Whether you are out on the road as part of your job, such as being a truck driver. Or, you are going on a camping trip, understanding how to use a portable toilet will help you and your family. A portable toilet provides you with a simple, private method of going to the bathroom when outside your home and on the road.
However, understanding how to use a portable camping toilet is a skill that does not take much work, but it does mean you have to follow a process to ensure that it is used properly. The first mistake that many people make is that a portable toilet is not exactly like the toilet in your bathroom. There are a few important differences that you need to know before purchasing a portable toilet.
Table of Contents
Differences
The most obvious difference is that a portable toilet can be hauled or carried to the spot where it needs to be. The toilet in your bathroom isn’t designed to go anywhere. And if it does move, then you have some pretty big issues to deal with.
While the toilet in your home is connected to a septic tank or the sewage system of your local community, a portable toilet is a self-contained unit. That means what goes in stays there until you dump it out. Even with a chemical toilet, the contents are still present.
This means that you have to find a designated location to dump the contents. Preferably a designated area for dumping wastewater, such as an RV park where they have such places. Or, in your own toilet once you come back from the trip.
How to Use a Portable Camping Toilet
Now that you have your portable toilet, the next step is getting it ready for the trip. One of the first things you should purchase is deodorant or disinfectant or both that is usually provided by the company that makes the toilet. By putting a small amount in the waste tank, it can be most effective in keeping odors down to a minimum.
Keep in mind that it won’t fully get rid of the odors, but at least it will make it far less noticeable. They usually come in liquid or powder form, but either way, adding it before the portable toilet is used can make a considerable difference. To ensure that the product is working, flush or pump the water in the toilet a couple of times. That will ensure it covers the surface area.
The Proper Use of a Portable Chemical Toilet
Understanding how to use a portable chemical toilet means knowing how it works. The good news is that the principles are usually the same as water from the water tank that will flush the waste material into the waste tank. But you will need to follow some good practices if you want to get the most out of this device.
Sit Upright: In other words, you should sit on a portable toilet the same way you sit on a regular toilet. The idea is to keep splashing to a minimum. By sitting correctly, it minimizes the amount of splashing that may occur.
Toilet Tissue: Biodegradable toilet tissue is usually recommended, although keep in mind that all paper-based toilet tissue is biodegradable to a certain degree. Plus, you are dumping the contents out and not running them through pipes. However, it is true that biodegradable toilet tissue may cause less of a cleanup issue compared to other forms of toilet tissue.
Control the Water Release: Arguably the trickiest aspect of how to use a portable toilet is the amount of water needed for a good flush. While it is tempting to release or pump as much water from the tank for extra cleaning, remember that enters the waste tank will remain until you dump it out. If you want to dump the tank fewer times, then try to flush just once, perhaps twice and no more.
Removing the Waste
Once the portable toilet is full or if you are returning from the trip and it will not be used anymore, then you are ready to remove the waste. The question will be where to dump the contents. Remember that you are getting rid of waste material, so it will need to go to a designated area.
If you are in an RV stop, then they usually have a place to dump the wastewater. This is a common feature of RV parks and some camping areas. In fact, you should check it out before you leave to see what locations are available.
Otherwise, you can simply wait until you get home to dump the wastewater in your toilet. That will work just as well if you cannot find a place along the way. The drain pipe will take the waste material away from your home.
Cleaning the Tank
Once you have removed the wastewater, it is time to clean the tank. You’ll want to wash it thoroughly to remove any waste material. Be sure to flush out the tank, go over with the proper cleaning chemicals, and then rinse to ensure that it is ready to go. If you are going to use it soon, then that is all you really need to do.
However, if you plan to store the portable toilet for a while, then you probably want to add some disinfectant to ensure that any remaining waste material that is not removed from the toilet is properly treated. The last thing you want is to pull your portable toilet from storage only to have it smell horrible because the remaining bacteria decided to grow.
Conclusion
When you understand how to use a portable toilet, you will have greater confidence in taking it with you on trips. Whether you need a portable toilet for your job, such as being a truck driver. Or you want to have a portable toilet for camping trips and stays as RV parks, this is a simple device that is easy to use if you know what to do.
