9 Best RV Toilet Chemicals You Need to Know About (2024)
While it might not be the most fun or exciting party of RVing, understanding your RV toilet and black and grey water systems is an essential part of RV life. Knowing what RV toilet chemicals are good to use (and which ones not to) can prevent stink, make dumping your tanks easier and keep your RV septic system draining smoothly for years to come. This guide will help you understand what are the best RV toilet treatments to keep your waste system working as it’s designed.
First a bit about RV tanks. RV septic systems are not like the septic or drain system in your house. In your home, waste down the drain and down the toilet goes either into a public sewer system or a septic system that are outside of your house.
In your RV, waste drains from your sink or toilet into holding tanks. Most RVs have separate tanks for grey (sink and shower) water and black (toilet) waste. In some smaller RVs, like my Class B American Cruiser, grey and black water drain into one combined tank.
Your RV black and grey tanks have sensors that tell you how full your tanks are. These sensors are connected to a monitoring panel that lets you know when it’s time to dump your tanks. It’s important to keep these sensors clean and free of waste build up, so that you have an accurate reading how full they are.
Because your grey and black water tanks are attached to your RV, you’re living and driving around with sewage. Maintaining the systems that handle that sewage is the key to keeping your RV from getting stinky and from causing the waste to build up. The RV toilet chemicals we recommend in this article are one of the things you can do to keep your RV waste system operating properly. In addition, here are some RV septic tips:
- Use plenty of water after you use your RV toilet
- Never leave your septic hose open when you’re hooked up to a park’s septic system
- Use septic safe toilet paper
- Keep grease and food scraps out of your tanks
- Always dump your black tank when it is full. If it’s not full on dumping day, add water to top it off.
Best RV Toilet Chemicals For Waste Digestion
Now let’s talk about the best RV holding tank treatments.
1. Happy Campers
Happy Campers is my top choice for both black and grey tank treatment. The thing that sets Happy Campers apart is that it’s easy to use, it works and it’s environmentally friendly—which is super important to me.
I’ve used different treatments when Happy Campers was not available and I found that Happy Campers works the best at preventing sewer smells, even on hot days. It also works well in cold temperatures.
Happy Campers does a great job of not just breaking down waste, but also of breaking down toilet paper. In my RV I use regular Scott toilet paper, not the expensive RV specific toilet paper, and with regular treatment with Happy Campers as my go-to RV toilet chemical, I’ve not had any issues at the dump station. It can be used in both grey and black tanks and I’ve even used it in my sink when I had an odor.
2. TankTechsRX
Another great product, that works a little differently is TankTechsRX. Tank TechsRX is a great RV toilet chemical, because like Happy Campers, it is an organic product that will not harm the environment. Unlike other RV Toilet chemicals that use chemicals, enzymes or bacteria, TankTechsRX is a live probiotic that helps the beneficial bacteria in your RV toilet tank break down the waste in a natural way.
It breaks down toilet paper, solid waste and even grease that is dumped down your sink. As a liquid, it’s easy to use. Be sure to follow directions. In order for Tank TechsRX to work, you need to leave a little waste in your tank when you empty it. This keeps the mother probiotic working. TankTechsRX also claims that it prevents mineral build up in your tank that can cause issue with RV sensors not reading well.
Get your TankTechsRX today!
3. Unique RV Digest-it
Unique RV Digest-it is another RV Toilet chemical that many RVers swear by. It is odor-free and works tough on RV septic odors. It dissolves waste and toilet paper using a unique blend of bacteria and enzymes. Available in liquid, powder or drop-in pods. The Unique brand also makes a sensor cleaner and a tank cleaner for when there is a build up of waste. Unique RV Digest-it is safe for your holding tank and is approved for use at all campgrounds and dumping stations.
4. TST Max RV Toilet Chemical
TST Max is an RV toilet chemical that comes in both pod and liquid form. The pods are especially easy to use, just drop in your toilet after you’ve dumped and add two quarts of water. The chemicals will break down waste and toilet paper. TST Max is safe for all septic tanks, including portable camping toilets. It has an orange/citrus scent when you first add it to the tank, but it dissipates over time.
TST Max contains sodium chloride and sodium percarbonate, which can irritate the skin, so be sure to take care when using it.
Get your TST Max today!
5. Green Gobbler RV Toilet Chemical
When you’re out camping, the last thing you want to worry about is a smelly bathroom. Unlike at home, where plenty of water and a flush out to the public sewer takes care of your human waste, in an RV your waste sits in your tank for days at a time before you flush your tanks That’s why many RVers choose Green Gobbler as their favorite RV Toilet chemical. It eliminates odors, digests waste, prevents clogs and the drop-in pods are easy to use. The pods are lightly scented, which may bother some users, but other reviewers found the scent to be pleasant.
Get Green Gobbler today!
