[DutchmenSport]

This question has been asked many, many times on almost every RV / camping forum on the internet and the answers have always been all over the charts.

The one thing that DOES work and works very well, and the one thing that works well and surprises everyone who has tried it, is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. (the original, not the sheets or some other kind of knock off).

I use nothing but the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and never had any issues. BUT here are the rule I've learned:

1) There is no easy way to do this. You will be reaching above your head, but the end results is well worth your extra work. If your awning is tall, you'll no doubt need a ladder.

2) Clean only small sections at a time. Don't attempt to wash the whole thing from end to end in one swoop. Work in areas about 1 1/2 to 2 square feet at a time.

3) It's very important the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser stay wet. Actually, the more wet, the better. So, when using it, don't squish out the water like a sponge. Leave the water dripping in the Eraser. (Yes, it WILL drip down your arms. Being a "guy" I almost always do this with no shirt on).

4) NEVER, NEVER, NEVER "scrub" with the eraser. Simply "wipe" it. All you are attempting to do is make the awning wet with the chemicals in the Eraser.

5) After making your 2 foot square area wet, WIPE it a second time, nice and wet, and watch the stains, the black streaks, mold and mildew and even squished bugs melt off.

6) With that 2 foot square wet, follow up now with a dry towel. I use a terry bathroom towel and dry it. When you do this, it will wipe off all that black stuff.

7) Stand back and be pleasantly surprised at how clean that area is.

8) Now, move your ladder and do a second 2 foot square area, and continue moving over the entire awning until you completed it all.

9) Don't get in a hurry, and don't expect this to be easy. It is work, your arms get tired, you will get wet, and you probably will need to use a ladder on a tall awning.

10) Once the awning is completely done, spray it down with a garden hose with fresh water. This will remove the excess chemical from the Eraser.

11) What you can expect? You will not have to touch your awning again for at least a year. It will not turn black again for a long, long time.

12) When camping and you extend your awning, especially in the Summer months, it's not uncommon for bugs to get caught when you roll up the awning. These can be unsightly when you unroll your awning the next time. If (and when) that happens, or (IF) you see water spots turning black, or even surface dirt from rain wicking into the awning, take the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and simply touch up those spots or bugs. Again, just WIPE the small area and follow up with a dry towel. Your awning will look marvelous all Summer long.

I cannot emphasize enough that you do not SCRUB the awning with the Eraser. ONLY wipe softly, or just enough pressure to make it wet. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser can be very abrasive if used like scrubbing the bottom of a bathtub or a kitchen pot or pan and you can quickly rub a hole into the awning fabric. (I know, I've done that, and learned the hard way).

But I promise you, this works and works very, very, very well, if you don't mind doing just a little bit of work.

I ended up getting the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser mop. It comes with a longer handle and the sponge on the end is the same size as a normal sponge mop. I purchased an entire case of extra sponges, but eventually found it much easer (for me) to do it by hand that attempting to hold the mop above my head. I now use those extra sponges for the mop by hand on the awning. They are bigger than the store bought out of the box and wipe a larger area. They work great for this applicaiton.

Again.... WIPE.... never scrub the awning with these. Never.