The RV and Camper Laundry Guide: Cushions, Awnings, and Slipcovers at the Laundromat

An RV or a camper is a small house on wheels, and the soft furnishings in it — seat cushions, dinette cushions, slipcovers, and awnings — carry a soil profile a residential washer cannot handle: road grime from the slide-out, mildew from a humid closed-up camper, and the sheer size and weight of a soaked cushion. The right protocol respects all three: a commercial-capacity washer big enough to let the cushion move, a low spin that does not crush the foam, and an air-dry that prevents the mildew that a damp-stored cushion grows. A camper owner who runs the right protocol extends the cushions and the awning for seasons; the one who stuffs a cushion into a home washer and a hot dryer ruins it in a trip or two.

For RV and camper soft furnishings too large for a home machine, our Burlington S Church St and Greensboro Market St locations carry the high-capacity commercial machines, or browse all four Royal Clean Locations.

Why RV Cushions Are a Different Wash

A camper cushion is a foam core in a fabric cover, and the foam is the challenge. Foam holds water stubbornly — a soaked seat cushion can hold a gallon and weigh 30 pounds wet — and a residential washer's spin throws that off-balance load hard enough to damage the bearings in a single load. The fabric cover, meanwhile, carries road grime from the slide-out rails and the mildew that grows in a camper closed up between trips. The two need different handling: the cover washes, the foam does not (or washes only by hand), and both need to dry fully or the mildew returns.

Separate the Foam From the Cover

If the cushion has a zippered cover, the protocol is straightforward: unzip, remove the cover, and wash the cover alone. The foam insert does not go in the washer — agitation tears the foam, and the water a soaked foam holds takes days to dry and breeds mildew inside where you cannot see it. Spot-clean the foam with a damp cloth and a drop of mild detergent, squeeze (do not wring), and air-dry it flat in the sun.

For a sewn-shut cushion with no zipper, the whole cushion goes in — and that is where the commercial-capacity washer earns its cost, because a residential drum cannot agitate a 20-pound cushion evenly.

The Cushion-Cover Wash Protocol

The Awning Wash

A slide-out or patio awning is the camper's largest fabric and the one most prone to mildew, because it is stored rolled up damp more often than it should be. The protocol is to wash it open and flat: extend the awning fully, hose it down with cold water, scrub with a soft brush and a mild detergent-and-water solution, rinse from the top down so the dirty water runs off the clean fabric, and let it dry fully open before retracting. Never retract a damp awning — the mildew that grows in a rolled-up damp awning is the most common reason an awning has to be replaced.

For a heavily mildewed awning, a 50/50 vinegar-and-water or a dedicated awning cleaner lifts the mildew without the bleach that degrades the awning's waterproof coating.

The Mildew Problem

A camper stored closed between trips grows mildew on any fabric left damp — cushions, curtains, the awning. The prevention is to air everything out after every trip before closing up: cushions out and flipped, awning extended, curtains open. The cure, once the mildew is there, is the vinegar protocol above — never bleach, which yellows the fabric and degrades the water-resistant coatings on awnings and outdoor fabrics.

The Dry — The Mildew Prevention Step

The dry is where mildew is prevented or returns. Dry every cushion and cover fully before storing — a slightly damp cushion, closed up in a camper for a month, is a mildew farm. Air-dry in the sun when possible; the UV is a natural mildew killer. For a foam insert, press the water out (do not wring) and air-dry flat; a damp foam insert stored in a closed camper mildews inside where you cannot smell it until you open the camper next trip.

Storage Between Trips

Store camper cushions breathable — never in plastic, which traps the moisture that grows mildew. Air the camper out between trips: open vents, pull cushions out from the walls, extend the awning if the weather is dry. A closed-up camper with damp cushions is the setup for the musty smell that follows a camper for seasons; an aired camper with dry cushions stores clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I wash an RV cushion in a home washer?

A zippered cover, yes — wash the cover alone. A sewn-shut cushion or a foam insert, no — use a commercial-capacity machine, and hand-wash the foam.

How do I get mildew out of camper cushions?

Vinegar. A 50/50 vinegar-and-water spray on the mildew spots, let sit, then wash the cover with enzyme detergent and a vinegar rinse. Bleach yellows the fabric and degrades coatings — avoid it.

Why does my camper smell musty?

Mildew on damp cushions, awnings, or curtains stored closed up. Air everything out after every trip and never store damp — a closed camper with damp fabric is a mildew farm.

Can I put an awning in the washer?

No — wash it open and flat with a hose and a soft brush, mild detergent, rinse top-down, and dry fully open before retracting. Never retract a damp awning.

How do I stop camper cushions from mildewing?

Air the camper out after every trip, dry every cushion and the awning fully before storing, and store breathable — never in plastic.

The Bottom Line on RV Laundry

Separate the foam from the cover, wash the cover cold and gentle with enzyme detergent and vinegar, hand-wash the foam, wash awnings open and flat, and dry everything fully before storing. Follow that and camper soft furnishings last for seasons instead of mildewing in a trip — and for the loads your home machine can't handle, our Self-Service Laundry machines across Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Burlington carry the commercial capacity.