Dawn Dishwasher Detergent-> The “original formula” blue detergent is excellent at cutting grime. While it doesn’t hurt the tank it really doesn’t add much value in order to keep RV tanks clean, so we see no point in adding it unless we’re out of the Calgon Water Softener. On top of that, we use a one-ply septic safe toilet paper such as Scotts and always wait for a nearly full tank before dumping. You’ve just dumped your RV tanks and head over to your gauges, only to discover they read 2/3 full. After the first cap we repeat the process for caps 2-4.As with the water softener above we’ll fill the toilet bowl a bit, then pour in a cap full of our Laundry Detergent or dish soap. The size of your black tank will determine how much water to add. Rather than buy nasty and expensive chemicals for the waste tanks try using a 1/2 cup of good old Borax laundry detergent and 1/4 cup of water softener. It’s not the most fun subject to talk about, but it’s definitely an important one.Let’s go ahead and dive into how we keep our RV tanks clean, the sensors reading We recently shared a video on how we use “The Geo Method” to keep RV tanks clean, which you can watch below, but we also share some updates throughout the post.Two brands we’ve used in the past that are formaldehyde-free are: The first thing we do after dumping the black tank is to add water back into the toilet.
Happy Campers Organic RV Holding Tank Treatment 64 oz. I can hear you from here: “Oh, acid! purchase peppermint essential oil from our family-run business, Grandpa’s Good Earth!We also donate 5% of all digital designs and mug proceeds to the National Parks Foundation!We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website and have updated our When we first started using this method we didn’t have Dawn dish soap on hand so we went with our Dish or Laundry detergent. I’ve been using this combo while living and traveling full-time our RV for the last four years with good results. Once drained, you then close the black tank valve and open the valve to the gray water in order to empty that tank. ), and super cost-efficient. An easy way to … The trick is to use plenty of water when flushing and only dump the tank when it is nearly full.When off the grid boondocking with our RV we have to be much more conscious of our water use and conserve as much as we can. It seems as though it will be more cost-effective and work just as well. Or perhaps you go to empty your black and grey tanks only to be nearly knocked out by the horrendous smell creeping into your RV during the process?If you’ve run into either of these situations, we hope the information below can help you get it figured out.After going through these experiences ourselves we did what most people do… we hit the internet and asked Uncle Google for guidance. Though in the future we’re going to use Dawn dish soap because it may be more cost effective and work just as well.We had read that some people would use Borax when they didn’t have water softener on hand, but since we had a big box we figured we’d go ahead and use it along with the water softener. Reply. We used to add only two but heard adding more can’t hurt. Copyright © 2020 Love Your RV! This in turn can lead to the sensors saying your tank is full even though it was just emptied.Maybe your sensors are working just fine but when you dump your tanks some of the smell creeps its way back into your RV. Citric Acid in the RV Holding Tanks. After adding the detergent or dish soap we’ll open the toilet and let it go to the tank.From my understanding, this is the portion of “The Geo Method” that helps with smell and cuts down grime, though there are varying opinions out there. This in turn helps by making it more likely that all of the solids in the black tank actually leave when you dump.After we add water in the bottom of the tank we will fill up the toilet bowl with a little bit of water and add four cap full’s of Calgon liquid water softener. In the future, we’ll update this post with our experience in switching it up.If you tried this method and realize you’re still getting a smell when dumping you may want to try and rinse your tank. Liane Goodrich says. We can’t be putting that in our tanks! Laundry detergent works too. We wrote about it here:A renovated vintage caravan provides the perfect glamping getaway for this Australian-based family!The interior of this nautical airstream remodel will inspire you to take a seaside vacationExploring Colorado: The Million Dollar Highway and Vallecito Creek TrailExploring Colorado: Hooray for Ouray, America’s SwitzerlandA renovated vintage caravan provides the perfect glamping getaway for this Australian-based family!The interior of this nautical airstream remodel will inspire you to take a seaside vacationThis contemporary motorhome renovation was completed off-grid in under a monthPeek inside this family-friendly Toy Hauler remodel with an earthy, modern interiorHow to install a Lightweight Sliding Barn Door in an RVAll content provided is for inspiration purposes only. Dawn dish soap is the cheapest and was recommended so that’s why we used it. Nina. The third ingredient is citric acid. For many years my preferred choice on full hookups was to use lots of extra water when flushing and every couple tanks or so add in 1/4 cup Borax detergent, 1/4 cup water softener plus some Dawn dish soap. Add Water. We’re thinking about getting Keep in mind that while this method has worked wonders in helping us keep our RV tanks clean, our gauges reading more accurately, and nasty smells from creeping in while we dump, sometimes further steps are needed.How much of Dawn dish soap do you Add since it doesn’t come with Measuring cap like CalGon or laundry detergent?We didn’t really measure the soap back when we used this process – we would just squeeze some in – but think of a cap full of laundry detergent. The Borax and baking soda. When at your site with full hookups or when making a needed trip to the dump station, ensure that you drain the black tank first. I know, not pleasant right? All Rights Reserved. Naturally, the reason for this is to clean the hose or hoses, as the case may be, that are attached from your black and gray water tanks leading into the septic system at the campground.Once … Rarely do I have an odor problem and never had a tank plug up. Every 2-4 times we dump our tank we completely fill it with water then drain the tank again. The water softener makes the water softer and more slippery, preventing waste from sticking to the walls of the waste tank.