Last Updated on June 27, 2023 by Chase Manhattan
Portable car toilets should be cleaned regularly. After using the car toilet for some time, it will develop a bad odor. Cleaning the toilet is sanitary and prevents bad odors from developing. Here’s how to clean portable car toilets.
- Disassemble the portable toilet.
- Empty the tank in a safe place.
- Pressure wash the tank.
- Add odor remover.
- Fill the tank again.
Cleaning car toilets is a relatively easy task. All models are built differently so the cleaning process is not the same. That’s why we will explain in the most general way.
Follow this step-by-step guide to clean your portable car toilet.
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Disassemble The Toilet
Most portable car toilets are made out of two parts. The actual toilet, where you sit, and the tank for the water. Toilets like this have water in the tank which allows you to flush.
Start off by disassembling the toilet. Seperate the upper part from the tank. The upper part is already ready for washing, the tank has to be emptied first.
Portable car toilets with a tank are a bit harder to clean because you need to empty out the water. The hard part is finding a place to empty out the tank.
There are one-part portable car toilets. These are really easy to clean. They are used with a trash bag hanging inside the toilet, so you just remove the bag.
Once you’ve done this, you can move on to the next step.
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Empty The Tank
Here is probably the hardest part. Water is not the only thing in the tank. So, you can’t just empty it anywhere you like.
You have to be really careful with emptying out the tank. It’s a septic tank, so it’s full of human waste. If you are careless, you can ruin the environment, or cause problems for other people.
Now, if you are at an RV camp or a popular camping space, you may be in luck. Almost all RV camps have an RV dump. This is the place where you empty and fill the tank of portable toilets.
An RV dump is probably the safest place to empty out the tank. Some camping sites also have a place for this but not all. If you can’t find an RV dump, you will have to empty the tank directly into the sewage system.
Another option is using a waste suction service. If you can’t find a dump, you will have to use a waste suction service.
To empty the tank, you will have to connect the pipe of the tank to the dump. Locate the pipe on the tank, it’s a big hose. Connect the hose to the RV or camping dump. Then, just lift the tank so the water flows into the pipe.
Fill the tank with water once again at the dump, and then empty it out again. This is a prepping step for the cleaning you will do after.
That’s that, once you are done, you can start cleaning the tank.
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Pressure Wash The Toilet
You can’t really open the tank of the portable toilet. In the middle, it has a point where you can insert a hose. That’s how you will be cleaning the toilet.
Using a pressure washer to clean the toilet is more effective. However, if you don’t have one, a regular garden hose will do.
Insert the hose inside the hole for cleaning and start spraying. Once the tank is full, empty it out again.
It’s best to do this at the dump again. There will be no human waste now but it’s still sanitary to empty it at the dump.
Rinse the tank several times. Rinse the upper part as well. The upper part won’t have any human waste but I advise cleaning it as well.
You can also use a disinfectant and wipe the upper part. This will make sure the upper part is disinfectant and extra clean.
[Related Article: The Absolute Car Owner Guide To Pressure Washing A Car]
Use A Disinfectant
Rinsing the toilet is not enough. You have to disinfect it. You have a couple of options here. Get any anti-bacterial cleaner and add it to the tank.
You can fill the tank with anti-bacterial cleaner and then just mix the tank around a bit. Rinse, and empty it out. You can also use anti-bacterial spray, this works better for the upper part.
Add Odor Remover
To finish up, you have to add some chemicals that will stop odors from developing. You will have to add an odor remover and toilet chemical fluid. You can find these online.
Add both the odor remover and the toilet chemical fluid to the tank. If you have ever used a porta-potty, you’ve seen that the water inside is blue, that’s because of the chemical fluid.
By adding these chemicals, you are making the portable car toilet smell nice. You are also preventing odors from developing.
Fill The Tank
Once you are done cleaning the toilet, you will have to reassemble it and fill it with water again. If you don’t fill it up, you won’t be able to flush.
It’s up to you whether you will be filling the tank now, or when you will be using it. I recommend leaving it empty and adding the water at the camping site dump.
That way, the water won’t get stale, and the toilet will stay clean longer.
Related Questions And Other FAQs
What Chemicals Do You Put In A Portable Toilet
Portable toilets require chemicals to remove and prevent odors. Usually, portable toilets have an odor remover and blue toilet chemical fluid, also known as toilet treatment concentrate. These two chemicals are enough to stop odors.
Can You Use Bleach In A Portable Toilet
No, using bleach in portable toilets is not recommended. The bleach has strong acid properties that can damage the plastic of the tank. More so, the bleach can be dangerous for the environment if the liquid spills somehow.
