Even if you have the best motorhome, it will still need maintenance to keep it in top condition. Driving your ‘van with dirty windows is not only bad for visibility, but also distracting and tiring. It’s very easy and cheap to sort out, so there’s zero excuse for any grimy glass!
You can also get more great cleaning inspiration by heading to our guide to how to clean your motorhome.
1 To get the cleanest cab glass possible, you need to clean the worst muck off the windows before you polish them.
Run up the vehicle and squirt the washers over the screen for 10 seconds or so, to push through all the fluid that has been sitting in the system pipework for months. Remember to top up the washer reservoir afterwards.
2 Turn off the wipers and now clean the screen as normal. A good car shampoo and a sponge will get the worst off, but can dry a bit smeary. The next step is to hit the screen with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and warm water. This will cut through oily or greasy deposits, such as tree sap or soot on the glass.

We would advise avoiding household glass cleaners if possible, owing to their ammonia content, which is not good for rubbers and plastics.
3 Make the vinegar mixture in a spray bottle, squirt it onto a clean microfibre cloth and start cleaning. Dry and polish the glass afterwards with a second, clean cloth or newspaper. Don’t forget the inside, which often gets very hazy. The same mixture is great for cab windows and external mirrors, too.

4 You also need to be really fastidious about cleaning the wiper blades. Many motorhomes spend extended periods parked up, and the blades sit against the glass. Gunge builds up along the edge of the blade and the screen, making the blades stick to the screen, blunting the nice square edge that is essential for smear-free wiping.

5 You can buy expensive chemicals to clean wipers, but a cheap, effective solution is our favoured vinegar and water mix-up, which will cut all but the nastiest gunge.
Get a cloth, give a few long squirts of the mixture onto it, then draw the cloth along the length of the blade. Repeat until the cloth is left clean.
Ensure you dry the wipers thoroughly, to prevent vinegar being left in contact with the blades for an extended period.
Are you looking to get your motorhome back to its sparkling best all over? Then our guide to the best motorhome cleaners will help you choose the best cleaning product for you and your ‘van!
Looking for more great DIY inspiration? Then be sure to head to our Back to Basics – DIY & Maintenance category, where we’re sharing simple projects that could make all the difference when you’re on tour!
Future Publishing Limited, the publisher of practicalmotorhome.com, provides the information in this article in good faith and makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of the advice to their circumstances. Individuals should take appropriate safety precautions and be aware of the risk of electrocution when dealing with electrical products. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future nor its employees or agents shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information. You should check that any van warranty will not be affected before proceeding with DIY projects.
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