Best Deodorizer For An RV Black Tank
Sometimes your RV toilet needs a little extra something to get the smell out. That’s where RV black tank deodorizers come in. Use these to get a little extra umph to clean the crust from your tank and keep it from stinking up your RV.
6. Black Diamond Get Serious RV Toilet Treatment
Black Diamond Get Serious is an RV toilet chemical specifically made to break down waste and eliminate odors from your black tank. It produces enzymes that work to break down solids, fats, greases, food waste and toilet paper and over time even claims to dissolve waste and sludge build up. It naturally reduces odor and prevents solids from forming.
Get Black Diamond Get Serious RV Treatment today!
7. The Non-Chemical Method
Many RVers swear by a non-chemical RV tank deodorization also known as the geo method. This method cleans and deodorizes an empty tank. What you’ll need: water softener such as Calgon and dish soap. While most articles I’ve read on this recommend blue Dawn dish detergent , I imagine any good dish detergent will work.
The geo method can be used in both black and grey water tanks. Some people also add a bit of chlorine bleach, but I try to keep bleach out of my tank except twice a year when I add a tiny bit to sanitize my fresh water tank.
First you’ll add two cups of water softener to one gallon of hot water. Pour this into your empty black tank by pouring down the toilet. Then pour a cup of Dawn dish detergent down your toilet into your black tank.
Add a gallon of the Calgon mixture to your grey tank by pouring down your kitchen sink. You shouldn’t need to add dish detergent to your grey tank, as you’re likely already using soap to wash your dishes.
Now just use your sink, toilet and shower as normal. Empty them when they’re full, as you normally would. Remember to always either wait until your black tank is full or add water to top it off before you dump. Although I haven’t personally tried the geo method, many seasoned RVers swear by it. The softened water and detergent help keep solids and grease from sticking to the walls of your tanks.
Best RV Toilet Chemicals For Winterizing Your Black Water Tank
When the temperature drops, you need to make sure that your water lines are ready for the winter. When water freezes, it expands and that can cause your RV pipes to burst. Even if you empty your tanks, you need to add a bit of anti-freeze to your black and grey tanks and the traps in your fresh water lines. Here are 2 the best products for winterizing your black water tank, grey tank and your water lines:
8. Prestone RV Antifreeze
When choosing an RV anti-freeze, you’ll want to make sure you choose one that is not only safe for the metals, plastic and rubber components of your septic system, you also need to choose an anti-freeze that is safe for fresh water lines. Do not use the anti-freeze that you’d put in your car, this will damage your RV systems and is poisonous to you and your pets. Prestone RV/Waterline antifreeze is a good choice for RV winterizing your RV black water and fresh water lines. It protects down to -100 F and is safe for potable water systems.
9. Champion RV & Marine Anti Freeze
Champion is another good choice for winterizing your potable RV water system and your RV black and grey water tanks. I’ve used both Champion and Prestone and both have kept my waterlines and waste tanks from freezing in the winter. Champion protects down to -50F and is safe for PVC pipes and will not harm steel, plastic, copper, or brass plumbing. This is a safe choice to use for winterizing all your RV water lines and tanks, including your grey and black tanks. Be sure to follow manufactures directions for your specific RV for winterizing and de-winterizing.
Do I Need To Empty The Black Tank Before Winterizing?
You will need to empty the black tank of any waste before winterizing. Dump your black and grey water tanks and all water from your fresh water tank. After your tanks are empty, you will want to either blow the lines to remove any standing water or siphon RV specific anti-freeze into the lines. Be sure to follow directions for winterization for your specific RV.
How Do I Keep My RV Grey Water Tank Clean?
Keeping your grey water tank clean is easy. First, you should try to keep food waste and grease from getting into your tank. These are the things that will cause you issues in the long run. Be sure to scrape all food scraps from your dishes before washing. Install a food trap or screen in your kitchen sink and a hair trap in your bathroom sink and shower. Using something like this silicon spatula and scrape your dishes and pots into the garbage before washing.
You can treat your grey water tank with some of the chemicals listed above or the geo method. Personally I use Happy Campers and find it works great on both grey and black tank.
Note: Never use harsh chemicals like bleach in your RV toilet. RV toilets are not like your toilets at home. Harsh chemicals can destroy and dry out seals and other components.
Conclusion: Best RV Toilet Chemicals
These are my choices for best RV toilet chemical (2023). Many of these I’ve tried myself, others we’ve had recommended by other experienced RVers. You may occasionally need to clean out your black tank with a spray hose or flush or have it professionally cleaned if these chemicals don’t do the job.
If you’re finding that no matter what chemicals you use, your tank is still not clean or stopped up, try flushing it with a Flush King sewer tank rinser. It gets great reviews from RVers who have had issues with their black tanks.
Learn more: Best RV Water hoses
