How To Clean An Rv Toilet Bowl

If this seems like an odd topic for a web log post, keep in mind that many seemingly ordinary household tasks that most people have for granted can exist just a pifflingdissimilar in an RV.

But like folks in a sticks-and-bricks house, those of united states who alive full-time or travel function-time in an RV have home maintenance and cleaning chores. But cleaning certain parts of an RV can call for different products than you may be used to using in your dwelling.

What type of toilet cleaner to use is a legitimate question because an RV toilet is often fabricated from different materials, contains different parts, and fifty-fifty sends its contents to a unlike location than a traditional toilet in a regular dwelling. And the terminal matter nosotros want to exercise is damage RV components by using the wrong cleaning products.

And so, today nosotros're getting downwardly to the nitty and the gritty to discuss which cleaning products are best for your RV's toilet and plumbing organization.

1) Is Regular Household Toilet Bowl Cleaner Safe for my RV Toilet?
ii) Why Household Cleaning Chemicals Could Exist Bad for Your RV Toilet
1. 2.i) RV Toilet Bowl Material
2. ii.2) Black Tank
3. 2.3) RV Toilet Seals & Blackness Tank Dump Valve
3) Can You lot Put Bleach in an RV Toilet?
4) Safety RV Toilet Cleaner Options
1. 4.1) Non-Abrasive Sponges or Cloths
2. 4.ii) Vinegar and Water
3. 4.3) Unique RV Toilet Cleaner
4. 4.four) Dometic three-in-1 Bowl Cleaner & Tank Treatment
5) Lubricate Your RV Toilet Seal To Go along It Working

Is Regular Household Toilet Bowl Cleaner Safe for my RV Toilet?

Use gentle alternatives like a sprayer when cleaning RV toilets — *Exist careful not to impairment toilet or plumbing components, which are different in an RV than in a sticks & bricks firm.*

The answer is a resounding "Information technology depends"! The general consensus, based on recommendations from nigh RV toilet manufacturers, is that you should avoid the employ of harsh or abrasive cleaners. That's because they want to be certain these products don't harm the bowl, the toilet'due south bract valve and seal, and/or the blackness h2o tank.

Why Household Cleaning Chemicals Could Be Bad for Your RV Toilet

Let's accept a closer await at the issues listed above and see what the impact would be of using a toilet bowl cleaner that wasn't designed for apply in an RV toilet.

RV Toilet Bowl Material

In guild to salvage weight (and money), many RV toilets are made of plastic. The whole matter, including the bowl. If that's the instance with your toilet, you'll desire to exist careful what cleaners yous use. Harsh chemicals (like bleach) could compose the plastic of the basin, degrading it prematurely and peradventure causing information technology to go breakable and crack.

Annoying cleaners, or stiff-bristle cleaning brushes, could damage the hardened layer on the surface, causing it to get scratched. These scratches get hiding places for clay and bacteria to build upwardly, making future cleaning more challenging. Use a nylon castor instead, or a sponge or a soft rag.

However, many RV toilets are fabricated of porcelain. Sometimes information technology's just the basin, but in other models, (similar our Thetford Aria), information technology can be the whole toilet… just similar a standard household version. If that'southward the case, y'all can exist less careful with cleaners, since porcelain is impervious to well-nigh household chemicals… and tin can certainly handle any brush you tin can throw at it (though you really shouldn't throw things at your toilet ????). Only keep reading… there are other things to keep in mind.

Black Tank

Another thing to consider when choosing your RV toilet cleaner is how you manage your blackness tank. If you utilize a bacteriological organisation, y'all'll want to be sure you lot're not flushing harsh cleaning chemicals downwards your toilet, as they could damage the rest of helpful bacteria yous've been carefully maintaining.

But even if you employ a more typical black tank treatment (like Happy Campers, which is what we employ), y'all may want to exist conscientious what RV toilet cleaner you choose in social club to avoid any possible chemical reactions. Many household cleaners include bleach, which can react with many other chemicals and release noxious (and unsafe) chlorine gas. And if you were to use those harsher chemicals when your blackness tank was more often than not empty (and left them in the tank for too long) they could potentially, over time, damage the plastic of the black tank itself.

RV Toilet Seals & Blackness Tank Dump Valve

RV toilets don't piece of work the aforementioned style that typical household toilets practise. Instead of having a p-trap design that retains h2o in the bowl, they rely on a blade valve and seal to keep the water and contents where they belong until yous affluent.

That valve and seal combination tin be damaged by harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners, or a stiff toilet bowl brush. And once information technology's damaged, it won't retain the h2o in the bowl, allowing odor from the black tank to rise upwardly into your bath. ???? While it's important to go on the blade valve and seal make clean, y'all need to practise information technology carefully to preclude it from being damaged.

And, once flushed into the black tank, those harsh chemicals could age/harm the seals on your black tank valve, leading to premature failure and leaks.

And so, as you tin see, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the right cleaner for your RV toilet.

