RV window and roof vent screen cleaning tips

Got a dusty window screen in your RV? We used to recommend taking the screens out, dumping them in the shower stall and scrubbing them down with a brush and soap. It's a lot of work, and a good project when you have a few hours on a good day. But there's yet another way to clean up screens that are simply dusty.

Take a lint roller to hand--one of those tricky "adhesive tape roll" variety available at your nearby Walmart. With a fresh layer of tape exposed, roll the roller back and forth over the screen and watch that obstructing dust jump off onto the tape. Works as well on the outside of the screens as it does from inside. Quick and easy, and no mess.

There's yet another set of screens in our rigs that can cause us a lot of grief: Roof vent screens. Camp under the trees for a day or two with the roof vent open and you'll soon have a collection of "crud" riding around on the screen. Sure, you can take the screen down from inside the rig. Get a screwdriver, release the crank handle and take out the screen mounting screws and pull down the screen assembly. Be prepared for a shower of needles, leaves, and whatever else was stuck up on the screen. There's another way!

This time, leave the lint roller in the drawer but take out your blow dryer. Yep, that little electric hair tool, set for "low" heat and "high" air flow can blast those obnoxious "clingons" right off the screen. You'll find really stuck on items can be released by gently scratching the screen with the tip of the dryer while blasting air at the same time. BUT DON'T use high heat, lest you melt down non-metallic mesh.

photos: R&T DeMaris