I've found the easiest method is to add your ingredients of choice to the toilet, then fill the toilet with water. Use your bowl brush to both help the powders to dissolve and clean the bowl :)
Hey Eric, although I use Happy Camper products with a water softener agent. The GEO Method appears to be an economical way of sanitization the G&B, which is not a bad thing. I have to try that one day. Thanks for sharing.
No worries Tim, we're are trying to figure out the best way to do things but the list of jobs seems endless haha. I haven't heard of the Happy Camper products, can you grab those from most RV stores or is there a specific place you get yours?
Hey Eric, Happy Campers Organic RV Holding Tank Treatment is really cool for dissipating black/gray tank smells and transitional breakdowns. You can check them out on Amazon. The GEO Method is might be a better way to save a little $$$$$ ;)
I took notes! Great tip.I have seen a lot of stuff about RV friendly TP and the little pods, or eco friendly ways to clean this GEO method is new to me and seems easy.
I'm glad it was helpful! We've loved the experience we've had so far. The pods did an ok job but once in awhile they just didn't seem to be holding up.
No worries +Donna Pollard I'm glad it helped and don't be afraid to mess around with the amount of products your putting down there if you feel it isn't working at first. We all know every RV is different so your tank sizes may be larger or smaller than ours :)
Thank you. New to Rving and a bad asthmatic with too many allergies to count and we 1st started using TST and it didn't do a good job. I bought a swivel stick and had to use it for 15 min along with dawn to get the sensors reading right weekly. Then I bought Campa Chem not realizing it was a formaldehyde formula which is a cancer causing toxin and horrible when breathed in which sense black tanks ferment and break down some these gases leak into the camper and are causing migrains so now I've bought this and I'm hoping it works because this Campa Chem is horrible and putting our health at risk. Don't but it! It should be illegal to use honestly. American Cancer Society talks about it. You should not use this crap. I wish I would of discovered Geo Method 1st to save me the money time and migraines. Thank you. You are a life saver with this information.
Thanks for sharing! We are new to RVing, and the smells/cleaning associated with dumping have been a concern for me. The previous owners used the pods, but this sounds so much better. I'll be doing some research for sure!
No worries +Tabitha Gollihugh and when you're first starting out there are a lot of things that'll have you asking why haha. I'm glad the video helped you get pointed in the right direction, there is a ton of information out there! Also we had a concern with our black tank recently and figured out another good trick we'll be sharing shortly. Anyway thanks for swinging by :)
I have used calgon for years as it leave the inside of the tanks slick. Sent the wife for calgon. She came back with calgon bath oil beads. I didn't say anything I just thought what the heck. Now my poop smells like Lavender & Honey.
No worries at all +Chris Jensen :) I'm not sure if you noticed or not but after this video we did come out with another video talking about Happy Campers - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ij3MgfADrm0.html - It is our new tank treatment of choice. While "The GEO Method" treated us well while we used it, Happy Campers works the best through our experience and doesn't take multiple parts. Anyway I figured I'd share that video with you in case you wanted to check it out. Whichever way you go I hope it works great for you :) Let me know if you have any questions.
Geo Method all the way! We've used it exclusively since 2005 when we bought our trailer new, and there's never ever been any vile odors, not even the time I stupidly dumped black water all over the dump station. Sensors still work fine too. Here's a tip: we found washing soda works just as well as Calgon, is easier to find, and is cheaper. We live in Canada, where Calgon isn't sold any more, so for some reason we tried washing soda, and it worked. In a pinch, you can make your own washing soda by heating baking soda in a 350 oven for about an hour. Don't use baking soda in your toidy, it won't work.
Great video! I'm surprised the laundry detergent doesn't build up on your sensors. We used an eco brand and it really messed our sensors up. I wonder if the water softener breaks it down. I know one reason they say to use Dawn is for that reason. To help break up and loosen the slimy stick.
Hey there +Absolute PandeMOMium! We haven't had any problems with it as of yet, but I appreciate the thoughts. If our sensors do start to stick like they use to I'll switch to the Dawn blue soap for sure.