Coming Clean: With our fully-porcelain RV toilet, we've just ever used typical household toilet cleaner, though we do avoid the versions that include bleach. We don't apply a bacteriological tank handling, and so nosotros aren't concerned about the cleaner affecting that. And since we always clean our toilet right before dumping the black tank, the chemicals are highly diluted by the mostly-full tank, and are so immediately flushed out completely.

Every bit for the seal in our toilet blade valve? It'due south the original one and still going strong after more 16 years of full-time use! And so we're either extremely lucky, or our toilet seal is especially impervious. ????

Can You Put Bleach in an RV Toilet?

No, you shouldn't put bleach in an RV toilet nether any circumstances. Non just could the bleach damage a plastic toilet bowl but, more than importantly, continuous or regular exposure to bleach could damage or dry out the toilet valve seals and impede their function.

Avoid using bleach. — *Bleach should never be used in an RV toilet as it can damage toilets, gaskets, and the components of the waste organisation, causing a whole host of issues.*

Further downwards the line, bleach tin can too exist a trouble for your black tank: either by destroying the beneficial leaner that alive at that place (and aid tackle odor) or past damaging the plastic of the tank itself. There tin also be a host of potentially unsafe chemic reactions inside your black tank when bleach gets involved, so information technology'due south all-time to avert it entirely.

Safety RV Toilet Cleaner Options

So, harsh chemicals including bleach are out. Only fear not – at that place are still plenty of easy-to-use, affordable RV toilet bowl cleaners to protect your waste system and have your bathroom sparkling in no fourth dimension.

Non-Abrasive Sponges or Cloths

There's no substitute for good, onetime-fashioned elbow grease. The most straightforward part of getting your RV toilet make clean is unproblematic scrubbing. Use not-abrasive sponges or a soft-bristled nylon brush to avoid potentially damaging the toilet stop and/or seal while you scrub. It may not be the most pleasant household task, merely thorough and regular cleanings make this a far less unpleasant process.

Vinegar and H2o

When it comes to safe cleaning products, this is one of the classics. Make a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water and add it to a spray canteen. Vinegar is a mildly acidic solution that cuts through crud, softens and removes mineral deposits, neutralizes the odor of urine, and is prophylactic on almost surfaces. Spray your toilet, let information technology sit for a few minutes, and and so scrub or wipe away.

If you've got stubborn stains that have built upwards over time around the waterline, try pouring the vinegar solution into the bowl so information technology covers them and letting it sit down overnight before scrubbing it clean. Yous'll be amazed at how effective this simple pull a fast one on can be.

There are also special RV toilet cleaners for the needs and limitations of an RV water and waste material system. Let's take a look at a few of them for those of y'all who prefer not to utilize white vinegar.

Unique RV Toilet Cleaner

A product called Unique RV Toilet Cleaner is one of the best. It uses a combination of enzymes, benign bacteria, and tank-enhancing microbes to remove stains, lubricate toilet seals, boost belongings tank waste decomposition, and reduce tank odour, all without harsh chemicals. And the fact that it includes the same beneficial bacteria that are oft intentionally added to your black tank for odor control, information technology's not only Non harming anything in that regard but is really helping.

Dometic three-in-ane Basin Cleaner & Tank Handling

Coming from Dometic, one of the major manufacturers of RV toilet bowls, you know this product is safe, and designed specifically for RVs. Plus, these lavander-scented, drop-in packets tackle many jobs at once. Their quick-dissolving, effervescent formula foams up and cleans the toilet basin. The lavender aroma makes your toilet & bathroom smell nice. And, once the basin is make clean and you flush it down, it aids in the breakdown of waste material in your black tank. Trifecta! While not the least expensive choice, they do say that time is money… so if yous've got better things to practise than clean your RV'south toilet bowl, these may just be worth it for y'all.

Lubricate Your RV Toilet Seal To Keep It Working

Regardless of how you lot clean your RV toilet or which cleaner yous use, information technology'due south skillful practice to regularly lubricate your toilet seal to help go along it functioning properly. A cleaved or degraded seal can cause all sorts of problems, from bad smells to water leaks. Remember, that pocket-size corporeality of water in the bottom of the bowl is the primary barrier that prevents blackness tank odors from entering your RV's living space through the toilet.

It'southward worth getting a canteen of lubricant specifically designed for this, like Thetford RV Toilet Seal Lube. Information technology penetrates the toilet seal, ensuring it doesn't dry out and crack, while likewise lubricating it to ensure the blade valve operates smoothly. This can significantly extend the life of your toilet seal and keep your rig's waste organization running correctly.

We hope these tips on cleaning your RV toilet will be helpful as you maintain your home on wheels while protecting components and enhancing the longevity of your RV's plumbing and waste system.

Geek Out with United states Every Week

Join our newsletter to learn about all things RV-related. Every week we offer free tips, tricks, product reviews, and more to our online customs of RVers. Whether this is your first time on the road or yous're a seasoned expert, nosotros'd beloved for you to geek out with us!