I have read a lot of articles about using eucaliptus oil in a spray bottle to 'line' a toilet before using it each time, to let the contents 'slide' away. My question is, do you mix the oil with water in the spray bottle 1st? How does this work as oil & water does not mix.
Thanks
stuart
Mike Harding said
02:05 PM Jan 9, 2020
Don't know the answer to your question but: one to two cap fulls of Nappysan (30%+ sodium percarbonate) to 1.5L water in the tank, a little water in the bowl before starting and an appropriate positioning of one's bum and a few wipes with wetted toiler paper after have served me well this past year. Don't worry too much :)
Possum3 said
03:00 PM Jan 9, 2020
Eucalyptus oil mixes readily with water; a solution of about 5% oil to water is enough to create a pleasant fragrance, when spayed as a fine mist into the bowl. The fact that the bowl is wetted makes it resist the skids. Very effective in ceramic toilets, good not perfect in plastic bowls.
Dougwe said
03:42 PM Jan 9, 2020
Somewhere along the line I have missed your arrival to the Forum sorry Stuart, you must have sneaked in via a side door, so welcome to the forum, enjoy here and out in the playground.
I don't use any of that stuff, just the Blue Thetford Sachets if using dump points etc or Green liquid if I have to empty into a septic system (Rare). Baby wipes, wipe the bowl clean if need be and disinfectant wipes about every three days. Wipes go in the rubbish bin. Has worked for me for 7, nearly 8 years now. A light spray of a nice citrus smelly in the van if need be.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Peter_n_Margaret said
08:11 PM Jan 9, 2020
A little is probably very good, but whatever you do, don't use too much Eucalyptus. It is a strong disinfectant and will kill the friendly bugs (promoted by the oxygen in sodium percarbonate) and the smells could get totally out of control.
Cheers,
Peter
Cupie said
12:01 AM Jan 10, 2020
My approach is to use olive oil spray to lubricate the seals & make the bowl slippery.
If I am using Nappy San or equivalent I put a couple of drops of Eucalyptus in the tank for the smell.
However these days I use the commercial chemical toilet stuff. Works OK, smells OK, easy to use and not too expensive when compared to other caravanning costs like fuel.
-- Edited by Cupie on Friday 10th of January 2020 12:02:24 AM
-- Edited by Cupie on Friday 10th of January 2020 12:03:06 AM
dieseltojo said
05:03 PM Jan 10, 2020
I would be looking into my manual to see if the eucalyptus oil is harmful to the seals in my loo. Just saying
Bobdown said
06:22 PM Jan 10, 2020
Dougwe wrote:
I don't use any of that stuff, just the Blue Thetford Sachets if using dump points etc or Green liquid if I have to empty into a septic system (Rare).
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Like Doug, we use Blue or Green sachets, put a litre of water in and drop the sachet in.....simple, done no mixing.
Clean with dunny brush after use and once a week a wipe down with Thetford bowl cleaner, as well as the seat, lid and cistern.
Cheers Bob
Possum3 said
06:24 PM Jan 10, 2020
dieseltojo wrote:
I would be looking into my manual to see if the eucalyptus oil is harmful to the seals in my loo.
Caravan Manual ???? - Thetford manual doesn't suggest anything other than Thetford Solutions.
I have checked all the elastomer guides on the Net and have been unable to find any reference to Eucalyptus having any detrimental effect.
Personal experience over many years (40+) would exonerate eucalyptus oil particularly a 5% solution in water. PS I own an Eucalyptus Still although it no longer is producing due to economic reason, so I have a potential bias.
Toilet solutions that contain Formaldehyde or any poison to the environment should be banned as they do leach into our waterways - It is bad enough that our medicines particularly antibiotics, passed through urine leach into soil and waterways, and kill septic systems.
As an aside; Aluminium Fluoride (added to most town water) does have a minor effect on elastomers - So does that mean we should only flush our cassette toilets with tank/bore water?
Blues Man said
08:41 AM Jan 11, 2020
PS ( I own an Eucalyptus Still although it no longer is producing due to economic reason), so I have a potential bias.
Hi Possum,maybe you should trying using your "Eucalyptus Still"for other useful purposes ,other than making eucalyptus oil.
dieseltojo said
11:15 AM Jan 11, 2020
Possum3 wrote:
dieseltojo wrote:
I would be looking into my manual to see if the eucalyptus oil is harmful to the seals in my loo.
Caravan Manual ???? - Thetford manual doesn't suggest anything other than Thetford Solutions.
I have checked all the elastomer guides on the Net and have been unable to find any reference to Eucalyptus having any detrimental effect.
Personal experience over many years (40+) would exonerate eucalyptus oil particularly a 5% solution in water. PS I own an Eucalyptus Still although it no longer is producing due to economic reason, so I have a potential bias.
