Your RV is a home away from home, a place where you and your family can live for an extended period of time – or even full time! – while traveling from place to place. That said, your rig is bound to develop and harbor smells at some point.
What Can Cause Odors in Your RV?
There are a great many reasons why an RV can smell a certain way, but three of the most common causes include:
- The bathroom – We all know that as human beings, we can naturally create a plethora of smells on our own, so in the enclosed space of an RV, those odors can be particularly unpleasant and unbearable. You can always open windows and vents prior to going to the bathroom, which will help air start to circulate throughout the space and move smells out of the RV quickly. But sometimes, the odor coming from the bathroom is related to your sewage/black water holding tank. Make sure to frequently empty and clean the tank and ensure proper ventilation through a sewer vent to avoid dealing with the overwhelming stench.
- The kitchen – Believe it or not, even smells from cooking can become an issue in an RV. When you cook food in an enclosed space, the smells can seemingly cling to everything from cabinetry to curtains. This is especially true when sautéing or frying foods. To combat kitchen odors, wipe down prep and cooking surfaces with grease-cutting cleaning solution after cooking. Oftentimes, a combination of vinegar and water can work wonders in cutting through stuck-on grime and eliminating smells.
- The refrigerator – Yes, the fridge is an appliance in your kitchen, but it can generate scents all its own. It’s a place to store food, including everything from last night’s leftover casserole to fruit and cheese. Over time, the shelves and bins can collect food particles, spilled liquid, and even leaked juices if fruits and vegetables start to go bad inside. To combat related smells, thoroughly clean the interior of your fridge every couple of weeks. You can also place an opened box of baking soda inside the fridge, which will help to absorb odors.
Other things that can cause unpleasant, musty smells to develop in your rig include carpeting, the potable water tank and hoses, sink and tub drains, your beloved dog or cat, and even pests and rodent infestations. Your rig is an investment, so do everything you can to eliminate the causes of odors to keep your RV in tip-top shape.
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