When you unlock your camper for the first time after the long cold winter, you want to be saying, “I can’t wait to go camping!” and not “What in the world is that smell?” Maybe every time you open up the RV you are playing the guess that smell game. Save your sniffer and learn how you can protect and mitigate strange smells in your camper.
Odors from the Kitchen and Bathroom Drains
When your camper or RV is not in use, especially for long periods of time, water can become trapped in the P-traps under the kitchen sink and in the pipes of the bathroom. Bacteria will begin to grow in this water, which creates a foul stench throughout your camper. To keep the smell from forming, mix a cup of baking soda with a gallon of water and pour the mixture down every drain. That way this mixture will go into the gray water tank as well. If this is the source of the musty smell, it is easy to prevent this old water from sitting in the pipes for long.
Odors from the Carpet
With camping comes water, mud, pets, and cooking in tight quarters. Spills and stains are bound to happen to the carpet. To avoid this, you can invest in throw rugs to place on top of your carpet. Throw rugs are much easier to clean and clean more often. You can also have the carpet professionally cleaned at the end of the camping season. The most effective way to fully remove the stench of stained carpets in the camper is to tear out the carpet and replace it with laminate flooring. This is an expensive option, but they are easier to maintain throughout your camping trip. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about cleaning the carpet at the end of every season.
Odors from the Fridge and Freezer
A package of hot dogs or some yogurt left in the fridge will leave you with some bigger odor problems. To avoid the stale or mildew smell in the fridge, wipe it down and disinfect it after every single trip or time in the camper. Leave the fridge door open a tad to allow all of the remaining moisture to evaporate. Also, leave a box of baking soda in both the fridge and freezer to absorb any remaining odors.
Sometimes smells in the camper are out of our control and have occurred from storm and water damage. Nature happens. Be sure to take care and make the proper and necessary repairs to prevent further damage and rot inside. If you have continually battled strange smells in your camper but can’t seem to win, call Royal Renovations to tackle any storm or water damage or carpet cleaning. Enjoy the first step inside your camper every year, don’t dread it!