In the world of RVs, opinions and advice seem to be coming from every direction at once and much of this advice is conflicting and often inaccurate. It can be very confusing to understand who to trust when it comes to accurate information for RVing. One of the difficulties when it comes to finding sources of truth about RVs is that many of the opinions being offered are from people who are genuinely trying to help, but unfortunately don’t understand the realities of the information they are passing around. Here at the Line Of Doody I work very hard to present you with valid arguments, scientifically sound guidance, and advice that isn’t self-serving or “pitchy”. Afterall, my goal is your success, and to just push our products, regardless of whether or not they actually work, is self-defeating. It’s in our best interest to help you and leave you satisfied!

One piece of “advice” we hear from many of our friends and fellow campers comes from professional RV holding tank cleaning companies . The advice they offer is: “No one should use any holding tank treatments in their RV as they do far more harm than good.” The question is: Is this statement true?

Before we get into answering this question, it is important to know that professional RV holding tank cleaning companies are sometimes a good option for cleaning out waste buildup in a holding tank. This is especially true if the holding tank in question is one on a previously used RV that was neglected or was sold with waste in the black tank. These cleaning companies typically have specialized tools that can pump high-pressure water into the tank at various angles, breaking up waste buildup and flushing it out. 

It is our belief that professional tank cleaning companies recommend you avoid using a holding tank treatment because of two things:

  • Unfortunately, many tank treatments on the market are poorly made and can lead to problems inside tanks because they lead you to believe your tanks are in good shape, when in fact they are not. (More on this below.)
  • Not using a holding tank treatment can typically lead to the repeated need for professional tank cleaning services.
A mixture of Calgon and Pine Sol is sometimes recommend instead of a pre-made holding tank treatment for RV black water holding tanks
A mixture of Calgon and Pine Sol is sometimes recommend instead of a pre-made holding tank treatment

Often, these same tank cleaning services will recommend RVers use a mixture of Pine Sol and Calgon to treat their tanks instead of a branded tank treatment. This process is called the Geo Method and we have written extensively about how this process may seem like a good idea, but when you understand what is happening inside the tank, you may be setting yourself up for big problems – and importantly, require the use of their tank cleaning services again. 

Understanding Low-Quality Holding Tank Treatments

Many of the holding tank treatments that are currently on the market make claims that are simply inaccurate or unfounded. These holding tank treatment companies claim that they will break down waste and/ or eliminate odors when, in fact, their formulas are scientifically unable to do what they claim the product will do. In practice the use of a low-quality holding tank treatment can lead to waste buildup over time. On this, we agree with those who say that many (not all) treatments are a waste of money and we highly recommend you research the products you pour down your toilet to ensure they are capable of living up to their claims.

Why Skipping Your Holding Tank Treatment Is A Bad Idea

Not using a holding tank treatment can lead to waste accumulation inside the tank because of residual waste or toilet paper that collects inside the tank. Over time this can lead to a buildup of waste and paper in layers across the floor of the holding tank. It can also cause sensors to malfunction and clogs to form. Again this may require you to call again on their tank cleaning services. There are some who claim that you don’t need to treat a tank at all because “it is not a septic system”. As a person who has personally helped countless RVers solve their clogged tanks, restore misreading sensors, and control toilet odors, I can tell you with certainty that holding tanks DO require treatment if you want to be able to enjoy your RV without wasting your vacation solving disgusting, frustrating and expensive holding tank problems!

What To Look For In A High Quality Holding Tank Treatment

When doing your research on which high quality holding tank treatment to use, there are a few critical things you should insist upon before purchasing:

  • The treatment has the ability to effectively break down human waste and paper
  • The treatment has the ability to eliminate wastewater and toilet odors
  • The treatment has the ability to maintain working sensors by preventing waste accumulation on probes and sensors
  • The claims made by the manufacturer of the treatment can be validated through testing and achieved through scientifically capable formulas and usage methods

How To Identify A High Quality Holding Tank Treatment

It’s important to remember that not all holding tank treatments are created equal. It is true, some treatments are highly effective and some are a complete waste of time and money, because they simply don’t work. We recommend that when you choose a holding tank treatment, you pick one which has the ability to eliminate odors, maintain working sensors, and break down waste. A high quality holding tank treatment must do ALL of these things to be considered an ideal treatment. Pretty much every product on the market claims to be able to do all of these things, but if you put them to the test, you’ll find that the majority of the treatments on the market simply can’t do all of these required things – and, sadly, many of them can’t do ANY of the things they claim to be able to do. This is a black eye on our industry and one we fight very hard to not be accused of by offering transparency and honesty around our products.

Waste And Paper Breakdown

The treatment must have the ability to break down toilet paper and human waste which will allow the tank contents to flow freely from the holding tank at the time of dumping. This will prevent clogs and ongoing odor problems.

Waste and paper broken down in the RV holding tank allowing for free flow out and into the sewer port
Waste and paper broken down in the holding tank allowing for free flow out and into the sewer port

Odor Elimination

The holding tank treatment must also have the ability to eliminate odors, not just mask them. Many holding tank treatments on the market have strong fragrances that are intended to mask odors rather than actually eliminate them.

Graphic of a high-quality RV holding tank treatment eliminating hydrogen sulfide gas and replacing it with carbon dioxide and water.
A high-quality holding tank treatment eliminating hydrogen sulfide gas and replacing it with carbon dioxide and water

A high-quality holding tank treatment should achieve odor reduction by reducing, removing, or controlling hydrogen sulfide gas (the culprit behind those stinky RV tanks).

Maintaining Working Sensors

Being able to maintain working sensors in the holding tank should also be a requirement for your holding tank treatment. Most holding tank treatments on the market cannot achieve this due to their inability to fully break down waste and toilet paper.

All brands of toilet paper should be able to be broken down with a high-quality RV holding tank treatment. Enough so that they don't stick to sensors causing them to misread.
All brands of toilet paper should be able to be broken down with a high-quality holding tank treatment. Enough so that they don’t stick to sensors causing them to misread

Note that a high-quality holding tank treatment can break down not only RV-specific toilet paper but also household toilet paper. Toilet paper sticking to the sensors in a holding tank is the most common cause of misreading sensors in an RV, so breaking it down is critical to properly-functioning sensors.

The Takeaway

As mentioned above, not all of the advice you receive online (or even from professional tank cleaners) is always accurate, even if it is well-intentioned. If you are advised by a holding tank cleaning service to avoid using holding tank treatments, remember that not all holding tank treatments are created equal. Choosing a high-quality holding tank treatment that has the ability to break down waste, eliminate odors, and maintain working sensors will help provide you with a trouble-free holding tank. And you should not need frequent (or any!) professional cleanings that require a cleaning service. We recommend using RV Digest-It Plus. This treatment meets the rigors we describe above and its capabilities are backed by valid scientific evidence and extensive internal and consumer testing.

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