Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Agents and Sanitary Additives
Gentle cleanliness in motorhome and caravan
Thorough cleaning is also possible without chemicals. For the household in mobile homes and caravans, there are environmentally friendly cleaning agents and sanitary additives. Here I introduce you to mild cleaning agents and sanitary additives that do not contain strong chemicals.
Table of contents
- The advantages of ecological cleaning agents and sanitary additives at a glance
- Sanitary additives with micro-organisms and natural soap substances
- Environmentally friendly sanitary additives: application and dosage
- Ecological sanitary additives are allowed in biological treatment plants
- Do seals of approval provide certainty?
- Environmentally friendly sanitary additives at a glance
- All-purpose cleaners for the mobile household
- Conclusion: Everything clean? Naturally!
The advantages of ecological cleaning agents and sanitary additives at a glance
Toilet contents can be be disposed of safely in biological sewage treatment plants
Additive is gentle on the environment, pipes, water and waste-holding tank
Pleasant smell thanks to natural fragrances
Versatile in application
Sanitary additives with micro-organisms and natural soap substances
Colloquially, toilets in motorhomes and caravans are often referred to as chemical toilets. But this name is misleading, because it is not the toilets themselves that are chemical, but certain sanitary additives.
However, numerous manufacturers now also have ecological and thus environmentally friendly sanitary additives in their product range. These can be used in all cassette toilets from Dometic and Thetford as well as in the mobile toilets from Berger, Enders and Fiamma. Here you can find mobile camping toilets in the Berger online shop.
The biological sanitary additives Berger Eco Clean, and the products of Awiwa are based on micro-organisms. In this way, these additives eliminate the cause of the bad odours and do not simply mask them. For a feeling of freshness, these additives are also scented.
Here you can find biodegradable sanitary additives
Eliminate in this case means that bacteria decompose the source of the unpleasant odour. These beneficial bacteria are harmless to humans, but faeces are an extensive food source for the micro-organisms.
Here we present the sanitary additives Berger Eco Clean in detail.
Manufacturer Solbio relies on the four ingredients
- natural soap substances
- citric acid
- essential oils
- plant extracts
Solbio does not disclose exactly which soap substances are used. Basically, horse chestnut, ivy and soapwort are suitable for a sanitary additive. Because the purifying effect of these plants has been known for generations.
Environmentally friendly sanitary additives: application and dosage
Sanitary additives are available in various forms. Liquid preparations are found particularly frequently. Depending on the manufacturer, there are also powders (e.g. from Dr. Keddo), tablets and sachets, meaning little bags packed in self-dissolving foil.
Pre-portioned supplements are particularly uncomplicated to handle. They are put directly into the waste-holding tank or thrown in via the toilet bowl. However, sachets and tablets are always portioned for a full waste-holding tank and they cannot be dosed individually.
This usually wastes a certain amount of the preparation. Basically, you should empty the waste-holding tank whenever you have the opportunity to do so. It usually makes little sense to fill up the tank and drive around for days.
By the way: The "green" variant is not always more expensive than the conventional preparation.
As a rule, manufacturers indicate how long their sanitary additives are effective. Thus, Thetford gives the effectiveness of the green sanitary additive Aqua Kem Green as four days. The conventional Aqua Kem Blue, on the other hand, can remain in the waste-holding tank for one day longer before its effect wears off.
Ecological sanitary additives are allowed in biological treatment plants
Some campsites are not connected to the sewage system. Instead, a small biological sewage treatment plant purifies the waste water. On such sites, the use of strong chemicals in the camping toilet is prohibited, as these could attack the micro-organisms in the sewage treatment plant.
Environmentally friendly sanitary additives are exempt from this ban. Thetford explicitly states that Aqua Kem Green has been tested according to ISO 11734. The standard specifies rules for the degradability of organic compounds in digested sludge. This includes that over 60 per cent of the surfactants must have biodegraded within 28 days. This standard is also used for the approval of natural cosmetics and corresponds to a generally recognised standard.
Here you can find biodegradable sanitary additives
Do seals of approval provide certainty?
Especially with environmentally friendly products, the question of trust often arises. Is the preparation really as gentle as the manufacturer claims? Environmental labels are supposed to ensure certainty. However, there is no uniform eco-certification for sanitary additives.
One sign of environmentally compatible products is the Blue Angel seal. The Federal Environment Agency, among others, is involved in the certification award procedure. The Blue Angel is awarded for various product areas, including electrical appliances or wall paints. In the sanitary additives segment, there are only a handful of products – some are intended more for septic tanks or mobile construction site toilets rather than for camping use.
Blue Angel: voluntary and fee-based labelling
The shortcoming of the Blue Angel: the seal is a voluntary award that manufacturers have to apply for specifically for their products. The application and use (i.e. the imprint of the seal on the packaging) is associated with fees that are not necessarily profitable for the manufacturer. Therefore, there are also products on the market that do not carry the Blue Angel but still fulfil its criteria. One point of criticism of the Blue Angel guidelines is also the advertising ban on terms such as “organic, bio or non-toxic”. If a product bears the Blue Angel, it may not be marketed with these designations. This circumstance also prevents some manufacturers from using the seal.
Ecocamping recommends environmentally friendly sanitary additives
The Ecocamping association is also committed to sustainable camping tourism. Ecocamping advises campsite operators and companies on environmental issues. Experts also compile specialist information on environmentally friendly products for Ecocamping. Their recommendations include Dometic Greencare Tabs sanitary additives and Aqua Kem Green sanitary fluid and sachets from Thetford. Dr. Keddo's preparations are also harmless to the environment from Ecocamping's point of view.
Environmentally friendly sanitary additives at a glance
Awiwa WC Mobil
- Type: Liquid
- Fill level: 1 litre
- Dosage: 50 ml per waste-holding tank (up to 20 L volume)
Here you can find the toilet additive from Awiwa in the Berger online shop.
Berger Eco Clean
- Type: Liquid
- Fill level: 1 litre
- Dosage: 50 ml per waste-holding tank (up to 20 L volume)
Here you can find the Berger Eco Clean toilet additive in the Berger online shop.
Solbio Original
- Type: Liquid
- Fill level: 1.6 litres
- Dosage: 40ml per 20 litres waste-holding tank
Here you can find Solbio Original in the Berger online shop.
Thetford Aqua Kem Green
- Type: Liquid
- Fill level: 750ml
- Dosage: 75ml per waste-holding tank
Here you can find Thetford Aqua Kem Green in the Berger online shop.
Here you can find biodegradable sanitary additives
All-purpose cleaners for the mobile household
Almost every surface in motorhomes and caravans can be cleaned with a biological cleaning agent. Because of their mild mode of action, cleaners based on micro-organisms are particularly gentle on materials. Thus, a biological cleaning agent can be used equally on plastic, glass and wood.
This results in another argument in favour of using an environmentally friendly all-purpose cleaner: you save a lot of space in the storage compartments because you can remove most dirt on the go with a single agent.
Conclusion: Everything clean? Naturally!
There are several arguments in favour of using ecological sanitary additives and cleaning agents: they are good for the environment, gentle on the material and strong in their effect. And compared to conventional preparations, environmentally friendly products are not necessarily more expensive.
