What Goes In Yours?

[Kannon Fodda]

Aargh, I hear many of you cry. It's a toilet thread

So apart from what comes naturally, what do you put in that bowl and cassette if you want to be friendly to the more eco based disposal systems?

Blue chemicals are an obvious no no. But are the green versions OK? I see many are now using clothes washing detergents - bio or non bio, powder, sachet or liquid. Do you need to start these off with a little liquid in the cassette? Is anything other than blue efficient and after a couple of nights are you going to dread going near your loo, especially if it's been cooking on a sunny day?

My backside appreciates a nice quality soft quilted loo roll . I suspect that unless the continental system of a bin by the side of the loo is employed, that would be too much for the cassette and it's smaller orifices. No doubt there is a reason why Thetford make their own paper, but do I need specialist paper or will any reasonable softer type supermarket roll do? I really hope I don't have to revert to that shiny hard paper that prevailed in the 1980s schools

And then we have the subject of keeping things clean. I read that the bowl plastics and valve seals are almost as sensitive as our derrieres. Are the pink chemicals eco friendly? If they shouldn't be used, what are the alternatives as sooner or later that natty bog brush will need a bit of assistance.

 

[funflair]

No1 No2 water and soft paper, clean in now and again with toilet bowl cleaner

I know you didn't ask but we have a SOG.

Martin

 

[GPW]

Bio sachet + short flush into a clean cassette, doesn't really smell at all. Will switch to bio liquid at some point but only as I can put a small dab down the sink rather than a whole sachet to keep the grey tank happy.

Remember washing machines also have rubber seals etc like toilets do so I'm sure it's fine.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Been putting bleach in now for 12 years, never dissapoints ??

 

[Nirvanauk]

Blue stuff for us. No problem,

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[Shrimp]

Bio washing liquid.
Normal loo paper-that doesn’t go into loo, goes in nappy bags in sealed bin leaves more room in cassette.
Loo cleaning disinfectant wet wipes also go in bin.
Also got a SoG.

 

[thebriars]

I have no problem emptying the toilet with the blue stuff in it into our septic tank. Not done it the slightest bit of harm over the years.

 

[MillieMoocher]

We’ve been using bio washing liquid for some time. I add about half a cap (of the cassette, not the bottle), then some water. Breaks stuff down just fine.

We also use normal Andrex paper, again never had any issues.

I understand that to make the bio work, the cassette has be be clean of any blue of green chemical stuff first so it’s not easy to mix and match. This may or may not be true, but I followed the advice and have not had any problems.

To ensure there is a good bio culture, when emptying on site I never rinse the cassette.

When we get home i then empty the cassette down the loo, and put in the half a cap of bio, fill the cassette with hot water and leave for a couple of days. Empty, rinse with clean water, and put back in the van for next use.

 

[RobinE]

One cap ful of Ecover washing liquid, empty once a day when possible. We also have a Sog.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Hmm, I don't think conversion to a SOG is going to be an option. It's a small PVC. Plus I'm not going to have the money for a year or two at least to pay for expensive changes. So that leaves the cassette's contents to fester away.

I suspect blue chemicals are fine for individuals and septic tank type systems (Not sure of some of the more modern packaged treatment systems), based on the limited overall dosage. But for the slightly more commercial dump points the amount of blue may create a problem, hence why some places don't like it.

Must say I hadn't thought of nappy bags as a receptacle (but then being not so young, free and single I've managed to avoid the experience of infant's toiletries), however the toilet/basin/shower space on the PVC will be tiny, so not quite sure I'd have space for even a small bin.

Interesting that bleach has been used. Thetford specifically say domestic bleach will cause damage in their FAQs.

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[maison]

Kannon Fodda
We also have a PVC so space will be similar to yours.

We don’t use on-site facilities, preferring to use our own.

We use Elsan Blue and normal toilet paper which goes into the cassette. With two of us the cassette lasts a couple of days before needing emptying, although we tend to empty before we leave a camp site or “Aire”, “just in case”.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Bio sachets, better quality camping bog paper and a SOG here. Cassette is always spotless when emptied (and rinsed). Kept empty when not in use

 

[peterc10]

Lidl's Formil Bio washing liquid for us. Get it either in concentrated form or on dissolvable sachets. Cheap and environmentally friendly.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

We use aldi bio sachets, or similar in liquid form. For toilet paper we use sainsbury owncheepo, seems to work OK. When Wilding or where emptying the cassette is not possible we use a small garden pump spray to wash down the bowl rather than flushing debris down, saves on water usage also.

 

[Emmit]

We use "Doussy" fabric conditioner from Lidl.
My take on the subject is this. We empty the cassette every two-three days. That blue stuff hasn't got a hope of breaking down the solids in the tank in that time. Therefore you are paying a fortune to have the blue work AFTER you have thrown it away.
The Doussy keeps the smell down until we dispose of the contents at about a seventh (or is it a fourteenth) of the cost of blue.

