Best deodorizer for portable toilets: chemical vs natural enzymes.

(Photo credit: Two Wandering Soles)

Best deodorizer for portable toilets: chemical vs natural enzymes. 

Going to the toilet is part of life, but not something everyone wants to talk about. When nature calls there isn’t always going to be a public toilet around. So, if you’ve just installed your portable camping toilet into your RV, you might be asking yourself; how do I stop my portable camping toilet from smelling? Rule number one (pardon the pun) of portable camping toilets is: always have quality a toilet deodorizer handy. Portable toilet deodorizers are the number one solution to ensure your portable caravan & camping toilet clean, sanitary and smelling fresh. 

There are several solutions to choose from: sachets, discs, liquids and sprays to make cleaning your portable toilet quick and easy. But which toilet deodorizer is the best? In this article we discuss the difference between the above options to help you choose which one is right for you. Most of these products work the same way whether it is a portable camping toilet or cassette:  

1. Porta Pak Breeze - Walex drop ins 

Tossing up whether to install a toilet in your motorhome or caravan can be a daunting decision, especially when travelling others. After a big night on the tinnies, using the portable toilet in your motorhome is risky business. Porta Pak breeze has found the perfect solution to these awkward scenarios. A drop in, dissolvable pod is by far the fastest way to eliminate odour. This product uses chemicals that breaks down food particles just like the pods you would put in a dish washer. One tab can treat up to 60L of black water and can keep your portable camping toilet smelling like spring over the days to come. If use in conjunction with Happy Bowl Liners you’ll never have to scrub or clean your portable toilet, so you can have more time to enjoy the great outdoors.  

2. Thetford Chemical Cleaners 

All the ‘green’ products, like Thetford Aqua Kem Green and satchels as well, are Septic Tank Safe which is good to know when you're dumping at Caravan parks, as they can sometimes be a little fussy as to what goes into their waste disposal. Liquids can work out to be more economical and faster acting than the dissolving drop-in sachets. As mentioned below storing heavy liquid chemicals can take up a lot of space compared to light weight sachets. 

These products are designed to go into the holding tank and cassette with a small amount of water so when the waste is deposited it starts breaking it down and covering the scent straight away. You can also use Thetford Tank Freshener. This product is like when you run a cycle with nothing in it to clean just the dishwasher. This is great to use when your portable camp toilet or cassette won’t be in use for a while.  

To make your portable camping toilet or cassette even more bullet proof, you can also use Thetford Aqua Rise Spray, this basically waxes the bowl so no "skid marks" hang around. Ideal for a boys weekend away! 

3. Enzyme based deodorizers - Bio Pak Walex Drop ins 

As effective as chemical cleaners are, once flushed away down the drain they end up back in the environment and pollute water resources.  Enzyme based toilet deodorizers are just as effective as chemical based cleaners. They are also harmless to humans, just in case they don’t up in the toilet and all over you. Biodegradable enzyme cleaners are quickly gaining popularity and can be set apart from the rest for their formulation that use microbes that act upon and digest food waste and stains. They do this by producing enzymes which break down large stubborn waste molecules into smaller ones which can be flushed away easily. The enzymes or microbe population multiplies until all the waste is consumed. Bio Pak Walex drop ins are an enzyme holding tank deodorizer and waste digester that can outperform standard chemical cleaners. These bacteria are natural, chemical free, non-toxic to humans and do not cause any harm to our waterways.  

4. Deodorizer tablets – Odour B Gone 

Other options that can be used in your portable camping toilet is dissolvable tablets. They are made up of compressed per-oxy salts and contain no fillers for 100% fast acting odour dissolving ingredients. They slowly dissolve in the holding/waste tank of the portable toilet over 7 days. They release hydrogen peroxide which is known for effective bleaching, deodorising, and sanitising. Odour-B-Gone is a chemical free solution. However, they may be prone to forming powdery like residue over time which can affect plumbing and build-up of blockages. For a more environmentally friendly options Dometic Green Care leave no trace of harmful chemicals or bio-waste in our water ways.  

5. Liquid chemical cleaners – Camco Caravan Loo Treatment 

A more standard way of keeping your portable camping toilet smelling like the day you installed it is any liquid chemical cleaners. These contain buffers, additive oxidizers and activators that create a surface fragrance barrier and natural surfactant layer to mask odours. They do aid in the breakdown of waste and leave very little residue, making them more favourable in terms of keeping your plumping free of blockages. These ultra-concentrated formulas from Camco can treat up to 10L of tank water with just 20ml of liquid making them an inexpensive option. But unlike natural enzyme-based toilet deodorizers they do tend to be quite messy and aren’t very eco-friendly.  

So which caravan and camping portable toilet deodorizers are best for you? It really comes down to personal preference. If you want to ensure you aren’t leaving an environmental footprint then we highly recommend Walex Bio Pack drop ins. With their biodegradable and dissolvable packaging, you can save on filling up your rubbish bin with unnecessary trash from large plastic bottles or tubs. Their natural enzyme formula also leaves no chemical trace in our rivers and oceans from run-off.  

Another helpful tip to avoid having to dump black water more often is using Marine and RV toilet paper for caravans as it is fast dissolving, clog resistant, biodegradable and septic tank safe. You should never have to use your portable camping toilet for “emergencies only” if you take your time in selecting the best quality products. Get as much used out of your portable caravan and camping toilet as you like by choosing products benefit you and the environment.  

By: Jessica Pritchard