Toilet solutions that contain Formaldehyde or any poison to the environment should be banned as they do leach into our waterways - It is bad enough that our medicines particularly antibiotics, passed through urine leach into soil and waterways, and kill septic systems.
As an aside; Aluminium Fluoride (added to most town water) does have a minor effect on elastomers - So does that mean we should only flush our cassette toilets with tank/bore water?
I have made a one sentence statement in good will to check whether or not your toilet might be affected by Eucalyptus Oil. I did add the term "Just saying" to indicate it was just a suggestion.
I can only leave info finding to the individual involved. My toilet system explicitly asks not to use anything but Teflon grease. On the other hand folks may do as they wish.
The help wanted pages on toilets are littered with folks asking to help with leaks etc. and many are to do with decaying seals.
I have dealt with this stuff all my life. I doubt that throwing in fluoride into the subject is a clarifying argument, or in the quantities in the water system that it will be judged a contaminate in this regard. Do you really want to go down the chlorine path as well?
I have addressed a reasonable question with a considered reasonable answer. Bore water, depending on mineral content is a separate matter entirely. But I can tell you it rust the hell out of anything not brass.
For example here is a point made by a different person only interested in helping.
Use good quality Eucalyptus Oil and be very careful not to let any drip onto the cassette slide gate and also wash out well when you get home. The Eucalyptus oil is just like finger nail polish remover it will dissolve some plastics and also if left for months will make the cassette rubbers swell.
Leaving things for months is when you park the van in between uses and later find the loo has a problem.
Pradokakadudavid said
02:55 PM Jan 21, 2020
G'day all.
I have just returned from my first trip in my new Retreat caravan and can report that almost everything related to using the Thetford toilet for one's and two's went very smoothly. On advice received from this site, I added an additional quantity of Napisan to the toilet and can verify from the "OH ****" story below that this combination with the usual blue toilet chemical worked extremely well.
Now to the amusing, albeit messy story.
Like most things with my new Retreat caravan, many things did not work as expected or did not work at all.
One amusing story was that the first time I removed the cassette for emptying, I traumatically discovered that the circular plate on the top had not been screwed on by the manufacturer nor checked by the dealer.
It appeared to me that there had been virtually no pre-delivery checks by the manufacturer or dealer and that amazed me.
Once the cassette was removed (given that I did this far too quickly) the circular vent fell off and the contents of the cassette went everywhere.
The interesting point related to this story is that using the recommended chemical mix, the contents of the cassette where liquid only and I was very surprised, and relieved by this given that it ended up all over me.
My wife heard me yell, OH ****, and came running however due to the completely dissolved nature of the contents, there was no real drama.
Further to this story, here is a list if the items that did not work at all or not properly with this NEW Retreat caravan.
1. No battery or solar power from delivery and the contractor who eventually fixed this (great work Install a Gadget), said it wad the worst wiring he had every seen. It took the dealer 6-7 weeks to try to fix this mess only to f---- it up significantly more.
2. Power points that did not work.
3. Ensuite door came off its hinges.
4. Redarc battery management system mis-wired (thanks to Redarc who were excellent in assisting to fix up this dealer mess).
5. Awning bolts broke off the first time I used it.
6. Hitch lock and wheel lock nuts not installed as per contract.
7. Handbrake so lose that the caravan started rolling down the driveway.
I should add that eventually Retreat did fix all these issues under warranty but only after I received significant legal advice and started writing factual summaries on their website pages.
I have about five pages of notes concerning my correspondence with Retreat.
I think I should have bought a far cheaper van and then had the extra accessories added myself as I have deduced that caravan manufacturers seem to only be able to handle the basics!
Despite all of this, my first trip (1000+ kms) went very well and my V8 Nissan Patrol was an awesome tow machine.
I have read a lot of articles about using eucaliptus oil in a spray bottle to 'line' a toilet before using it each time, to let the contents 'slide' away. My question is, do you mix the oil with water in the spray bottle 1st? How does this work as oil & water does not mix.
Thanks
stuart
Don't know the answer to your question but: one to two cap fulls of
Nappysan (30%+ sodium percarbonate) to 1.5L water in the tank, a
little water in the bowl before starting and an appropriate
positioning of one's bum and a few wipes with wetted toiler paper
after have served me well this past year. Don't worry too much :)
I don't use any of that stuff, just the Blue Thetford Sachets if using dump points etc or Green liquid if I have to empty into a septic system (Rare). Baby wipes, wipe the bowl clean if need be and disinfectant wipes about every three days. Wipes go in the rubbish bin. Has worked for me for 7, nearly 8 years now. A light spray of a nice citrus smelly in the van if need be.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Cheers,
Peter
My approach is to use olive oil spray to lubricate the seals & make the bowl slippery.
If I am using Nappy San or equivalent I put a couple of drops of Eucalyptus in the tank for the smell.
However these days I use the commercial chemical toilet stuff. Works OK, smells OK, easy to use and not too expensive when compared to other caravanning costs like fuel.
