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Only had 3 trips in our caravan so all  new to me.

we have done the drain all the water stuff due to freezing risk.

we have done the putting salt in tubs to absorb moisture (good tip and it works pretty well and suits me as I don't like all those chemical hazards round the caravan)

Next learning curve; cleaning cumbs food etc due to mouse risk?

I am b*****y terrible about this one!  At the end of a stay, even a weekend, I go round wiping up floor and cupboards and bin and shaking the carpet outside, packing up any cereals crackers and the like to take back home even though they are in tupperware,  bashing the living daylights out of the toaster to get the crumbs out etc........ you get the picture?

I go home knackered having undone any relaxation I have had

I do have a tendency to over egg the cake!  Any common sense to offer on this one please? Thanks.

Our caravan is on the drive so we can be in and out of our van all the time.  However, as it hasn't been used since Halloween weekend, we have drained down all the pipes etc for frost and probably will continue doing this after our early trips until Easter.

We have removed everything apart from the melamine plates and cutlery, mugs and glasses which have been removed from the drawers and cupboards and stored in a tub under the bunks and will all be washed prior to use on our first trip at the end of the month.

Once the season gets going though it will all remain in situ along with some food cupboard items and clothing - some items like towels are washed and replaced.   After each trip I always Milton clean the surfaces and kitchen areas and cupboards after use, clean the bathroom and loo and hoover/sweep and mop the floors.  I then put in the rechargeable dehumidifiers - but I tend to do this when van on drive and the kids at school and nursery, pottering in and out so doesn't feel like a rush job or stressful.  OH gives the outside a bit of a clean and the cover is put back on.

I guess you have to look at it as just like having a second home - it does take a fair bit of care & maintenance to keep in tip top condition.

I go home knackered having undone any relaxation I have had........lol,it is supposed to be a relaxing experience.see

Rats / Mice in Lunar Delta RS 2010

Fail to see the point of dehumidifers. All they do is pull in damp from the outside. Our van has been sitting on out drive all winter without any heat or humidifers and is as dry as a bone.

We did have some small amount of condensation last year which I think was due to strange weather conditions.

I put a dehumidifier in the van to dry it up and found that it was just drawing in damp from through the vents in the roof and under the seats. The amount of water I emptied out was gallons.

I switched on the heating and the condensation went in about an hour.

can i leave rice, pasta etc if they are in tupperware for example or should i remove absolutely

sorry they will chew through them.

Should I have to clean the whole van meticulously every time I leave it or will a "clean enough" once over be enough?

i do each time i return (4 hours) and then its ready for the next trip.fridge is the main worry as it needs a anti bacterial cleaner if you do not want mould/mold and smells.

Quote: Originally posted by michael on 01/3/2011

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can i leave rice, pasta etc if they are in tupperware for example or should i remove absolutely

sorry they will chew through them.

Should I have to clean the whole van meticulously every time I leave it or will a "clean enough" once over be enough?

i do each time i return (4 hours) and then its ready for the next trip.fridge is the main worry as it needs a anti bacterial cleaner if you do not want mould/mold and smells.

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The only time we had a mouse problem was when I left the BBQ in the front of the van with the gas bottles. They ate through the cover and left some droppings. We have never had them in the van. I put in a 240 volt mouse scarer just in case they find their way in.

We don't remove any of the food if it is in containers between trips. Pointless!!

Just vacuum the floor, clean the crumbs out of the toaster and empty and clean the fridge, leaving the door open. 4 HOURS!!!!! more like 15 minutes.

Quote: Originally posted by Jusy on 01/3/2011

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We give our van a good clean on site dusting, washing bath room, fridge and floors.
At storage we unload clothes, food etc, i clean the cupboards, fridge and floor again and put the van into storage mode.

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I have to say I do this too - its pretty much clean by the time we leave site.  Whilst OH taking down the awning, and the kids in the car with their dvds Im normally pottering about inside using the time to clean where I can.  We do leave food stuff in the van in sealed containers in the summer months when the van is being used frequently but its pretty sterile in there at the moment.  I actually popped my head in yesterday to look for mouse droppings!!!

We don't find our humidifiers draw in gallons of water or anything like but we do have a cover on the van - just turns the little crystals pink every week or so and we charge it up and put it back in - more of a gentle dehumidifying.

Quote: Originally posted by gazza12345 on 02/3/2011

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My other half drives me mad with her cleaning up all the time. Its none stop & is the number 1 argument of every holiday. It gets to the point that i don't even want to eat in the awning or caravan. just to keep the peace. She is the same at home as well. I have told her she needs help but that start another argument. lmao.

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Tell her that there is more to life. We have neighbour like that and you are scared to go in incase you feel you might drag a spec of dust in!!!

We like to be clean but, to some, it is an obsession. Sadly I don't think you can help people like that.

I don't go mad cleaning, have found that brown/beige mottled mats save a lot of hoovering! as for the fridge, take everything out, a qiuck wipe with an impregnated cloth and leave the door open, you won't get any mould then. 4 hours, ye gods!

Anne

 4 hours, ye gods!

LOL at Mrs Bonce