I realize you posted this comment for years ago but I am desperate to find a solution for my problem. I tried the Geo method with just one cup of borax one cup of dawn after each drain. I did that probably about 7 or 8 times. Then I noticed my sensors weren't working properly as they were prior to using this method. It always shows three quarters full. The only thing I can figure is that there is foam in the tank from the dawn registering the sensors as full. Were you able to solve your issue with the fabric softener? Or any other method to get the phone out of the tank? I'm pretty sure that might be what caused it. I could be wrong.
@@cj303 try dumping a 5 gallon bucket of hot water down with the valves closed, let it sit for about a half an hour and dump it. Mine were blocked so I put boiling water down to break it up, it took several trys and the power flush but it finally worked. I did but Dawn down the front toilet and it now reads empty whereas the back still reads 1/3. Lesson learned put Dawn in the boiling water...
Hello! Complete newbies here! So you do this after you flush the black tank... then leave it until your next camping trip? Or flush that out as well before you leave the campsite? How long do you leave it in there?? 🤣🤦♀️ Sorry for the rookie questions! Thanks for your help! -Holly Jordan
Hey @Chris Jordan and Holly! That's not a rookie question that's a great question. Quick note though, we've actually switched from this method to using a product called Happy Campers which has been amazing, with that said we did have good success with "The Geo Method" as well. But you'll want to do this after you flush the black tank and then go about using it, then dump and do this again. As far as how long to leave it in there I think it's going to depend on how long it will be sitting. Katie and I are actually full-timers so we don't normally store the RV or leave it for long durations. But I'd imagine if you're putting it away for say the winter, you'll probably want it empty. Anyway, I hope this helps :)
The GEO method has two major problems: (1) it degrades seals (borax does it less quickly than bleach, but it still does it), and (2) it kills the beneficial bacteria in your holding tank - and in the septic systems into which the black water tanks are discharged (NOTE: formaldehyde is deadly to leach fields because it not only kills the bacteria, it makes the soil toxic to them - so you destroy the field). Some background: Borax is a mineral, sodium tetraborate. It's basically a salt of boric acid (sodium + four boric acid molecules, bound together via an ionic bond - they stick together because the sodium is positively charged and the boric acid is negatively charged). When added to water, that bond is disrupted and the sodium ion separates from the boric acid molecule. The sodium acts as a water softener, and the boric acid acts as a buffer - it raises pH to a more neutral level (a pH of 7, which is what plain water is, more or less). Calgon contains zeolite and polycarboxylate. The addition of Calgon to hard water causes the calcium and magnesium ions of hard water to displace sodium ions from the anion of Calgon. This results in the removal of calcium and magnesium ions from hard water in the form of a complex with Calgon. Think of the ingredients in Calgon like a magnet - sodium is less attracted than are calcium and magnesium. So it's a more effective water softener because instead of just adding sodium, it also removes calcium and magnesium, which like to ionically bond to other things in the water to form mineral crystals (precipitates). Scale is primarily calcium carbonate (CaCO3), magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2), and calcium sulfate (CaSO4). So borax and calgon both soften water; calgon additionally removes calcium and magnesium, which are responsible for the formation of scale. The detergent makes things slippery. Seals are composed of polymers, which are basically building blocks of carbon compounds linked together in long chains, which chains are cross-linked with each other. Acids degrade seaks becayse attack the bonds that link the polymers , and the seal disintegrates. Borax is a weak acid, so it won't attack the rubber as badly as bleach, which is VERY acidic, but it still degrades it. BTW, vinegar is an acid, which is why you don't want to use it to clean things like expensive espresso makers. Here's the helpful article which I just plagiarized :-) uniquecampingmarine.com/blogs/news/the-geo-method. In pertinant part: "WILL THE GEO METHOD KILL THE BENEFICIAL BACTERIA IN MY TANKS AND CAUSE PROBLEMS? A quick primer on bacteria: Anaerobic bacteria, which is already in your gut and is present in human waste (poop), is much more resilient to chemicals and may often survive treatment with the The Geo Method. At first glance this sounds great! Unfortunately, though anaerobes are helpful in digesting solid waste, they also release methane and hydrogen sulfide gas which make that all-too-familiar sewer smell. Unfortunately, aerobic bacteria that DO effectively break down solid waste and eliminate odors by releasing carbon dioxide and oxygen (the kind you really want in your tank), will likely die off in the high ph environment created by Calgon. Simply put, with The Geo Method you are reducing the chances your solid waste will get adequately digested. Furthermore, it is likely that if used as a regular treatment, you will actually increase the ability of anaerobic bacteria to create strong toilet odors.
