Housekeeping In An RV

Sometimes people wonder how we keep our rig clean and tidy, I mean it’s a small space, we have stuff, and we live in it. Cleaning and organizing an RV is a little different than a sticks and bricks (traditional) house, but not that different. This post will go over how we keep our RV nice and tidy at *just about* all times and our top tips for you to do the same!

The Organizing

RV living is basically tiny living on wheels. While the majority of RV’s have way more storage than you’d think, it’s still a small space. Small spaces require more intention to keep clean and organized. For instance, it takes a LOT less stuff to be out to make the place feel cluttered than a larger home. If we have as little as 1-2 things out of place it will feel cluttered. Therefore the most important step to tidy RV living is organization. Having a home for every item you own is the key to success here. We have homes for our remotes, paper products, keys, blankets, etc. I mean everything. The trick to making it organized and look good is finding attractive storage items like pretty baskets, this Moroccan pouf that we discussed in this blog post, woven hanging storage like this, a pretty hamper like this one, etc. There are so many beautiful storage options out there and they will make your place both pretty and organized, the Road Duchess way.

The Upkeep

Once you have your tiny home on wheels organized the rest of the job is upkeep. It’s making sure your things are put away in their homes every single time. Done with the remote? Don’t leave it out on the table, put it in the drawer or basket it belongs in. Don’t leave laundry on the floor, put it away in its appropriate drawer or closet. Even one or two shirts makes a room feel dirty. Make your bed everyday, this goes a long way to making your room look tidy. Fold up (or as we prefer, roll up) your blankets when you’re done with them instead of splayed out haphazardly all over the couch or bed. Put away your toothbrush and bathroom items when you’re done with them and wipe the sink and countertop. We have medicine cabinet type mirrors in both bathrooms that work great for that. Plus if you get the mirror like I have this one, you can put a tape light around the perimeter and up your beauty game with the softest, most flattering light ever. Seriously, I love it!

The Cleaning

Now that your nomad nest is pretty, organized, and tidy it’s time to talk about the cleaning. We have a zero shoes in the house policy. This has been a huge help! We had this policy even before we moved into our RV so it wasn’t a huge adjustment for us. We use our side patio as a sort of mud room with milk crates that we use to put our shoes in before we come inside. If you don’t have a side patio, we recommend putting some type of shoe storage by your front door. This one from The Container Store is the one we have and I love it because it’s what? You guessed it, pretty and functional. My favorite! Other people use these trones from Ikea, they seem like they would work well too. I’ve seen people open up the underside of their stairs and store them there, a quick google search can give you a ton of ideas. Not wearing shoes in the house majorly cuts down on dirt and grime. Think about all the nasty places you walk on, public restrooms, truck stops, etc. You get the idea, all that stuff you step on comes in with you if you wear your shoes inside. I think it’s just generally best practice to not wear shoes in the house, but if you feel you must or you hate being barefoot, what about house shoes you slip on inside? Indoor shoes and outdoor shoes. Something to consider if you don’t currently practice this. Ok moving on…

We clean everyday. We do dishes after each meal. Leaving dishes in the sink is guaranteed to make your space feel cluttered and dirty alone. Most rigs have the sink in the middle of the living space so it’s not like a regular house where maybe it’s tucked in the kitchen sink away from the rest of the house. No, it’s in the middle of the living space so we make a point to never leave a bunch of dishes in the sink nor in the drying rack. Visually, this makes a big difference. We wipe our counters after cooking, as well as the table and couch we eat on. We have a small cordless vacuum we use everyday, even with no shoes on you’d be surprised how much stuff gets tracked in (grass, sand, etc.) not to mention dog hair and food that accidentally gets dropped on the floor. This is the vacuum we use. It’s affordable and effective and I love the different attachments it comes with and the lighted “pointy thing” we use to get into corners (it’s probably called a nozzle lol). We don’t leave dirty clothes on the floor, they go in the (pretty) hamper. We deep clean our carpets about once or twice a year. Each week we take about an hour or two, usually on a Friday or Saturday and do a “deep clean”. This is where we spray and wipe the floors after vacuuming, wipe the cabinets, remove items from the fridge (throw out old/moldy stuff, wipe all the shelves, re-organize it, clean the outside), clean the tub and toilets, dust, and wash towels/sheets. That couple hours goes a long way in keeping things clean.

This may seem like a lot, but it’s really not. It is a daily habit so for us it’s like second nature. Getting into the habit of cleaning and keeping things organized is the best thing you can do to keep your home on wheels sparkling clean and beautiful at all times!

Tips for Keeping Your Rig Sparkling:

1. Find a home for everything and be sure those items live there at all times when they’re not in use.

2. Use attractive storage items to accessorize your space

3. Put dishes away and wipe counters after every meal

4. Vacuum every day

5. No outside shoes in the house

6. Deep clean once a week

7. Promptly put away your laundry and clothes

8. Wipe the sink and bathroom counters after using it

9. Practice little habits every day

10. Enjoy your beautiful space!