How to Keep Your RV Clean with Dogs (5 Tips)

There’s nothing better than RVing with dogs, except RVing with dogs in a clean RV! Here’s how to keep your RV clean with dogs as travel companions…

Dogs are the BEST travel companions… except for their hair. And their drool. And their muddy paws.

Jennifer and I would know what this is like as much as anyone. We travel with a very hairy, 75-pound Norwegian Elkhound named Bo!

Bo may have been better designed for a dog sled than an RV, but travel just wouldn’t be the same without him.

So, we’ve learned how to keep our RV clean while traveling with a dog. A very hairy big dog (it’s worth saying again!)

We’re not alone either. A member of our RV Lifestyle Group is trying to learn how to do the same and reached out to the group for advice.

She posted:

“OMG How do you keep your camper clean with two huge dogs we just bought 2 acres to build on and we will be full-time RV’ing on the property until our house is built next year. My boxers are bringing in so much dirt”

The community came to her rescue with over 150 comments. So, I’m going to share some of their advice as well as some of our own!

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Our Dog Bo at Our RV Property

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Here's a short video of Bo for those who haven't seen him before or don't know what a Norwegian Elkhound is. You can see from this quick introduction what we're dealing with in terms of hair and dirt!

5 Tips to Keep Your RV Clean with Dogs

From rugs to wipes to cleaning habits, there were a lot of helpful responses. Here are some of the most common suggestions to make RV life more enjoyable for you and your furry friend.

By the way, I recommend you check out Bo’s Favorites Camping Pet Accessories. It’s an Amazon shopping list of all of our (and Bo’s) favorite dog RV accessories. 

1. Sweep or Vacuum Daily

I know the last thing you want to do when camping is clean, but we all gotta do it. Especially when traveling with a pet. 

The key to this strategy with dogs is to do it daily! That seems to be the only way to stay ahead of the fur game, so to speak. 

If you sweep or vacuum daily, it only takes a few minutes. But somehow, the time needed increases exponentially with every day you wait. I think it has to do with the lightweight dog hair getting blown around and into every nook and cranny as you walk around or the A/C runs. 

So, if you vacuum or sweep right when you’re turning into the RV at night for the day, it doesn’t allow the hair to get all over the place as you move about in the evenings.

RVer-Recommended RV Brooms and Vacuums

We have an article on the 5 Best RV Vacuums, including the Bissel Pet Pro Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner. But I want to share a few additional recommendations that our RV Lifestyle FB members provided.

• Furemover Pet Har Carpet Rake 
• Swiffer Heavy Duty Pet Cloths
• Shark Wandvac Handheld Vacuum

2. Get a Good Rug (or TWO!)

Another suggestion that came up frequently was investing in a good rug to put at the bottom of your RV steps. Many also suggest you place one at the top of your steps inside the RV, too. We agree!

Preventing dirt from coming into your RV in the first place is half the battle. So, you don’t just want any old rug. Certain rugs do a much better job grabbing onto and holding the dirt from the dog’s paws (and your husband’s).

Thankfully, our RV community came to the rescue with specific product suggestions. Here are some options that work well for them:

• Dog Gone Smart Dog Microfiber Doormat
• Clean Machine 10376913 Astroturf Dirt Trapper Doormat
• Hicorfe Indoor Doormat

I would also recommend Gorilla Grip Heavy Duty Traffic Doormat 2-pack. You can put one at the bottom and one at the top. It grips well inside the RV and is low profile, so it’s less of a tripping hazard than some options. Plus, you can easily run the vacuum over it and even a broom for the clumps.

3. Keep Wet Wipes by the Door

Quite a few recommended keeping a towel and wet wipes by the door. Any towel will do, really, but I do recommend Earth Rated Dog Wipes. They’re plant-based wipes that are 99% biobased. That means they’re compostable for those campers that use compostable toilets.

For really muddy locations, you can take Joyce’s advice and keep a shallow pan of water for your dog to walk through at the bottom of the stairs. Followed by one of the rugs mentioned above.

4. Make Your Dog Comfy Outside

Several RVers suggested that the best way to keep your RV clean with dogs is to keep your dogs on the outside as much as possible. That means a doghouse or outdoor bed and dog playpen. 

It’s great to have an outdoor pet bed and play area regardless if your dog sleeps out there or not. Our Bo sleeps inside with us, but he likes to lounge outside during the day. 

You should check out the Best Pet Accessories for Camping and How to Keep Your Dog Cool While Camping to heed this advice.

A folding pet cot is a great option, along with an adjustable dog play pen.

5. Accept a Bit of Uncleanliness

The truth is, you’ll never have a spotless RV when traveling with dogs. Unless you spend more time cleaning than adventuring, it’s just not going to happen.

So, the last and best piece of advice I can give you is to clean the best you can and embrace the rest. Facebookers agree that traveling with dogs is well worth the added chores and the less-than-pristine RV. 

Many even shared that they chose to RV because they wanted to travel with their pets. We hear that all the time, and we certainly understand the sentiment. Jennifer and I have always traveled with a dog and always will! No matter the mess that comes with it.

So, get these great tools to help keep your RV clean with dogs, and then hit the road with your pup!

How Do You Keep Your RV Clean with Dogs?

Let us know in the comments!

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