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Dishwashers have been in RVs for years now, albeit they are still quite few and far between in most rigs. Many people love the convenience of having a dishwasher in their rig. Depending on the make and model of the dishwasher, it can also help save on water usage as well. 

Restrictions For RV Dishwashers

In order to run a dishwasher in your RV there are some restrictions that should be considered:

  • You need to be on full hookups to use the dishwasher since it requires 120 volts to run. 
  • The gray water holding tank valve will typically need to be open. As the dishwasher drains, it can quickly fill up the gray water holding tank. 
  • It will take up valuable space in the RV kitchen. (RV dishwashers are either placed on a countertop or built into the cabinetry.) 
  • They are also smaller than household dishwashers which may lead to needing to do multiple loads. 

With that said, the question arises of which dishwasher detergent to use.

Considerations For RV Dishwasher Detergents

Unfortunately, choosing the right dishwasher detergent for your RV can be more complex than just choosing a septic-safe or eco-friendly detergent. Residential septic systems, while sharing some similarities to RV holding tanks, are far larger than an RV holding tank. Because of the size of a sticks and bricks septic system tank, the dishwasher detergent you use in a home becomes far more diluted than it would be in an RV holding tank. Therefore many septic-safe detergents would still be detrimental to the beneficial bacteria in a holding tank. Eco-friendly detergents can also contain ingredients that are fine for normal sewage systems but could do damage to your otherwise healthy holding tank. 

As of the writing of this article, there are no RV-specific dishwasher detergents on the market. Fortunately, there are several brands of dishwasher detergents that will not destroy the good bacteria in a healthy holding tank. These dishwasher detergents are also septic-safe for both home and RV. 

After thoroughly evaluating each product’s full ingredient list and SDS (Safety Data Sheet) we compiled this list of holding tank friendly dishwasher detergents. (This is not an exhaustive list, nor have we been paid by the brands listed below.) The recommended dishwasher detergents are listed alphabetically. 

Recommended RV Holding Tank Safe Dishwasher Detergents

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