Thank you so much for sharing this information @Cathleen Rocco :) I wasn't aware of these issues the Geo method caused. We've actually moved on from this method to The Happy Campers method and have been extremely happy with their product. Anyway, again thank you for sharing, hopefully it'll help others in making their decisions :)
I realize I'm very late to reply to this comment but I can tell you that I use Unique's RV Digest-It in my tank along with the Geo Method. I actually called Unique in 2020 to confirm that this is acceptable and they said its fine. So I don't know why their website now says not to use the Geo Method with their product.
Good informative video. I empty my tanks on the way out of the park and then it is parked until next time. Should I do this after emptying and leave it in the tank when it is sitting unused?
Hey +Mike Kartes I use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit the videos via Adobe's Creative Cloud. But the boxes with the words in the title cards we actually make in Adobe Illustrator then pull it into premiere during the edit. Though I have to say Premiere Pro does have options built in that you could use to create a very similar effect. Anyway I hope this was helpful but let me know if I can elaborate a bit more, best wishes, Eric
Hey Eric, we had a 93 Southwind which we bought new and had it for 20 years. We added "blue stuff" occasionally, but when we sold it, the sensors all worked perfectly. Granted, I was very careful and had a place where I could dump, add more water and dump again. We sold it and bought a 6 year old Georgetown with 20k miles on it. These sensor have NEVER worked. Unfortunately, the Georgetown doesn't have a bathroom window, so adding water and dumping again is a bigger deal.. (What was I thinking when I bought it???) I have tried the GEO method several times to no avail. I haven't looked at the Happy Camper method yet but I will when I get a chance. Any new suggestions would be appreciated. I'm not nixing your GEO method, just stating I have a bigger problem than you.
Hey +Robert Sanders I'm sorry to hear this, there is honestly nothing more frustrating than a smelly inaccurate black tank. The happy campers has worked wonders for us in regards to getting rid of the smells from our tanks, but too be completely honest I've pretty much stopped using our interior gauges all together. I'm not even really sure if they are accurate anymore because I've just been going off of timing based on our experience with how long it takes before they are full. With that said, we are considering getting one of those blank tank washing poles from walmart or Amazon. They're the ones you attach to the hose and stick down the toilet then they shoot pressurized water out in all directions. We haven't tried it yet but feel it can be a good approach to removing any sludge that may be stuck on the side walls. Anyway I hope this helps, and if you do try the pressurized water pole please let us know how it works for you.
Hi thx for the info. But a question. After putting it all in, then what? Is this a process to add at end when packing it all up and Drive home w it to shake it up? Leave it in while camping? Use the toilet as usual w that in there until time to dump?
Ya know what +Rick Stills that is a great question! We've since moved to Happy Campers for our tank treatment, but I can say that we didn't notice any negative effects while using this method though I'm not sure about long-term effects.
No worries at all +Booya to be honest we haven't used our fresh water tank nearly as much as we expected to this point. Soon though we're going to be using it a lot more and we'll want to sanitize it first, so once we figure out the best route for use we'll let you know. Are there any options you've tried that have worked or not?
I've used 1/4 cup of household bleach for every 15 gallons of water that my fresh water tank holds. Mix the bleach with water into a 1 gallon container and pour it into the fresh water holding tank. Fill the fresh water tank almost full. Run water thru all sinks and shower, one by one, until you smell bleach. Leave it in for 2 to 3 hours or even overnight. Driving your rig will help slosh water around and help clean the tank. Drain the entire system and refill with fresh water. To remove the bleach odor, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with a gallon of water and pour into the freshwater tank. Fill the tank again and pump solution through all of the water lines till empty. It's a long process, but it works.
Hey +G Brown from our understanding the Borax does a similar job as the water softener so it may not be necessary to add borax as well. I think the trick is to play with the amounts and products in combination with your tank size and gauge readings to find what works best for you. But we normally add a cup of Borax after we dump and at least 2 capfuls of water softer though we are still messing around with the amounts we use. Hope this helps.
