell or they get clogged, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain and then 1:1 mix of vinegar and water. Cover with a drain plug, let sit for 5 to 10 minutes and finish with hot water.
7 – Fridge – Fridge is one of the most likely things to start to smell in an RV, so a good clean every now and again helps. Remember to use food-safe chemicals only when cleaning your fridge. A drop of dishwashing liquid or a cleaning paste made with baking soda and a few tablespoons of water should do the trick. Always leave your fridge door open when not in use!
8 – Cooking smells – If you have often problems with cooking smells and airing out doesn’t help, consider installing an RV kitchen range hood vent.
General
9 – Dampness – Have you checked all your seals and vents for leaks? Dampness causing mold and mildew make the whole RV smell very musty. Fix any potential leaks, wash all your surfaces with a mold and mildew remover and sometimes warm up your RV really warm to really dry it out. Make sure that the air ventilates properly and that no air vents are blocked.
10 – Carpets – Vacuum them properly and use a steam cleaner to clean them thoroughly. Another option is to sprinkle a handsome amount of baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for a few hours, preferably overnight, before vacuuming again.
Carpets are usually one of the biggest culprits when it comes to nasty RV smells, so if you can, consider swapping them to hard flooring. In a small space, with almost constant contact with outdoors and especially if you have pets on board, carpets tend to get really dirty really quickly. Also, if you have any dampness in your rig, the carpets are the first thing to attract musky smells. If you like the carpeted look, you could swap to removable carpets that can be taken outside for a clean.
11 – Curtains and upholstery – Everything you can take off, wash in a washing machine. Check your upholstery foam, if your RV is pretty old, you might have to replace the foam to get rid of any stale smells. A steam cleaner also helps when cleaning irremovable upholstery. You could also try sprinkling some baking soda and letting it sit for a while before vacuuming it.
12 – Mattress – Is there enough air circulating around your mattress to let it dry properly? In the mornings don’t make your bed straight away – let it dry first. You could try the baking soda trick on your mattress too – sprinkle, let sit and vacuum.
13 – Shoes – As RVs tend to be pretty small spaces, you might have close proximity to your shoes. Sprinkle some baby talc powder or spray some dry shampoo in them, if the smells are a problem.
If you suddenly smell a rotten egg smell, it is most likely propane. Leave the vehicle immediately and close all the propane tanks! Open all the windows to air out and take your propane gas system to be checked by a professional.
And then to how to make the RV smell even better…
14 – DIY Room Deodorizer Spray
I love making my own room deodorizer spray, as the ones you can buy from the shops usually include all kind of nasty chemicals, you really don’t want to be breathing in!
Luckily it is very easy to make one yourself.
You’ll only need
◊ An empty spray bottle
◊ Tablespoon of baking soda
◊ 2-3 drops of essential oil of your choice (citrus flavors work extremely well)
◊ Distilled water
Mix the baking soda and the essential oil, add the distilled water and shake – your new deodorizer spray is ready!
15 – DIY Deodorizer Disks
I also love these as you can use them basically everywhere! Put them inside your linen closet, underneath your trash bags, inside your fridge – the options are endless. Learn how to make them here.
16 – (DIY) Gel Air Freshener
This gel air freshener looks almost too yummy! Read how to make it here.
17 – (DIY) Scented Soap
Whilst scented candles are not maybe the best idea in RVs, scented soaps definitely are! Learn how to make these cute scented donut soaps here.
Top Picks From Amazon
If you are not really a DIY kinda person, there are still some really nice products for sale you can use in RV to make it smell nicer.
- Handmade natural scented soap
- Natural Carpet and Upholstery Deodorizer
- Essential Oil Set, Pack of 14
- Portable Essential Oil Diffuser
- Mrs. Meyers Room Freshener
That’s it for now, please let me know in the comments if I’ve missed something!
You Might Also Be Interested In
► How To Make Your Rv Feel Bigger
► How To Freshen Up Your Rv Bathroom – 15 Rv Bathroom Makeover Ideas
► All You Need To Know About Having House Plants In Your Rv Or A Van + 11 Best Hard To Kill Plants For Your Rolling Home
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