Vinegar or Baking soda

[RVChippys]

Has anyone ever used white vinegar or baking soda to clean out the grey and/or black tanks? After a busy summer of RVing we want to put it in storage with everything as clean as possible.Thanks in advance for any reply of experience.

[cpoo]

Use both. It will get real clean. Leave toilet lid down and valve closed.

[Monaco_Montclai]

don't ever plan on putting anything in that wont come out, by the valve. the grey water tank and the black WATER TANKs don't have to be that clean. but I do use the I-----c----e-- thing every now and then.now its all happy-camping

[RayChez]

OP does not say what kind of coach he has, but on mine it has a sprayer on each tank and when I am going to let it set for awhile I flush them real good. Leave the water running on the sprayer until you have about 3/4 full, then dump. Do this on each tank and if you have been using a enzyme in your tanks, it will leave them like new.

[TechWriter]

flfulltimerwinnabago wrote:
I have read on this site that using bleach for cleaning RV toilets, sinks, pipes and holding tanks will cause you to have problems down the road. seal and gasket failure, cracked holding tanks and so forth. I believe in my manual it specifically warns NOT to use bleach. I don't have a scientific explanation of why. but I know bleach and certain plastics are a no no, It breaks them down.

Bleach (and even chlorinated water) is bad for PB (polybutylene) plumbing. In fact, it's so bad that there was a class action lawsuit in the late 1990's. PB is no longer used.

But just like there are a lot of different metals with different qualities, the same is true for plastics.

If you have PB plumbing (which is usually gray or black) in your RV, don't use bleach. In fact, if you plan on keeping an RV with PB plumbing, I'd replace all the PB.

On the other hand, typical RV plumbing is PEX or ABS. RV holding tanks are typically polyethylene. None of these plastics are adversely affected by sodium hydroxide (bleach).

What about bleach and "seals" or gaskets?

There are gaskets in each holding tank valve, but these gaskets are probably Santoprene which is also bleach resistant.

However, some RV toilets use a natural rubber seal, and bleach will degrade natural rubber. So don't fill up your RV toilet with bleach and let it sit.

Otherwise, bleach-phobia is a misplaced fear for an RV.

[rondeb]

We too like to put the RV to bed with spotless tanks. On our way home from our last outing, we drain all tanks, fill them with a little soap and drive to the last spot. The morning we leave for home, we drain and fill them twice and then fill them about a 1/3 of the way and put a little more soap in them. We stop at the last dump station before we get home and drain them. Once home, I take the want and completely clean out anything left in the black and then we store them open. We do put little screen caps on so nothing can crawl in. Probably way over the top for most, but that is the way we have been doing it for years.

[crasster]

If your shower drains into the black tank, then you'll have soap in it to clean/soften. It does not have to be sterile of course.

[brirene]

^^^^ I would agree that you shouldn't use full strength bleach on toilets, etc, and I'm not sure why you would want to. As a fresh water tank and system sanitizer, in the recommended amounts, which are fairly minimal, it's effective, safe, inexpensive, and recommended. At least it is in my manual.

[flfulltimerwinn]

I have read on this site that using bleach for cleaning RV toilets, sinks, pipes and holding tanks will cause you to have problems down the road. seal and gasket failure, cracked holding tanks and so forth. I believe in my manual it specifically warns NOT to use bleach. I don't have a scientific explanation of why. but I know bleach and certain plastics are a no no, It breaks them down. Good Luck and Happy travels!

[TechWriter]

J-Rooster wrote:

TechWriter wrote:

RVChippys wrote:
Has anyone ever used white vinegar or baking soda to clean out the grey and/or black tanks?

Nope, mainly because vinegar, baking soda, or hydrogen peroxide won't sanitize, but bleach will. Read this.

At room temperature only bleach will sanitize. Plus, you only need a 50ppm bleach solution (1/4 cup per 15 gal of holding tank capacity).

To sanitize like bleach but using vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, you'd have to heat the liquid to 130 degrees F and use full-strength solutions -- that's 15 gal vinegar or H2O2 per 15 gal holding tank capacity. $$$

Use bleach.

I would never use bleach in a black tank! JMHO

Because . . . ?

[J-Rooster]

TechWriter wrote:

RVChippys wrote:
Has anyone ever used white vinegar or baking soda to clean out the grey and/or black tanks?

Nope, mainly because vinegar, baking soda, or hydrogen peroxide won't sanitize, but bleach will. Read this.

At room temperature only bleach will sanitize. Plus, you only need a 50ppm bleach solution (1/4 cup per 15 gal of holding tank capacity).

To sanitize like bleach but using vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, you'd have to heat the liquid to 130 degrees F and use full-strength solutions -- that's 15 gal vinegar or H2O2 per 15 gal holding tank capacity. $$$

Use bleach.

I would never use bleach in a black tank! JMHO

[BigBlockTank]

TechWriter wrote:

RVChippys wrote:
Has anyone ever used white vinegar or baking soda to clean out the grey and/or black tanks?

Nope, mainly because vinegar, baking soda, or hydrogen peroxide won't sanitize, but bleach will. Read this.

At room temperature only bleach will sanitize. Plus, you only need a 50ppm bleach solution (1/4 cup per 15 gal of holding tank capacity).

To sanitize like bleach but using vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, you'd have to heat the liquid to 130 degrees F and use full-strength solutions -- that's 15 gal vinegar or H2O2 per 15 gal holding tank capacity. $$$

Use bleach.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^This is the best answer I've seen so far.

[Road_Dog]

Ditto on Happy Camper! The best I have ever used in all 5 of my motorhomes and 3 trailers! 46 years on the road!

[J-Rooster]

Happy Camper or RV Digest they have enzymes that eats up everything inside your black tank. These 2 products are very good at cleaning your tank sensors!

[rockhillmanor]

I mean, what's going to happen to anything left in that tank? (Down into the hole in the ground and the septic system) so why bother.

Anything left/stuck in the tank and/or sensors will harden and it will not necessary come loose just by adding water and dumping. It will just attract more to stick to it.

And dawn, calgon, water softeners and all the mystical magical treatments for holding tanks leave a film/surfactants on sensors which is why so many people are always complaining their sensors don't work and everyone always reply that they never work anyway. 😞

No you don't need a black tank you can eat off of, but paying attention to a few small details keeping it clean eliminates problems down the line. ALL my coaches I have owned had fully working sensors, never any sewer smells up to the day I sold them.