The toilet question seems to come up on FB and the likes all the time. All I can say is read the manual that came with your toilet cassette. It will tell you all you need to know.
There are many varied opinions from using Sodium per-carbonate as per Napisan, or we don't do no.2 in the toilet only ones. Some will say pooh in a bag, and then put the wipes or toilet paper in there as well, and then throw it in the bin.
Some will say, they use bleach, vinegar, eucalyptus oil, lavender oil and so the list will go on.
So the responses to the question, on Facebook, are so confusing that they make people start to doubt what they thought might be the best way to go, now might not be.
Why folk spend 150,000 plus dollars on a motor-home for example and then begrudge spending 50cents a day on the proper chemical, I have no idea.
I would also like to say from the outset, NO it is not okay to poop in a BAG and put it in the RUBBISH BIN. I can not believe I read that on FB when people proudly declare they never do no 2 in their toilet, and they just bag up their crap, and the toilet paper and store it up for several days whilst free camping and then put it in public bins when they leave.
Oh really, what kind of bloody animal are they? Don't tell me it is OK, don't tell me it is no different to the doggy poop. Give me a break, are they that brain dead? Have they destroyed all of their normal brain cells at happy hour through the over indulgence in alcohol that they believe the crap they sprout on FB.
I would suggest , they go to the local council, where they deposited their poop bags, go in with your rego, drivers license and explain what you did, and give them your details. See if they say it's OK. Bet you they wont put their money where their so called convictions lie. (OK rant over , few!)
Then there is the most widely used : the Coles, Aldi and Woolies brand of Napisan. Use it at your own peril. Yes it reacts with poop, and might work for some. But the detriment to your toilet and the seals, well that is another question. The fact of the matter is, it will destroy the rubber seals and rings in your toilet cassette. Yes you might save a $1.50 a week but you will end up spending a lot more on fixing and replacing parts in your cassette. Mine is 13 years old and is in beautiful condition, not much different to the day we bought our motor-home. If you need to replace your cassette, you will be up for some $200.00 to $300.00 plus. Then there is the obvious fact that more and more dump points are not allowing you to empty toilet cassettes that have not used the proper chemicals. I have to say too, that when I was a novice, I did try it ONCE. I can clearly tell you, that it does not work, and it does not contain the smells. I thought to myself, what is wrong with you. Fancy listening to happy hour clap trap by folk who are such tight wads, that they begrudge buying the proper chemicals. Tried once and lesson learnt.
Then there is nothing worse, than being miles from another dump point and the one in front of you says NO Napisan chemicals allowed. Now you know as well as I do that folk will still empty their cassettes in there. What will eventually happen is the dump points will get closed down do to high maintenance costs because of WRONG DOERS. Then we will all be screaming NOT FAIR. Really!
So do yourself a favour, and just use the right chemicals. You have many on the market, and Thetford of course have their own range. I personally use Thetford, of which there is Pink, Blue and Green.
Many dump points will not accept cassettes that use napisan, or incorrect chemicals. So just do yourself a favour and get the right stuff. It's good for your toilet, it's good for your environment, and it's good for the dump points that you so freely enjoy.
Just a by the way, napisan and the likes only work with faeces. So if you do not defecate in the toilet, there is no point using napisan. That is a bigger and more stupid mistake, than not paying 50 cents a day for the right chemicals.
For those of us that do use the toilet for what it is meant to be used for, and please lets be grown up here. I urinate and defecate in the toilet. After all that is what toilets are for. I would also like to mention that ablutions is the part of every human being and people just need to grow up and do the right thing.
I use the right chemicals, and when free camping, because you will only last 2-3 days, I actually invested in a second cassette, that is in the hold. When one is full, I just swap over, if I am too far away from a dump point. Yes the cassettes cost a couple bob, couple hundred dollars or so. But well worth the investment.
OK, now some TIPS:
1. Don't use wipes, no baby wipes, no flush-able wipes in the toilet. These are not to be disposed of in the toilet cassette. They will clog the cassette and they will ruin the sewer system of the dump points.
2. Don't put feminine products in your cassette , same reason as #1.
3. Don't empty cassettes in the bush, on the ground and NOT in the river. Yes that is right folks some people are just so stupid, that they have been caught emptying in a beautiful rivers.
7. You do not need to flush after urination only. Have a handy spray bottle on hand mixed with a little Pine-O-Clean and spray around bowl, leaves nice clean smell. I like to spray after defecating , flush and then spray as well, just smells clean and of course it is.
8. When you leave your motor-home parked up for a small amount of time, do leave a little water in the cassette, about a cup full. This will help keep the seals and rings in the cassette moist and stop them from drying out.
9. Do lubricate your toilet seals with a little bit of olive oil. Just dip your finger in some nice olive oil and wipe around the fittings and seal. Open and close the mechanism a couple of times. What ever you do, DO NOT use any Vaseline, it will ruin your seals and stretch them some thing terrible. The seals are around $30.00 to replace. Some dearer. The following is an exert from a warning "Does Vaseline damage rubber seals?
Vaseline or other petroleum products should never be used on rubber or neoprene objects. It can deteriorate the rubber or neoprene very rapidly. The correct lube to use is a silicone based lubricant, which comes with or without Teflon." Just Google it and have a read
You can buy seal lubricant by Thetford, but it is not a must. Olive oil works nicely. It is not always convenient to locate the Lubricant either, so olive oil is a good substitute.
Top Tips: When you empty your toilet cassette, there are a couple things to remember.
1. Make sure you put your cap somewhere safe and away from the dump point. Many a cap has accidentally fallen down into the dump point never to be seen again.
2. Don't have your glasses or sunnies in your pocket or on top of your head, because as sure as night follows day, they are going to slide off your head, or slip out your pocket and down that blinkin drain. Don't ask me how I know this. My best reading glasses never to be seen again.
3. Once the canister nozzle or outlet is in the dump point and you begin to tip the fluids and stuff out, you will notice a small button and the top of the cassette. You push this in with your thumb and as your angle increases it will allow air to enter the cassette and give you a nice free flowing action of excrement.
Note to self: Don't push this button until it starts to flow, or you will end up with all sorts of crappiness explode out all over you. Especially if the cassette is really full. Don't ask me how I know this :-( It really does just explode out , and you have a major appointment with the sanitizer.
4. If using liquid additives, use your cap from the cassette which has a purpose built in measuring device marked on the cap.
5. Why not create your very own dump point at home. Every home has a sewerage entry point to the property. The big thing here is not creating the dump point but rather locating the the sewerage i/o. Once you locate the i/o it usually about 18 inches down. All you have to do is buy a screw on extension, to above ground level. Glue a nice threaded connector and a screw on lid and hey presto, you now have you very own dump point. When I am away for a weekend or so a few days, I bring my poop home and just empty at home, where I can quietly and cleanly dispose of waste. Clean out my cassette and ready for the next adventure. I also have 2 cassettes. This way I can free camp and not worry to much about having to leave to empty waste. I just swap over cassettes. Empty both when I get home. Too easy really.
Hope you find this informative and prevent some of the pitfalls that some of us had to learn the hard way.