A: Unless you have grease or oil in your black tank, I would not recommend using Dawn. Soap can kill the good bacteria needed to break down material in your black tank. Happy Camper will do the same thing without interfering with the good bacteria.
You do NOT need to purchase a bunch of RV ``chemicals'' to put in your black tank. Water and laundry soap, or Dawn Dishwashing liquid (and anything or powder you use for laundry) will aid the black tank, help keep it clean, and keep odors at bay. Be VERY conservative when using bleach.
We use a mix of Dawn dish soap, Calgon and Pinesol. Seems to do the trick. The soap helps to keep the tanks clean. Calgon help to keep things from sticking to the tank and the Pinesol for the smell. Also use plenty of water with each flush and keep a good amount in the bowl between uses.
Dawn will do a fine job or removing dirt, road grime, bird droppings... and any wax or polish as well. It is not too harsh for the paint or fiberglass, but probably overkill for most needs.
No, no, no. No harsh chemicals! Septic tanks and black holding tanks should not have bowl cleaners or bleach poured down them. Just a tiny squirt of Dawn or similar product is all it needs. If you must get rid of rust and stains, use the chemicals sparingly then dump your tank.
Using dish soap can damage your toilet, as it's tough on rubber and can potentially break down the seals on your toilet over time. Instead, stick with cleaners that are made for toilets, and save dish soap for other areas of your home, such as for your mop water, degreasing kitchen cabinets, and cleaning appliances.
You'll pour about five 10-pound bags of ice down the toilet. Then you'll need to go for a drive as the ice melts. As it melts and shifts around the bottom of the tank, it will scrape up any debris stuck on the bottom. Then you'll dump the tank one more time to drain the melted ice and any debris that was scraped up.
The nice thing about RVs is that they are generally constructed from easy-to-clean materials. For this reason, good old soap and water is perfectly well-suited for cleaning most RVs. All you need to get started is a bucket that mixes mild detergent like dish soap with water.
The Environmental Working Group gave Dawn a 'D' grade because of it containing methylisothiazolinone, which is a "High Concern: acute aquatic toxicity; Some Concern: skin irritation/allergies/damage". Sounds delightful, right? Dawn also contains 1 4-dioxane which is considered a groundwater contaminant.
page after page of discussion on the topic. Consensus seems to be good old DAWN dish soap and water, or Murphy's oil soap... both work great and much cheaper than the branded "Roof Cleaner" products found in RV stores.
Never put anything inside a holding tank unless you want a troublesome clog. Nothing other than quick-degrading tissue, your own human wastes, water and your holding tank maintenance additives should ever end up in your blackwater tank.
RV Toilet Stinks When Flushed
This can be avoided by keeping your dump valve closed, ensuring your tank doesn't leak, and using plenty of water when flushing.
Tempting... but no, thank you. 😌 Using Pine-Sol or other chemical cleaners in your wastewater tanks can lead to clogs and odor issues!
You can also use it to clean your drains in the bathroom sink and bathtub, as well as your kitchen sink. However, can it be used to unclog drains? The answer is yes! Dawn dish soap is a great product for unclogging and cleaning your drains because it contains chemicals that break down grease and oil.
Use Fabric Softener
This is a nifty little hack for RV owners. If you want to eliminate black tank odors and freshen the atmosphere of your RV, take a capful or two of scented fabric softener and pour it into your black tank.
Many RVers swear by using a few caps of liquid fabric softener to freshen up the tank and keep the solids moving when flushed. If you're in a pinch, try adding a bag of ice cubes and some dish or laundry detergent in the black tank before you drive.
Because dish soap is meant to break up oils and lift grease and grime from your flatware and utensils, there's no reason why it shouldn't work on the oily soap and human grease build-up accumulating in your tub or shower!
*For best results, use a little less than two teaspoons (9.5 mL) of Dawn® Platinum in a top-loading washing machine—be sure not to use too much, and don't use on delicate fabrics like silk. Spot test with a small drop in a less visible area to make sure the material will not be damaged.
If Dawn gets in eyes, rinse thoroughly with water. If swallowed, drink a glass of water to dilute.” Flammable Properties: The liquid hand dishwashing detergents have a flashpoint of 115-135°F (46.1-57.2°C) Pensky-Martens (Closed cup). However, the detergents do not sustain combustion according to ASTM D4206.
For proportions, try 8 parts water to 1 part vinegar and 1 part rubbing alcohol, with just a small scoop of cornstarch added to bring everything together.
Gentle Cleaning: Dawn is relatively gentle and can be used to clean the exterior of your RV.
Chemical-Free Toilet Bowl Cleaners
The best type of toilet bowl cleaning product for an RV is one that is chemical-free, won't damage the toilet bowl, and will boost the bacteria colonies in your black tank, like Scrub-It RV toilet cleaner.
A: Unless you have grease or oil in your black tank, I would not recommend using Dawn. Soap can kill the good bacteria needed to break down material in your black tank. Happy Camper will do the same thing without interfering with the good bacteria.
Mix eight ounces of Calgon Ageless Bath Pearls and 40 ounces of PINE-SOL® in a one-gallon jug. Fill the jug with water. Shake gently and allow any foam to settle down. Use four to eight ounces (as directed) in each tank, every time you have emptied them.
RV Digest It, which made it into our mentions above, is easily one of the best RV black tank treatments on the market. RV Digest is available in several different forms and is very user-friendly. It is a combination treatment as it performs odor control in addition to eating up waste and debris that's in your tank.