How to Wash a Trailer
Let’s wash that thing down! It seems like something that’s really easy and most people should know intuitively from birth but, actually, if you’ve never had to maintain or clean a large vehicle or trailer, you don’t necessarily know the best way to go about it. Cleaning a trailer can be a laborious undertaking or a quick and easy job if done right. Let’s take a look at the whole process to understand what makes some trailers shine and others look old, misused, and dirty.
For starters, pull your trailer around to a nice open spot with good drainage. If you’re doing this at home, you don’t want the run-off water to drain into your yard or flower bed and several communities have ordinances against run-off water reaching the street or sidewalks. Make sure that the flow of gravity takes the water to the nearest storm drain or a safe disposal area.
Pressure washers can take a lot of time out of the trailer cleaning process applying scrubbing force to the jets, but you have to be careful of this if your trailer has an automotive finish or sealant. The barrage of force a pressure washer puts on the finish can cause wear and damage, losing the shine and luster you love about your beautiful trailer.
Always pre-soak the trailer before applying soap or towel. Have a bucket nearby with soapy water and return to it often. Use a rag or cloth of some kind that is designed for washing a car. These are purposely soft and gentle to protect that paint or finish we talked about! Some come as mitts or gloves and others just normal towels. Use what’s comfortable.
Be sure to go over each surface more than once and be careful not to miss the harder to reach or hidden spots. If your trailer’s too tall for you to reach the roof, use a step-ladder or purchase and extendable brush to reach those out-of-the-way places. If you have windows on the trailer, use Windex or some equivalent to give them a no-streak shine.
Don’t leave soap on one side for too long, as it can begin to dry and create a film on the surface. Do one side or area at a time, washing with the mitt or brush and then immediately spraying it down with the hose. Additionally, try to dry as soon as you’re done because water can streak and leave spots if it evaporates in the sun.
Drying can be done with a chamois or a regular towel, however the towel can sometimes leave little bits of cloth or fuzz on the surface so they are usually to be avoided.
If you keep your trailer clean and your trailer parts in good shape, you’ll appreciate it more and feel better about the money you spent to have it.
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Tagged With automotive finish, chamois, power wash, pressure washer, sealant, trailer, trailer parts, Trailers, wash trailer, water run-off