Is this toilet bowl cleaner safe to use?

[dwe8922]

I have been using these toilet bowl cleaner in our 2018 30' bunk for a little while, and then someone told me they were probably too harsh for the plastic holding tank. They are really convenient, and I miss being able to use them vs the traditional brush and cleaner bottle. What do you all think?

https://www.amazon.com/Clorox-Toilet...7&rdc=1&sr=8-5

Thanks,
David

[CRH]

I doubt if that will harm your plastic tank.

[mbubbaca]

In my humble opinion and remember your mileage may vary. Bleach can make plastic a little brittle. My larger concern would be that you might be killing the good bacteria that is composting your solid waste. I use these at home but there is a lot more water that runs through the bowl. I have seen strong bleach solution make a diagnostic instrument fall apart.

[Foiled Again]

Pour vinegar into the bowl, and let sit for.several hours. Great for hard water calcium deposits. And your whole trailer smells like salad!

[ROBERT CROSS]

Nothing harsh...not so much the tank but its the seals on the flush valve that can poop out.
To clean the bowl I put on the cloves and wipe with a Tub-o-towel,(one of the handiest things you can carry in the AS).

Bob
🇺🇸

[nryn]

Gloves/clorox wipe. Have both in the trailer anyway. When done, wipe goes into gloves, gloves get tossed. Don’t need to carry a toilet-cleaning implement or solution…

[VDR928]

I use a toilet brush cleaner with a brush but I love the idea of not carrying a brush! I have used a bleach cleaner on everything for 3 years with no problems but if the seals do fail (in the toilet) can’t they be changed out? The bleach would be diluted? Doubt it would harm the tank since many people use it regularly and after seeing the durability of that black tank ( visited Jackson Center)…. No way I’m cleaning that with gloves!!!😩

[solomon.m]

I use the same cleaner as you posted the link for and was also concerned about killing the bacteria in the black tank. Now I use these but coordinate the use to just prior to dumping the black tank. Haven't observed any ill effects on the toilet valve or seals in our 2020 27'

[Aerowood]

Spray the bowl with Pam after cleaning, it will keep the solids from sticking. I've done this with aircraft toilets for years.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by solomon.m

I use the same cleaner as you posted the link for and was also concerned about killing the bacteria in the black tank. Now I use these but coordinate the use to just prior to dumping the black tank. Haven't observed any ill effects on the toilet valve or seals in our 2020 27'

Same here, I just clean toilet then dump. I think the sponge scrubber is probably easier on the seal then a regular toilet brush besides doing a much better job of scrubbing.
Note; I do have a ceramic toilet.

[dwe8922]

Now that you say that, it was the seals that they were concerned about with the toilet and clorox type cleaners (and less so the tanks). It was one of the techs that I spoke to at Airstream. When I asked what to use, he said something from an RV store, or a natural toiletbowl cleaner. I searched and couldn't find anything RV specific, so I ended up buying a Seventh Generation Toilet cleaner that is plant based with no chlorine. I don't think I'm going to be able to get my wife to use gloves and wipes.....

https://www.seventhgeneration.com/toilet-bowl-cleaner


Our 30' bunk has macerator pump system, so I don't know how the seal arrangement varies from the tradition toilet over the tank system most Airstreams use. I'm not a huge fan due to the complexity. It stopped working on us one time mid trip, but luckily it was just a fuse. Had it been the motor, that would have been a pain as I don't think you can do anything but replace it to get you going again. Do any of you carry a spare or have a workaround solution if a macerator pump system fails?

Thanks,

David

[richard5933]

We tried those wands with the disposable pads, but I found that they can scratch the plastic. And then you have the pad to dispose of.

We have two methods to deal with the toilet when things don't go down cleanly. The first is to give a spritz with a 'safe for plastic' generic bathroom cleaner and let things sit for a few minutes. Then flush again. If that doesn't do the trick, we carry a bottle brush in a slightly cut open 1-litre soda bottle. Its small size makes it the perfect fit for cleaning the lower section of the toilet.

Unfortunately, having to deal with toilets and black tanks is part of RV life. No way to get around it totally.

BTW, there is no need to be concerned with killing the 'good' bacteria in your black tank. The black tank on an RV is just a holding tank, not a septic tank where you're accomplishing much bacterial breakdown since the contents are emptied regularly.

[msimon]

Only need to carry one bottle of cleaner. It does everything quite well. I use a kitchen dish mop for cleaning the toilet bowl without scratching or damaging the seal.

https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-Aqua...%2C176&sr=8-10

[Cowbell]

Clorox makes many non bleach cleaners such as this one. Bleach is the enemy of plastic and plastic bits. Can can degrade plastic and it becomes brittle and will break. This is fine to use.
As for the good enzymes and bacteria in your tank, they will not be neutralized by this small amount of cleaner. If they were maybe it might have less odor.