5 Best Cleaning Solutions For Mold On Awnings You Have At Home
Clean that moldy awning with what’s in your pantry.
You roll out your awning on that first perfect day of the season, ready to relax, and there they are: a constellation of ugly black and green spots. Mold and mildew are the unwelcome guests of any outdoor fabric, and for those of us living in compact spaces like RVs or tiny homes, an awning is more than a luxury—it’s essential living space. Keeping it clean isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about protecting a critical piece of gear and maintaining a healthy environment.
The good news is you don’t need a cabinet full of expensive, harsh chemicals to solve the problem. The most effective solutions are likely already in your pantry or utility closet. These simple, powerful cleaners can restore your awning without damaging the fabric or the environment around your home-on-wheels.
This guide walks through the best household solutions for tackling everything from light mildew to stubborn, set-in mold stains. We’ll cover what works, how to use it, and—just as importantly—what to avoid. It’s time to reclaim your outdoor living room.
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Reclaim Your Awning from Stubborn Mold Stains
Mold is an inevitable part of life on the road or in a small home nestled in nature. When you have fabric constantly exposed to morning dew, unexpected rain, and high humidity, mildew is bound to show up. Acknowledging this is the first step; it’s not a sign of neglect, but a simple reality of the lifestyle.
The key to winning this battle is understanding that there’s no single magic bullet. A vinyl awning might need a different approach than a woven acrylic one, and light surface mildew requires a gentler touch than deep-set black mold. Your strategy should be to start with the mildest effective cleaner and only escalate if necessary.
Be prepared to put in some effort. Cleaning an awning properly involves more than a quick spray-down; it requires saturating, waiting, gentle scrubbing, and thorough rinsing. But the payoff is huge: a longer-lasting awning, a healthier space, and the satisfaction of maintaining your own gear.
Use White Vinegar for a Natural Mold-Killing Spray
Happy Belly White Distilled Vinegar: Perfect for cooking, pickling, and cleaning. Kosher and versatile. Quality guaranteed.
Distilled white vinegar is the first tool you should reach for. Its natural acidity makes it incredibly effective at killing mold and mildew spores at the root, rather than just bleaching the surface stain. It’s cheap, biodegradable, and safe for most awning fabrics.
For a powerful mold-killing spray, mix a solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water in a garden sprayer or spray bottle. Thoroughly saturate the moldy areas on both the top and underside of the awning. Let the solution sit and work its magic for at least an hour, but don’t let it dry completely.
The primary tradeoff with vinegar is the strong smell, but it dissipates quickly once you rinse the awning and let it air out. This small inconvenience is well worth it for a non-toxic solution that truly kills the mold and helps prevent its immediate return. It’s the perfect first-line defense for your seasonal awning clean-up.
Scrub Away Mildew with a Simple Baking Soda Paste
Bake with confidence and tackle household messes with 365 by Whole Foods Market Baking Soda. This 16-ounce package offers a versatile, all-natural solution for all your baking and cleaning needs.
Sometimes, killing the mold isn’t enough; you need to physically remove the stains it leaves behind. This is where baking soda comes in. It’s a fantastic, gentle abrasive that can lift stains from the fabric’s weave without causing damage.
Create a thick paste by mixing baking soda with a small amount of water. After you’ve treated the area with your vinegar spray, apply this paste directly to the stubborn stains. Let it sit for about 20 minutes to break down the grime.
Using a soft-bristled brush, gently scrub the area in a circular motion. You’ll see the paste lift the discoloration away from the fabric. A thorough rinse is critical to remove all the baking soda residue, which can leave a chalky film if left behind.
Why Dawn Dish Soap is Your Awning’s Best Friend
Dawn Ultra dish soap cuts through grease, requiring 50% less scrubbing. This versatile formula tackles tough messes in the kitchen and beyond.
Before you tackle mold, you have to deal with the dirt, tree sap, and bird droppings that provide a food source for it. Dawn dish soap is an exceptional surfactant, meaning it excels at breaking down and lifting away this organic grime. It’s the essential prep step for any deep clean.
A simple bucket of warm water with a generous squirt of Dawn is your all-purpose awning wash. Use a long-handled, soft-bristled brush to gently scrub the entire surface of the awning, not just the visibly dirty spots. This removes the invisible layer of dust and pollen that can fuel future mildew growth.
Think of this as preventative maintenance. By regularly washing your awning with a mild soap solution, you’re not just cleaning it—you’re creating an environment where it’s much harder for mold to get a foothold in the first place. This simple habit can save you hours of deep scrubbing later on.