Hey +Steve Mullins so when we were using The Geo Method we were at one point stuck at an RV repair shop for 3 months, so we weren't moving much and it seemed to work really well. To be honest though we've since switched to Happy Campers tank treatment which has been the absolute best for us as far as keeping our tanks clean. You can check out this video we put together on it - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ij3MgfADrm0.html - anyway I hope this helps!
Hey +Mary Nichols we've been using this solution for a while now and haven't seen any problems and we've read information from people who have been using this for several years and have no complaints. It's an all natural environmentally friendly solution that shouldn't cause any problems. Based on my understanding this is a different approach and doesn't kill the natural enzymes, so far it's been great for us. We are also going to give Happy Campers a try which is a packaged all natural solution that we'll use in conjunction with "The Geo Method". I hope this helps to answer your questions. best wishes, Eric
No worries +Julie Poirier and I'd say that sound about right, with The Geo Method we've found it really takes a couple of attempts to get it how you want it. I do want to also let you know that we've since switched away from The Geo Method and now use Happy Campers which to be honest has changed our lives haha. You can check out our video on that here - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ij3MgfADrm0.html - As far as cost goes I believe it comes out to close to the same as The Geo Method. Anyway I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.
Oh yes,, I have watched your video and I use happy camper when I am on the road and use the GEO method When I am hooked up, Cheap and to keep the tanks clean and plan to do deep cleansing every 6 months from a video I saw and found excellent explanation as to what's happening in there, I don't know if I can mention name or put the link, not familiar with exchange of infos. I have no idea If happy camper does the part GEO does in the long run.
That's awesome, +Julie Poirier we haven't actually stored our rig yet so I'm not sure how happy camper would work for a long time. I'd be interested in seeing the video always down to learn something new :) , I believe as long as it's a public video on RU-vid and you give credit to the individual who made it you should be able to share it with no problems.
ok, Here is pipi Patterson whom I find very on point interestin : Black Tank Magic, She also has a link for more info in the description; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-07LVYszdHa4.html Also similar to your video I like these guys sometimes you can pick an extra tip, I do love those tanks clean :-)) Seems like TankTec when storing would be good stuff. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oA6YssgDPjY.html
Thanks +Julie Poirier for taking the time to share these videos with us. I'm actually a big fan of both Pipi Peterson and Love Your RV. I'll have to give these a watch. Thanks again for sharing the information :)
Hi I have been using TST for a while now but I noticed that my husband and I have to empty our tank once a week because it smells and splashes. Also, I don’t think our sensors are accurate either. Anyway, I wondered if you use RV or regular toilet paper with your method? How often do you empty your tank? If you do use regular toilet paper, do you feel like your method dissolves the toilet paper well enough?
Hey @Brooklyn Ringer we actually do use the Scott's RV Toilet paper, we've always liked it. I do want to let you know though, that we've since changed from The GEO Method to using Happy Camper's Tank treatment. You can check out our video on that here - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ij3MgfADrm0.html The happy campers tank treatment has truly been like no other product we've used. Check out the video and see what you think, after you do feel free to let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to help :)
Exactly +k4kale and the geo method does work really well, though to be honest, we've moved on to a product called Happy Campers (we have a video in it as well) which works great. Let me know if you have any other questions I can help with :)
You're totally right +Dennis Perkins A couple of times in the past we had a clog and used hot water to get the flow going again. When we took that approach we made a conscious effort to pour the water down the middle of the pipe. The last thing anyone wants is broken seals :)
Hey +Danielwhodat Demaline we did a ton of research into "The Geo Method" and people have been using it in their RVs for decades without issue. We did end up using this method for about a year and didn't have any negative effects on our seals. Though we have since switched to using the Happy Campers tank treatment product because it's amazing. Anyway, thanks for swinging by, and bringing up a great point in that it's important to understanding what you're using as to not cause damage to your rig.
Not sure I actually understand your question @Stephen Waterman if you're talking about the items used in The Geo Method then I can say it's not random. People have been using this method since at least the 1980's and have found great success. We ended up using it for a long time as well and it worked great with eliminating smells and clogs. Since we shared this we've switched over to Happy Campers Tank treatment which has been the absolute best for us so far, though I'd say The Geo Method is in second place out of everything we've tried. Anyway, I hope this answers your question. Best Wishes
