There are a wide variety of sanitation or toilet
chemical products available for portable toilets. Do
your best to choose environmentally friendly
biodegradable chemicals and avoid products containing
formaldehyde.
Caution
should always be exercised in handling any toilet
chemicals as their ingredients may cause eye and skin
irritation and other side affects if inhaled.
Essentially there are two applications for toilet
chemicals, one is for the flush or fresh water top tank
and the other is for the holding or waste tank/waste
cassette. The chemical used for the fresh flush tank is
mainly to deodorise and the chemical for the holding or
waste tank/waste cassette is to reduce gas build up and
break down the solids (faeces) into slurry for easy
disposal.
Wikipedia defines ‘biodegradable waste’ as typically
originating from plant or animal sources which may be
broken down by other living organisms. There is often a
‘contradiction’ as some chemicals kill the
micro-organisms and mask the odour thereby working
against this natural occurrence so it is a challenge to
find a sanitation product or toilet chemical that will
‘allow’ this biodegradable breakdown but still do the
job.
It
is often difficult to find information on biodegradable
chemical products from manufacturers or distributors
websites so make sure you read the product labels. Some
toilet chemical manufacturers will supply Material
Safety Data Sheets upon request and others are available
for viewing on their websites. Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS) detail the chemical ingredients and list
any hazardous substances as well as any likely physical
reactions if spilt on the skin or inhaled.
Notwithstanding a lot of claims about the efficiency of
sanitation products we find the portable toilet cassette
requires emptying after 4-5 days particularly if the
portable toilet is exposed to sunlight and heat.
The sanitation product or chemicals for portable toilets
can come in the form of a liquid, tablet, sachet or dry
powder.
For example –
Odour-B-Gone
– Odour-B-Gone have fast and slow release discs which
can be used in cassette and black-water holding tanks.
Their website states their product contains no harmful
chemical and is environmentally friendly.
Odour-B-Gone claim it is safe to discharge the waste
into septic systems and long-drop toilets.
Thetford
have a liquid pink concentrate product ‘Aqua
Rinse’ for the fresh water flush tank which they
state has a pleasant lavender smell and has
lubricating qualities to assist opening and
closing the blade to the waste tank. Thetford
states their ‘Aqua Kem Blue’ for the
waste or holding tank has a pleasant pine odour
and assists breaking down solids. Thetford
state their Aqua Kem Liquid is an
environmentally safe, biodegradable formula
holding tank deodorant but this is confusing as
their Material Data Safety Sheet (Form 50001)
states it contains formaldehyde. The Material
Safety Data Sheet (Form 50039) for the Thetford
‘SupremeGreen’ holding tank deodoriser
states it contains Broncopol which is a
preservative agent and often used in
substitution for formaldehyde.
Thetford’s
‘Safe AquaKem Green’, manufactured by Hayman
Reese in Dandenong South, Victoria, label states it does
not contain formaldehyde and is ecologically safe,
biodegradable, non-toxic and non-ecotoxic. Mix 60ml per
5 litres holding tank capacity. The label goes on to
say
Aqua Kem Green is not designed for use in recirculating
toilets and Holding Tank Models.
Thetford Aqua Kem Dri is a concentrated dry
granular holding tank deodorant for use in RV and marine
portable toilets. Thetford state Aqua Kem Dri is
biodegradable and environmentally safe when disposed of
in a waste treatment system.
Enviro-Chem
claim their toilet treatment is a patented technology
for a one step holding tank treatment system that is a
formaldehyde free formula.
Coleman
have a Biodegradable Toilet Liquid Deodorizer and a
Liquid Holding Tank Deodorizer & Cleaner which they
claim is biodegradable, formaldehyde free with a mint
fragrance and breaks down waste and tissue.
Portasol
by Chemtech is an antibacterial sanitiser. It contains
10g/L Glutaraldehyde which is often used to disinfect
medical and dental equipment and as a chemical
preservative and embalming fluid.
