Never add bleach directly to your drains or tank. Concentrated bleach can damage your holding tank and your RV plumbing. Be sure to dilute the bleach in at least a gallon of water using your pitcher or bucket. Then add the diluted bleach/water mixture to your tank.
It's OK to use bleach, just make sure the bleach is removed (dumped) from the tank. The bleach itself won't hurt the tank, but if left to sit in the tank, it will (over time) deteriorate your slide valve and then it will start leaking. If you use bleach or a bleach solution, just be sure to dump shortly.
Per NFPA 1192 Standard on RVs, use 1/4 cup bleach per 15 gal of water (50 ppm ratio). So for a 90 gal RV water tank, you would use 1 1/2 cups of bleach. Run the bleached water throughout the RV plumbing, let it stand for 4 hours, then thoroughly flush with fresh water.
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.
To sanitize the water system in your RV, use a quarter cup (four ounces) of household bleach for every fifteen (15) gallons of water your fresh water tank holds. Some instructions will say to mix the bleach in a bucket or other container with fresh, potable water and then pour that into your fresh water holding tank.
If you are not comfortable using bleach, you can use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide when cleaning the water tank in your RV.
Here's a foolproof method to sanitize your RV water tank and eliminate any off taste or funky smells. Mix one cup of bleach to four gallons of water for a 40-gallon tank, one and a half cups of bleach to six gallons of water for a 60-gallon tank, and two cups of bleach to eight gallons of water for a 100-gallon tank.
Use two cups of softener for each wastewater tank in your RV. The tank's drain valve should be closed otherwise the softened water will just drain out. Then use the tank(s) normally until it is full and drain it normally. Add a cup of laundry detergent to the black (commode) water tank at the same time.
Air fresheners are an obvious way to combat bad smells, and they're easy to use. Generally, something that is usable on fabric, as well as in the air, is the best way to go. You can spray down the cushions, curtains, carpets, and countertops as frequently as you feel the need to keep the smells away.
The most likely cause is anaerobic bacteria in your water heater. Your RV's water heating system usually comes equipped with a magnesium or aluminum anode rod, meant to prevent corrosion of your water tank.
After you've changed your filter, add a teaspoon of unscented chlorine bleach to kill any lingering bacteria.
For every 15 gallons that your RV freshwater tank holds, you should mix about 1/4 cup of bleach with a few gallons of water in a bucket. If you choose to use an antibacterial product to sanitize your tank, follow the product directions to determine how to mix your solution.
– RV manufacturers generally recommend a sanitizing solution of 1/4 cup household bleach per 15 gallons of water (1 part bleach per 960 parts water) or approximately 1,042 ppm (parts per million). This solution would remain in the plumbing system for a minimum of three hours to sanitize the system.
Don't add the bleach straight to your fresh water tank. Dilute it in at least a gallon of water and use your funnel to pour your bleach mixture into the fresh water inlet on the side of your RV.
Yes. You should try and avoid using bleach in the toilet when possible, and opting instead to apply a non-chemical cleaner such as soapy water for cleaning purposes.
The best homemade RV holding tank treatment is a slurry of water softener, laundry detergent or dish soap, and bleach. Mix the ingredients together with water and flush them down the toilet after emptying your tanks.
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.
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.
Don't use caustics; use biodegradables. Baking soda (or Bon-Ami) is every bit as good a cleanser as the poisonous stuff.
If you notice dark stains near the water line in the brine (salt) tank, you should clean it now! Those dark stains are mold. You don't want mold, fungi, or bacteria to thrive in your water softener.
Chlorine, the “Cl” in the molecular formula, is a powerful oxidizer. While many RVers use bleach to sanitize their freshwater tanks (and that's fine, as long as you don't let it sit in your waste tanks too long), using it directly in your black and gray holding tank is probably not a good idea.
Use 1/4-cup of liquid household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) for every 15 gallons of fresh- water tank capacity. 4. Pour the solution directly into the fresh water tank.
Fill with trusted water and add a chemical water treatment. Hold for the recommended amount of time, then open all taps in the RV until no more water comes out. Let out the drain plugs. Park the rig on many angles (consider driving up on ramps) to get all of the water out of the tank.
First, make sure the tank is cleaned regularly. Any dirt or debris that builds up can contaminate the water, so it's important to keep the tank clean. You should also check the tank regularly for leaks. Even a small leak can allow contaminants into the water, so it's important to repair any leaks as soon as possible.