Tackle Tough Mold Growth with 20 Mule Team Borax
Boost your laundry and household cleaning with 20 Mule Team All Natural Borax. This versatile mineral effectively tackles tough stains, deodorizes fabrics, and cuts through grease and grime on surfaces for a sparkling clean.
When you’re facing more established mold that laughs at a simple vinegar spray, it’s time to bring in Borax. This naturally occurring mineral is a powerful cleaner, fungicide, and mold inhibitor. It’s a significant step up in strength without resorting to harsh, fabric-damaging chemicals.
Dissolve one cup of Borax powder into one gallon of hot water. Apply this solution generously to the awning with a sponge or sprayer, focusing on the heavily affected areas. Let it soak in for 20-30 minutes, then scrub gently with a soft brush before rinsing.
One of the biggest advantages of Borax is its residual effect. After rinsing, a microscopic amount remains on the fabric, which helps inhibit new mold from forming. For this reason, many RVers will do a lighter rinse on the underside of the awning to leave more of that protective quality behind.
Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Color-Safe Stain Removal
Prevent infection from minor cuts, scrapes, and burns with Amazon Basics Hydrogen Peroxide Topical Solution. This 3% hydrogen peroxide formula is paraben, phthalate, and latex-free.
After you’ve killed and scrubbed the mold away, you may still see faint, shadowy stains left behind. For this, 3% hydrogen peroxide (the kind from the brown bottle in the pharmacy) is an excellent solution. It acts as a gentle, oxygen-based bleach that removes stains without stripping color.
Pour or spray the hydrogen peroxide directly onto the remaining stain. You’ll see it start to bubble as it reacts with the organic material. Let it work for about 10 minutes, then use a soft brush to agitate the area before rinsing it completely.
Crucially, you must test this on a small, hidden spot first. While hydrogen peroxide is safe for most modern awning fabrics, you never want to risk discoloration. A quick test on a corner or inside a seam gives you the peace of mind to tackle the visible stains with confidence.
Protect Your Awning with 303 Marine Fabric Guard
Restore water and stain repellency to your fabrics with 303 Marine Fabric Guard. This easy-to-use protectant, recommended by Sunbrella, dries clear and provides powerful stain resistance.
Cleaning your awning is only half the job. The cleaning process, especially the scrubbing, can wear down the factory-applied water and UV-resistant coatings. To truly finish the project, you must re-apply a protectant.
Once your awning is 100% clean and bone dry, apply a quality treatment like 303 Marine Fabric Guard. This product is a staple in the marine and RV world for good reason. It restores water repellency, which is your best defense against moisture absorption, and provides critical protection against UV rays that degrade fabric over time.
This final step is non-negotiable if you want to maximize the life of your awning. A well-treated fabric not only repels water and resists mold but also cleans up more easily next time. It’s a small investment of time that prevents the massive expense of a premature replacement.
What to Avoid: Why You Should Skip Using Bleach
In a moment of frustration with a stubborn mold stain, it can be tempting to reach for the chlorine bleach. Don’t do it. Bleach is a shortcut that will cost you dearly in the long run, as it is one of the most destructive things you can put on an outdoor fabric.
Chlorine bleach is a harsh oxidant that doesn’t just kill mold; it attacks everything it touches. It will rapidly degrade the fibers of your awning, whether it’s vinyl or acrylic, and is especially brutal on the thread used in the seams. A single cleaning with bleach can significantly shorten your awning’s lifespan.
Beyond the fabric damage, bleach will also strip away any remaining UV and water-repellent coatings, leaving the material completely vulnerable. The result might look clean for a week, but you’ve just created a perfect, unprotected surface for mold to grow back even faster. Stick to the methods that clean and preserve, rather than destroy.
An awning is a simple machine, but maintaining it properly is key to enjoying life in a smaller footprint. The best approach isn’t about finding the strongest chemical, but about using the right solution for the job and being consistent. Regular, gentle cleaning is always better than an annual, aggressive deep scrub.
The process is straightforward: start by washing away the surface grime, treat the mold with a targeted killer like vinegar or borax, scrub away the stains, and rinse thoroughly. Most importantly, always finish by letting it dry completely and re-applying a quality fabric protectant.
By making this a regular part of your maintenance routine, you’re not just cleaning—you’re actively preserving one of the most important components of your rig. A well-cared-for awning provides shade, comfort, and a protected outdoor space that makes small living feel expansive.