-- Edited by Cupie on Friday 10th of January 2020 12:02:24 AM
-- Edited by Cupie on Friday 10th of January 2020 12:03:06 AM
Like Doug, we use Blue or Green sachets, put a litre of water in and drop the sachet in.....simple, done no mixing.
Clean with dunny brush after use and once a week a wipe down with Thetford bowl cleaner, as well as the seat, lid and cistern.
Cheers Bob
Caravan Manual ???? - Thetford manual doesn't suggest anything other than Thetford Solutions.
I have checked all the elastomer guides on the Net and have been unable to find any reference to Eucalyptus having any detrimental effect.
Personal experience over many years (40+) would exonerate eucalyptus oil particularly a 5% solution in water. PS I own an Eucalyptus Still although it no longer is producing due to economic reason, so I have a potential bias.
Toilet solutions that contain Formaldehyde or any poison to the environment should be banned as they do leach into our waterways - It is bad enough that our medicines particularly antibiotics, passed through urine leach into soil and waterways, and kill septic systems.
As an aside; Aluminium Fluoride (added to most town water) does have a minor effect on elastomers - So does that mean we should only flush our cassette toilets with tank/bore water?
PS ( I own an Eucalyptus Still although it no longer is producing due to economic reason), so I have a potential bias.
Hi Possum,maybe you should trying using your "Eucalyptus Still"for other useful purposes ,other than making eucalyptus oil.
I have made a one sentence statement in good will to check whether or not your toilet might be affected by Eucalyptus Oil. I did add the term "Just saying" to indicate it was just a suggestion.
I can only leave info finding to the individual involved. My toilet system explicitly asks not to use anything but Teflon grease. On the other hand folks may do as they wish.
The help wanted pages on toilets are littered with folks asking to help with leaks etc. and many are to do with decaying seals.
I have dealt with this stuff all my life. I doubt that throwing in fluoride into the subject is a clarifying argument, or in the quantities in the water system that it will be judged a contaminate in this regard. Do you really want to go down the chlorine path as well?
I have addressed a reasonable question with a considered reasonable answer. Bore water, depending on mineral content is a separate matter entirely. But I can tell you it rust the hell out of anything not brass.
For example here is a point made by a different person only interested in helping.
..
https://www.caravanersforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=34268&start=40
Use good quality Eucalyptus Oil and be very careful not to let any drip onto the cassette slide gate and also wash out well when you get home. The Eucalyptus oil is just like finger nail polish remover it will dissolve some plastics and also if left for months will make the cassette rubbers swell.
............................................................................................
Leaving things for months is when you park the van in between uses and later find the loo has a problem.
G'day all.
I have just returned from my first trip in my new Retreat caravan and can report that almost everything related to using the Thetford toilet for one's and two's went very smoothly. On advice received from this site, I added an additional quantity of Napisan to the toilet and can verify from the "OH ****" story below that this combination with the usual blue toilet chemical worked extremely well.
Now to the amusing, albeit messy story.
Like most things with my new Retreat caravan, many things did not work as expected or did not work at all.
One amusing story was that the first time I removed the cassette for emptying, I traumatically discovered that the circular plate on the top had not been screwed on by the manufacturer nor checked by the dealer.
It appeared to me that there had been virtually no pre-delivery checks by the manufacturer or dealer and that amazed me.
Once the cassette was removed (given that I did this far too quickly) the circular vent fell off and the contents of the cassette went everywhere.
The interesting point related to this story is that using the recommended chemical mix, the contents of the cassette where liquid only and I was very surprised, and relieved by this given that it ended up all over me.
My wife heard me yell, OH ****, and came running however due to the completely dissolved nature of the contents, there was no real drama.
Further to this story, here is a list if the items that did not work at all or not properly with this NEW Retreat caravan.
1. No battery or solar power from delivery and the contractor who eventually fixed this (great work Install a Gadget), said it wad the worst wiring he had every seen. It took the dealer 6-7 weeks to try to fix this mess only to f---- it up significantly more.
2. Power points that did not work.
3. Ensuite door came off its hinges.
4. Redarc battery management system mis-wired (thanks to Redarc who were excellent in assisting to fix up this dealer mess).
5. Awning bolts broke off the first time I used it.
6. Hitch lock and wheel lock nuts not installed as per contract.
7. Handbrake so lose that the caravan started rolling down the driveway.
I should add that eventually Retreat did fix all these issues under warranty but only after I received significant legal advice and started writing factual summaries on their website pages.
I have about five pages of notes concerning my correspondence with Retreat.
I think I should have bought a far cheaper van and then had the extra accessories added myself as I have deduced that caravan manufacturers seem to only be able to handle the basics!
Despite all of this, my first trip (1000+ kms) went very well and my V8 Nissan Patrol was an awesome tow machine.