Well, you can make holding tank bombs too and they do a great job of helping to keep your RV’s waste holding tanks clean. Based off of the GEO method of RV holding tank maintenance (basically, Calgon water softener and Borax laundry detergent, though sometimes baking soda and bleach — probably not a good idea), these pods do a great job of helping to keep your RV’s waste holding tanks clean between professional hydrojet cleanings.

Ingredients for the bombs

The ingredients are pretty simple: Borax, baking soda, citric acid and just a few drops of water. The first two can be found at most supermarkets and grocery stores; the citric acid may also be found there (try the baking aisle or the canning section), though you can find it on Amazon at a much better price.

Citric acid is a very mild acid found in lemons and limes and generally considered safe for your RV’s holding tank seals and other sensitive waste system components. It’s used in shampoos, facial peels, and body scrubs. It’s even used to clean aquariums — an environment where even trace amounts of chemicals can prove to be very detrimental to sensitive fish.

• 1/3 c Borax
• 1/3 c Baking Soda
• 1/3 c Citric Acid
• 1 tsp. Water

Instructions: Putting it all together

1. Mix Borax, baking soda, and citric acid dry ingredients in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Mix well.
2. Add several drops of water, to allow ingredients to bind together. Mix well. May need to add several more as you go.
3. Pack tightly into silicone molds (we use the type that makes round, golf ball-sized ice cubes for cocktails). Let dry overnight.
4. Pop out of molds. Let the bombs continue to dry for 1 to 2 more days.
5. Store in airtight container until used.

The key here is to keep the water to a minimum: Use only a few drops at a time, enough to just get the ingredients to stick together. Anything more and it becomes a soupy mess (not to mention the bombs will expand out of the molds and, well, really make a mess).

How to use the bombs

After you’ve emptied your black holding tank (though these work well in your gray ones too!), put in a couple of gallons of water (a 3-gallon pail full of water dumped down the toilet is ideal here). Drop in a bomb and then let it do its work. For even better results, do this before you travel to your next RV park or site — the gentle sloshing action while you travel will help the bomb break down and the foamy soap to clean your RV’s holding tanks.

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We won’t lie. Sometimes the smell makes us get up and walk away from a cleaning. Other times, the “stuff” that comes out makes us close our eyes and go to our “happy place.” But at the end of the day, knowing we helped a fellow RVer to get their tanks cleaned and scrubbed — and probably solve a problem or two — makes it all worth it.

But just how bad is the stuff in your tanks? According to the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), human vomit and feces are defined biological material that poses a potential threat to the health and safety of humans, animals, or the environment. In other words, it’s a biohazard. What makes exposure to these body fluids so risky? For one, blood and certain body fluids can be contaminated with bloodborne pathogens, infectious microorganisms that can cause disease in humans.

Should an amount of waste larger than a dinner plate spill on the ground, this should be reported to the RV park or facility office who will call the local biohazard team to come in and clean it up. Yep, it’s that serious. So what can you do to prevent a spill and keep yourself safe?

When we do a typical cleaning, we’re very careful and methodical. You’ll see that we move slowly and deliberately. There’s a system to what we do. We follow certain steps in a set order and procedure. And we’re very careful when handling waste. In ALL CASES, we “double glove,” a process where we first put on skin-tight gloves made from a heavy-duty, high-density polyethylene material. Next a larger pair of neoprene rubber gloves is used that goes up the forearm about halfway. You may even see us don an environmental suit, mask and extra protection if there’s a clog or other severe problem (we’ve learned this lesson the hard way — don’t ask!).

Take special care with emptying your waste holding tanks. Move slowly and do not hurry. Perform the process in set steps, every time. Be sure to empty your black tank(s) first, using your onboard spraying system during emptying to help wash the inside of the tank. Then, when the black tank is empty, empty the gray tank, letting that water “wash” out any solids or residue from the black tank(s). Do not empty the two at the same time.

To prevent biohazard exposure, it is recommended that you always wear personal protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection, and face masks when handling another person’s blood or body fluids. OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard instructs people to treat all bodily fluids as if they were biohazards.

The next time you empty your waste holding tanks, remember just what you are dealing with. Although it’s not a pleasant process, it is a part of RVing. And be thankful when you call us — or any other All Pro Water Flow dealer — when you have a clog or other severe problem. We’re dealing with some serious — and dangerous — “stuff” here.

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