Anotec Pty Ltd
– Anotec Pty Ltd are based in Botany in Sydney NSW.
Anotec state they manufacture quality cleaning and
sanitation chemicals suitable for hospitality,
sanitation and domestic sectors that are non-staining,
non-toxic and available in 10 different fragrances.
Anotec’s website states they purposely specialise in
odour control. Anotec Blue Toilet Additive SFTY-100
product is formaldehyde free, biodegradable and is a
liquid concentrate additive and you only need about a
tablespoon full for a cassette toilet. Material Safety
Data Sheets are available from Anotec upon request.
BioMagic
–
BioMagic state their odour and waste control products
are non toxic, non hazardous and 100% environmentally
friendly. BioMagic also state their products are safe
on the skin, harmless to animals and good for the
environment. BioMagic have product containers from
500ml – 20L for small and large waste tanks. For the
smaller toilet cassettes it takes about 20ml in waste
tank and 20 ml in top flush tank to freshen things up.
Feedback on various caravan forums are mixed but the
trick seems to be to ensure the waste cassette has been
cleaned well prior to using BioMagic.
Although some home made toilet chemicals
(See
related article)
may be cheaper to mix up, feedback on some
caravan forums suggest some caravan parks with
septic toilets have banned the deposit of the
toilet waste into the septic system. The reason
for this is given that as most of these home
made toilet chemicals contain Pine-O-Clean or
Bleach and this kills bacteria required for the
natural breakdown of the waste solids.
Portable Toilet Chemicals - Home Remedy Portable
toilet chemicals are not cheap. Save money and
make your own home remedy from simple
ingredients bought at the local supermarket.
In the United States of America there are other products
available, some of which ship internationally, such as:-
Reliance
bio-blue
– bio blue toilet chemicals for recirculating toilets
and holding tanks come in packs of dry chemical. You
drop one pouch into the tank and the water dissolves the
pouch and contents.
Century
Blue Clean N Fresh Toilet Bowl Cleaner
– Clean N Fresh has drop in packs you add to the toilet
bowl with some water and after cleaning the bowl it
flows into the holding tank and acts as a deodoriser.
Clean N Fresh is a biodegradable product.
Chempace bioFORCE –
Chempace-bio-FORCE-RV products can come in packets or
liquid concentrate. The product is stated to be
formaldehyde free biological tank treatment for both
grey and black holding tanks and assists in breaking
down organic waste and tissue.
Star Brite
– Star Brite manufacture Instant Fresh Toilet Treatments
for holding tanks and portable toilets for RV and marine
applications. Star Brite state their products are
formaldehyde free and biodegradable. Material Safety
Data Sheets are available for viewing on their website.
J
& J Chemical Company Inc
– their website states they have a range of
non-formaldehyde and eco-friendly deodorisers. For
example, ecoblue liquid is available in a portion
control tablet or liquid form to digest and deodorise
waste. Material Safety Data Sheets are available upon
request.
For further details do
a Google Search facility has been provided below.
Search this Site
It
is often difficult to find information on biodegradable
chemical products from manufacturers or distributors
websites so make sure you read the product labels. Some
toilet chemical manufacturers will supply Material
Safety Data Sheets upon request and others are available
for viewing on their websites. Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS) detail the chemical ingredients and list
any hazardous substances as well as any likely physical
reactions if spilt on the skin or inhaled. 
Odour-B-Gone.jpg)
Thetford’s
‘Safe AquaKem Green’, manufactured by Hayman
Reese in Dandenong South, Victoria, label states it does
not contain formaldehyde and is ecologically safe,
biodegradable, non-toxic and non-ecotoxic. Mix 60ml per
5 litres holding tank capacity. The label goes on to
say
Aqua Kem Green is not designed for use in recirculating
toilets and Holding Tank Models.
Portasol
BioMagic
– 
