How Do You Clean Your Protec Towing Cover?

When your caravan front is pristine after every journey, it is easy to forget about what condition your Towing Cover is in. You have to remember any dirt, road grime, and insects that would usually find themselves on the front of your caravan after a trip down the motorway will now be on your Front Cover instead. This is why giving your Protec Towing Cover a clean semi-regularly is important.

We recommend cleaning a Caravan Front Cover in a few different ways, all appropriate at different times. Let us run through them with you so you know how to look after your cover, and your cover can look after your Caravan.

After a short trip and weather depending, you might find that the cover itself only has some small areas of dirt or grime (usually towards the bottom). In these cases, you may not need to clean the entire cover. Giving the cover a quick clean in the needed areas after a trip means you can store it away without risking that dirt transferring to the inside of the cover or bag.

There are a few ways you can do this that don’t need a specialist cleaner.

First, shake the cover to ensure any stones and road grit are off the cover. Then, locate the areas that need cleaning.

You can wipe these down with a damp cloth or baby wipe. It’s easy enough to do once you get to your destination or back home before folding the cover and storing it back inside its bag.

If the cover is a little damp from the cloth/wipe or even the rain, there is no need to thoroughly dry this before storing the cover away. Both the cover and its storage bag are made from our fully breathable material, meaning any moisture on the cover will evaporate and breathe through the fabric over time. This means any mold or dampness will not build up on the cover while it is being stored away.

After a longer trip, or if you were unfortunate enough to experience some bad weather on your travels, a bigger clean might be needed. For this job, it is best to start the same way you would for your occasional spot clean.

Shake the Cover free of any stones and excess rainwater, and give the cover a quick inspection. Give the Towing Cover a brush with a soft brush to remove the majority of any dried-on dirt. We would recommend using a clean, soft bristle brush or dustpan brush.

After brushing off the majority of the dirt, you can give the cover a wipe down with a damp cloth or baby wipe like before. If there are any stubborn areas of dirt, you can use a large sponge to make the job easier.

Give the Towing Cover a final wipe down and fold it away neatly into its storage bag ahead of its next journey.

At the end of each touring season, it is best to give your cover a thorough clean and inspection to make sure it lasts as long as possible and still looks the part on the front of your Caravan.

Give the cover and storage bag a good shake to get rid of any stone chips or grit. Give the cover a thorough inspection, including the zip, strap and Velcro. Check the cover for any area of wear and identify if any small repairs need to be made. (i.e. tears, holes etc.) If any repairs do need to be made, this can be done after the cover has been cleaned. If you need more information and advice on damaged covers, read our blog on repairing damaged Covers and the repair service we offer here, or check our FAQ section.

If your Cover is a Towing Jacket, clean the zip and stretch fabric if needed using a damp cloth. If you have a Towing Cover, inspect all the straps and buckles and give these a wipe down with a damp cloth.

Check over the Velcro and remove any grass or other debris that has found itself embedded into it.

Once all of these areas are clean, it is time to tackle the main body of the cover.

Get a washing-up bowl or bucket and fill it with warm water; take a handful of gentle soap flakes and add these to the water. Agitate the water so suds form.

Lay your Towing Cover or Jacket out on a flat surface. Soak a sponge or soft brush in this solution and gently scrub the surface of the cover to remove any dirt or road grime. Rinse your sponge or brush when needed and repeat this process until the entire cover has been cleaned.

If there is any dirt on the inside of the cover, make sure this is cleaned off with a clean, damp cloth to avoid it transferring onto your caravan in future.

Once it has been cleaned, rinse the cover with plain water and allow it to dry naturally (you could hang it on a washing line) or dry slightly with a clean towel to remove any excess moisture. The cover does not need to be bone dry before storing it away, as long as it is not dripping wet. Once you are done, fold the cover and store it back into its storage bag, ensuring any loose straps are stored with it so they do not go missing before your next trip.