Getting my rubber roof clean

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COMer

COMer

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In the past, I've used products I bought at an RV store, specifically for cleaning rubber roofs.  Expensive, but they seemed to do well.  This year I remembered that Dicor used to recommend using Spic N Span ($1 at DollarTree) so I tried it.  Just finished and I don't think the roof is as clean as it was using the other stuff.  What do most people use and is there an alternative to the spray bottles of rubber roof cleaner at RV stores?  I wondered about using Awesome but am afraid to use a real harsh stuff on the rubber.    Thanks.
 
What ever you use, check the label for the product contents.  if it says something like petroleum products, RUN!  Never put anything containing petro chemicals on your roof or you will be buying a new one real soon.  I tired spic n span once.  Was a big waste of my time.  So far I have had better luck with real rubber roof cleaners and following it up with ProtectAll.
 
I've had pretty good luck with a mild solution of liquid dish soap and a soft brush on my TPO roof.  Rinse well.
 
I use a pressure washer (after carefully checking to make sure there is nothing loose or cracked on the roof) and have had good luck with that.  But I've done it three times before and now this time it just didn't get as clean.  I hoped there was a home remedy that was cheaper than the special rubber roof cleaners.  Maybe the Dawn dish soap is my solution.  I'll try that in one spot tomorrow and see.
 
John, I'm not sure what criteria you are using to determine if the roof is clean or not, or as clean as in the past, etc.
But, maybe what you are seeing is mold or mildew that didn't exist prior to past cleanings, and maybe wouldn't have been removed with those processes either.

I would try a mild bleach solution (maybe with a small amount of that magic RV cleaner, DAWN) and a soft brush to see what develops.

My EPDM roof has lost so much of it's white coating that it's difficult to tell if it gets clean or not, but the white areas sure do respond to a little bleach.
 
Good point Lou.  I guess there is no way of knowing how clean it should be or if it really is clean and maybe what I am seeing is the normal discoloring as it ages.  It is just an impression I have since the previous times I cleaned it, I was impressed with how white it got.  There is no mold or blackness on the roof but I don't want there to be.  It's a 2008 and this is the fourth time I have done the roof.  It probably is just fine but I want it as clean as possible since it will probably not be cleaned again for a year.  It's becoming less and less fun to spend the time up there.  I'll try it again with dish detergent, or maybe laundry detergent, and then assume it is fine.  I was curious as to whether you really needed the special cleaners and now I assume not.
 
Any good detergent plus a hefty amount of bleach and a soft-to-medium bristle brush will do the job. Or as good a job as can be reasonably done. I used to use Spic & Span and liked it, but it got hard to find nearby so I went to other brands. I now usually use Simple Green or Purple Power for the detergent. The bleach gets the mold and mildew and the brushes loosens to tough stuff.
 
I scrubbed the roof again, this time using laundry detergent (about 50-50) and I think it is cleaner than it was.  Maybe because It has not been scrubbed twice.  But the bottom line is probably that what you use is not that important.  Spic n Span isn't better than other detergents, even if it was recommended.  And a sloped roof covered with soapy water is slippery.
 
COMer said:
I scrubbed the roof again, this time using laundry detergent (about 50-50) and I think it is cleaner than it was.  Maybe because It has not been scrubbed twice.  But the bottom line is probably that what you use is not that important.  Spic n Span isn't better than other detergents, even if it was recommended.  And a sloped roof covered with soapy water is slippery.
Click to expand...
We also use a power washer.  Use the Turtlewax car soap, soft extended brush.  This leaves nothing but the green algae where the aircon pools / runs off.  Second pass use some Clorox in a bucket and that takes care of the slimy green stuff.  Leaf blower dry then use the walmart rubber roof stuff with a sponge on a stick floor mop.  All the while cursing that I don't have a covered enclosure or garage big enough for the 5Ver and the beast.  Looks okay though with the routine.
 
COMer said:
  And a sloped roof covered with soapy water is slippery.
Click to expand...

My father was a roofer.  He always said every time you step
on a roof of any type, you shorten it's life.  I know I ended
my RV roof because it leaked everywhere I walked after I
patched a couple potential trouble spots.

 
If the roof substrate is so weak you can't walk on it, patching holes in the waterproofing layer isn't going to help much in the long term. The exception to that is a tin roof laid over stringers with no intervening substrate. You can't walk on those at all without falling through.  :eek:
 
SkyWriting said:
My father was a roofer.  He always said every time you step
on a roof of any type, you shorten it's life.  I know I ended
my RV roof because it leaked everywhere I walked after I
patched a couple potential trouble spots.
Click to expand...
Well, still need to clean our roof, will take our chances on walking on the roof to do necessary maintenance... here at the stick house and the RV.  Everyone has their own way of doing things.
 
If I have to do a lot of standing and working on something up there, I take a sheet of plywood along that is about 4' x 4" and stand on it.  I think it spreads my significant weight around and is less hard on one spot of the roof.
 
These products seem very powerful,  I have not tried them yet but I will.

http://www.wademaid.com/videos.php

scroll down and see the video of him cleaning a MH roof.
 
COMer makes an excellent suggestion. If there is any doubt about the ability of the roof to support you, e.g. it seems springy or soft, employ a piece of plywood to spread the weight.  Even a 1x1 piece makes a huge difference in the pressure exerted on one spot. You can't use large pieces on curved (crowned) roofs anyway, plus you have to work around vents, skylights, antennas, etc.
 
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