Cleaning the gap around the linoleum floor

[Ken Root]

I've tried vacuuming, brushing, and wet sponging but the grit between the linoleum floor and fiberglass base seems impossible to remove. Should I try a wet vac next? What cleaning techniques have you found effective?

[routlaw]

I gave up years ago. Probably too much glue/adhesive oozing out from underneath the flooring allowing dirt and debris to become embedded. You might try some chemical or petroleum based products which might be effective, just don't over do it.

[topgun2]

Every couple of years I clean that area with a bit of acetone on an old rag.

Be careful and do not get too aggressive with the acetone.

Good luck!

Bill

[Galileo]

Spray cleaner of your choice (Fantastik, 409, etc) and an old toothbrush - then a few paper towels. 
 

We keep a “Dustbuster” in the trailer for routine cleanups. Keeps the grit buildup to a minimum. 
 

A long-term fix -might- be to fill that awkward gap with some kind of caulk. That way there’d be no gap to collect crud. 
 

I’d be very careful with acetone or any petroleum or solvent based liquids. I think you’d risk eating away at the flooring adhesive or even the flooring itself. 

[Ronbrink]

I first vacuum then simply crawl around on my knees and use Clorox disinfecting wipes along these dirty edges. Sometimes it takes pressure with the wadded up wipes, but with persistence they become clean. While down I also use the wipes to ‘mop’ the floor, which is generally done with a Swifter mop. But the Swifter alone will leave debris and grunge along the edges and thus, periodic deep clean with said wipes is needed. That said, I’m lucky to only have a couple spots of the adhesive visible below the shower door, which is only slightly yellowish in appearance and not a worry. I like @topgun2’s acetone idea, but only for the adhesive removal if it eventually becomes too unsightly. 

[Todd B]

As @Ronbrink and @Galileo stated. We have a small rechargeable handheld vacuum that we use every couple of days to pick up most of the dirt. After that, a quick wipe down with a cloth sprayed with "Wash and Wax All" keeps things clean. So far, it's working well for us. If anything stubborn remains, we use a little toothbrush or a Q-tip to tackle it, for us this has been rare.

[Galileo]

11 minutes ago, Zodd said:

As @Ronbrink and @Galileo stated. We have a small rechargeable handheld vacuum that we use every couple of days to pick up most of the dirt. After that, a quick wipe down with a cloth sprayed with "Wash and Wax All" keeps things clean. So far, it's working well for us. If anything stubborn remains, we use a little toothbrush or a Q-tip to tackle it, for us this has been rare.

We do the same with the “Dustbuster” to pick up the loose dirt and grit and various grass clippings and such. Since we have a cat box crammed under the dinette, this is the prime spot for kitty litter that refuses to stay where it belongs. 
 

I’d be leery of anything that sounds like “wash and wax all” on floors. I had a previous roommate who thought that Pledge was great for shining up wood floors. It it - but it makes them into ice rinks if you try to stop or change direction wearing socks…

[Todd B]

15 hours ago, Galileo said:

’d be leery of anything that sounds like “wash and wax all” on floors

Hehe. Fair enough. This is actually made for RVs, Fiberglass and aircraft. But to your point, we also have a carpet runner down the middle 🙂

[Galileo]

4 hours ago, Todd B said:

Hehe. Fair enough. This is actually made for RVs, Fiberglass and aircraft. But to your point, we also have a carpet runner down the middle 🙂

We do that too with the carpet runner. That way I can walk around in bare feet. 

We found that in colder weather, it also keeps your feet off the cold floor. 

[ScottyGS]

We're using this.... but it has a hard time turning around when it hits the end of the aisle.  The dog stays off the floor when it's running..... 

Scotty

 

[Galileo]

You don’t really have a robotic floor cleaner in your trailer?!

[topgun2]

3 hours ago, Galileo said:

You don’t really have a robotic floor cleaner in your trailer?!

I guess that you've never actually met ScottyGS!

[ScottyGS]

4 hours ago, Galileo said:

You don’t really have a robotic floor cleaner in your trailer?!

The Lonseal Yacht flooring deserves the best cleaner available.  It's AI powered!  

[Galileo]

2 hours ago, topgun2 said:

I guess that you've never actually met ScottyGS!

(And my wife says -I- spend too much money on stuff from Amazon…) 😂

[Boudicca908]

On 6/23/2026 at 7:29 AM, Ronbrink said:

I first vacuum then simply crawl around on my knees and use

I first sweep with my hand-sized whisk broom and then crawl on my hands and knees and clean with a mild dampened towel to pick up the remaining grit and dirt. I do this often. On my Oliver, like Ronbrink's, the only really ugly section is below the shower door and I have been wondering about how to tackle that yellowed section. Glad for this thread. 

And I always remove my shoes at the door and wear 'house slippers' inside. It's a real wonder how so much dirt gets in and all the way down the aisle to the beds!

Edited 19 hours ago by Boudicca908

[Patriot]

Here- no sweeping, just open the screen door dust goes back where it came from. Helps keeping the exterior screens clean too.

Neither of us wear our shoes while in the Oliver. We have found this little blower is super handy. Also works for blow drying a washed TV and inside and out.  

“No brooms club here” 😄

Harbor Freight - BAUER 20V Cordless, 200 MPH/120 CFM Compact Workshop Blower - Tool Only $40 

Edited 15 hours ago by Patriot

[topgun2]

3 hours ago, Boudicca908 said:

It's a real wonder how so much dirt gets in and all the way down the aisle to the beds!

[jd1923]

10 hours ago, Boudicca908 said:

And I always remove my shoes at the door and wear 'house slippers' inside. It's a real wonder how so much dirt gets in and all the way down the aisle to the beds!

Yep, me too on slippers.
So much dirt, we know why! His bed is at the end of the aisle! Picture of Charley when we first got our Oliver, first cleaning too. Now with some age and TALL mattresses, he can't get up on the beds anymore!

I hadn't noticed the edges being bad, but I guess the older floors were different. We use carpet runners which collect most of the dust. Chris uses our Dewalt vacuum around the edges and under the dinette, takes her 2-3 minutes.

I remove the short runner at the entrance every 2-3 days and give it a whip on both ends which removes most of the dirt. Roll up the long one between trips to wash.

We put them in the washing machine at home which has worked well. Recently one edge started fraying on the long one and Chris hemmed that edge. We have 151 overnights on these runners according to my Oliver Travels spreadsheet. Not bad.

They're 26" wide which is a perfect fit, and you can order by the foot in length. One 10' and 4' fills everything perfectly except under the dinette. He has learned to sleep on his mat by the nightstand. 😎

Amazon.com: ORFA HOME Custom Size Hallway Runner Rug, Slip/Skid Resistant, 26 Inch Wide X Your Choice of Lenght, Solid Blue, 26 Inch Width X 10 Feet Length, Sold and Priced Per Foot : Home & Kitchen

Edited 8 hours ago by jd1923

[John Dorrer]

We have a daily interior clean-up. Amazing the amount of dog hair that comes out of the vacuum. We have 3 small shower rugs that I take out and brush off. Shake out Fiona's bed sheet, and also brush off the L.L. Bean waterproof mat at the door. 5-8 minutes out of our day.

 

The heater exhaust vent is the first thing my wife vacuums. She does the interior cleaning.

 

Once a year I wipe down the inside fiberglass and use the wax mix TopGun shared with the group.