How do members deep clean "grey water waste" holding tank to eliminate smell

[Camper49]

How do members deep clean "grey water waste" holding tank to eliminate smell coming back into motorhome?

 

[izwozral]

Cheap coke or bio washing liquid works well. Close the drain tap, pour in 2 ltrs of coke or bio, plug the sinks, drive around for a few miles, open drain tap and the smell should be gone.

 

[witzend]

Keeping the plugs in will stop the smells and I always drain the tank after driving so most bits come out with the water before it gets a chance to settle. I notice people after doing laundry tipping the water away outside better tipped down the sink it will help with flushing the tank as will plenty of bleach

 

[GinaRon]

When I washed up I always used a washing up plastic bowl and when emptied the bowl used a sieve to catch all the bits so there was only water going into the tank I then emptied the bit into my plastic bags I used for waste.

 

[2cv]

Always wipe dishes with kitchen roll before washing to help minimise blockages and smells. Cheap coke poured into a fairly full tank before a journey also seems to work well to control smells.

 

[SimonM]

I use the cheap Aldi/Lidl/Tesco/whoever cheapest possible own brand cola, tip 4 x 2litre bottles down the drains and go for a good bumpy drive. Leave to brew for a while and then discard.

 

[Moped]

The cheap coke idea does work although unless you do this regularly the holding tank smells will return.

Recently we thought we would give the Thetford Grey Water Fresh Concentrated a go. Around £10 for 10 doses although we are now reducing the quantity to squeeze 15 doses out of a bottle. Actually this has surprised us and no need to use drain plugs. When emptying the grey there is a fairy liquid type foam on the surface of the water as it drains so it is doing something that coke did not. We are dosing after each drain which we were not doing with coke.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

We wipe with kitchen towel after using things and flush the drains with hot soapy water, never noticed any smells in any of our vans.

 

[GMJ]

Wherever possible we drain our grey waste into a bucket rather than hold it in the tank and then discard it (safely and properly). That reduces the smells to very little if any for quite a while. If, after a while we do get a niff (maybe from the waste trap), I then use Mr Muscle down each plug hole and leave for a while before flushing with some clean water. I also carry a bottle of the Grey Water Fresh stuff and a quick squirt down each plughole keeps things in check.

 

[jagmanx]

Almost No washing up water goes into our waste tank. So shower and bathroom wash basin only.
We use the plug in whilst showering then add washing powder to wash clothes.
So grey water is very light grey and emptied daily.
2 litres of cheap cola at the start of the summer and again towards the end.
Ps we live in the vehicle for the 5 summer months so everythimg is flushed through. Waste tank suiably emptied most days and contents often used to rinse out the cassette followed by clean rinsing water (eg from a borne)

 

[barryd]

Ill probably get shot down for this but as we tend to stay on rough field type basic CL sites in the UK I generally leave it open but as others have said no washing up water goes down it. Plates are wiped with kitchen roll that goes in the bin and any washing up water goes in the hedge. If im wilding or on hard standing somewhere ill close the grey but still adopt the same method and it never smells. All that goes in it is shower water or the bathroom sink from washing hands brushing teeth etc.

 

[SquirrellCook]

Don't you have water traps in your sink or shower drains? If you did no bad smells would return.

 

[GMJ]

It could be the traps smelling I guess, if food particles have been trapped in there perhaps?

 

[1 Cup]

Cant you just fit a trap so it air tight or bend pipe work into a U with a cable tie ? That what mines got on both but I have domestic plumbing and sink .

Love the above comments . But not used them..

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Big thing on some forums about leaving the waste drain slightly open so it never actual fills and it dries out after no use, another thing is cassettes, some never poo in them but use doggy bags and dispose of them in doggy bins.

 

[campervanannie]

I use the 10 litres of hot water from the van run straight down the sink into the tank with a touch of fairy liquid (a good degreaser ) drive then release once I’ve done this to keep it clean I follow the same as most others wipe food of dishes before washing and use a bowl and empty into a Sieve lined with a j cloth to catch any food or grease missed by the wipe.

 

[campervanannie]

Big thing on some forums about leaving the waste drain slightly open so it never actual fills and it dries out after no use, another thing is cassettes, some never poo in them but use doggy bags and dispose of them in doggy bins.

I’ve always thought that leaving the drain partially open causes the smell because if there is any fat grease or food partials in your tank then they get caught up in the drain pipe solidify then set your better to either keep it closed until you empty over a drain or if parked on grass put a bucket with holes in the bottom a j cloth or similar in the bottom open tap fully so food and grease are flushed out the food and fat are caught in the j cloth and the water filters away a lot of on grass campsite are now requesting this method during the dry spell.
and yes I am in the £$%^ in a bag camp never in my toilet the thought of emptying regergitated £$%^ just turns my stomach.

 

[barryd]

I’ve always thought that leaving the drain partially open causes the smell because if there is any fat grease or food partials in your tank then they get caught up in the drain pipe solidify then set your better to either keep it closed until you empty over a drain or if parked on grass put a bucket with holes in the bottom a j cloth or similar in the bottom open tap fully so food and grease are flushed out the food and fat are caught in the j cloth and the water filters away a lot of on grass campsite are now requesting this method during the dry spell.
and yes I am in the £$%^ in a bag camp never in my toilet the thought of emptying regergitated £$%^ just turns my stomach.

But presumably you still have to empty it into a waste point. In my experience often the most unpleasant part of it all is the waste point itself especially if its an almost full sceptic tank and we came across a few rotters on our recent trip. I use that green stuff generally from my local caravan dealer and it breaks it all down well and kind of smells like bubblegum As said though its where it gets emptied that sometimes makes it an unpleasant task. On the last CL we were on for three weeks which was cracking the black waste point was a large rectangular manhole type cover and it was vile and pretty full. First time I used it I took the cover right off and experienced the dreadful splash back. I learned quickly to only move the cover enough to get the nozzle in. I still have nightmares about it.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I have to very strenuously & seriously question your taste in bubble gum Barry.

We tried the doggy bag method this last time it was very successful (timing is critical though) and think we're going to continue where possible in addition to using toilets too so not often in the van anyway, we stopped using any chemicals when we had a van with a SOG fitted and never started again and a lot of places won't let you empty anyway if you use them as if buggers up their tanks.

 

[barryd]

I have to very strenuously & seriously question your taste in bubble gum Barry.

We tried the doggy bag method this last time it was very successful (timing is critical though) and think we're going to continue where possible in addition to using toilets too so not often in the van anyway, we stopped using any chemicals when we had a van with a SOG fitted and never started again and a lot of places won't let you empty anyway if you use them as if buggers up their tanks.

Thats why I started using the Green stuff last summer as we were heading up to the Scottish isles and I know a lot of emptying points or toilets are on sceptic tanks and this stuff is supposed to be ok with that. Anyway it was brilliant and really does smell like bubble gum. It breaks it all down really well and no nasty niffs when you empty, just bubblegum. Just bought another 2.5 litres of it for the next leg of the trip which will probably last the rest of the summer. £8.99.