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[Reallyretired]

Lidl formil if available or any supermarket bio. Tesco soft bog roll, swmbo swears by it, we take 48 rolls to the continent when we go.
Not rinsing the cassette certainly helps to reduce smells, lets a good culture develop. Normally empty every 2days though can go longer if necessary with a second cassette, but empty daily if possible.

 

[GPW]

Hmm, I don't think conversion to a SOG is going to be an option. It's a small PVC. Plus I'm not going to have the money for a year or two at least to pay for expensive changes.

I worked out that between my cassette and the access door I could fit quite a big plastic storage container with all the toilet rolls, bio bottles and sponges to wash the van with . Not sure how much space a SOG takes but it does seem to involve a pipe in the way.

So that leaves the cassette's contents to fester away.

With bio the bacteria are actually composting the contents as in a village sewage plant.

I suspect blue chemicals are fine for individuals and septic tank type systems (Not sure of some of the more modern packaged treatment systems), based on the limited overall dosage. But for the slightly more commercial dump points the amount of blue may create a problem, hence why some places don't like it.

The blue contains formaldehyde (usually 25% - check the bottle!) which is an extraordinarily toxic and dangerous chemical

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and if passed into a village sewage plant inevitably has to end up in the river and water tables. If also kills all the bacteria it can so enough can halt a septic tank so it stops composting and creates major problems.

I had no idea why people use it as it merely preserves the waste instead of using the biological processes to break it down/digest/ferment/compost it like a regular sewage works does: I.e. blue is unsustainable and polluting. If a bio mix is left in a cassette it turns into a harmless product and is great at keeping the inside of the cassette clean (remember it's designed for washing! It also smells better, I hate the smell of blue!

The other aspect of blue is that if you spill any it will generally stain anything permanently blue, unlike bio washing agents which of course just make stuff cleaner .

To summarise:
Blue = dangerous, staining, polluting, preserving
Bio = pretty safe, breaks down, aids nature.

So an easy choice: use the cheapest bio washing product you can find and enjoy

 

[trophychap]

Good grief! - 99.9% of sites/rural aires in France have fosses septiques and you should never put Elsan Blue in them - it's even worse than bleach at killing the bacteria that do the work in septic tanks worldwide so if a site owner found you using it, he should kick you off site and I've seen that threatened both in the UK and abroad.

Like others, we've been using Formil for a good many years - the Bio one so make sure you get the right one. It's also A Lot cheaper than Elsan anyway!

 

[dabhand]

I find comfort really makes for a nice soft sweet smelling motion, but then only if I drink it!

 

[Allanm]

We use Thetford Aqua Kem green and cheap toilet paper. Tried bio washing stuff but didn’t get on with it. NEVER use wet wipes or similar, full of plastic and will never break down.
To clean the bowl we use non bleach eco friendly cleaner and toilet paper.

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[Camping Gaza]

Cheapest Bio liquid, Cheap bog paper. It breaks down luvvery, and pours out of the cassette like a good brown Windsor soup!

Extinction rebellion approved.

 

[Landy Andy]

We use Thetford Aqua Kem Green sachets.
Better for environment than blue, and sachets are by far the easiest and cleanest way of adding chemicals. Probably cost more but I don’t care. Toilet paper is supermarket own brand, and just goes in the cassette, just don’t use handfuls of it. It also doesn’t take any room up in the cassette. To clean the toilet, when at home I use a bleach covered cloth, and cassette is removed, so no rubber bits, then polish the toilet bowl with the same polish I use on the outside of the motorhome.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Yep blue is definitely not to be used for me. I can see it is nasty stuff. Even where chemical disposal is allowed, it probably goes to the local authority sewers which must interfere with the treatment system, which will have started anaerobically even in the sewer. You might get away with it, in a well functioning private septic tank system on your own house if you are only occasionally dumping your cassette to it, and you have other good usage with non contaminated effluent. I'm not sure I'd risk it.

At the moment it seems to be a toss up between a bio washing detergent (need to find the easiest form of transportation) or the "official" green stuff. I think you do need something to at least start the breaking down process, so what goes into the cassette comes out again. Simply trying to combat smells with a fabric softener doesn't seem enough especially if you can't empty daily.

Cleaning seems to be the concern. With bleach is it just the rubbery bits that are vulnerable, or can bleach also affect the plastics of the bowl. Not a great deal of official comment on the manufacturer's sites other than don't use.

Still trying to work out what chemicals might be in the pink additives and how eco unfriendly those might be.

 

[Landy Andy]

Rather than using any pink I put one sachet of green (just contents) into squirty bottle, and watmwater to help it dissolve then use that if required.

 

[SuperMike]

Nuffink.

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[TerryL]

 

[monzer]

I use the strongest blue and pink chemicals I can find. I never stick around long enough to see if it has damaged any of the sand dunes or areas of outstanding natural beauty.

 

[Lenny HB]

Only the finest quality poo & pee plus Lidl's finest bog paper and of course we have a SOG.

 

[klaatu]

I've read in a few places (including this forum) that Aqua Kem Blue doesn't contain formaldehyde. But I don't know what it does contain.

 

[Nixdorfer]

First time we've even used ours so currently using Elsan Green organic stuff

Whats a SOG?