Toilet Paper Disposal

Pam G · 10-03-2018, 03:44 PM

Recently, I was reading one of the articles on storage solutions, and one of the suggestions was to have the clear plastic shoe organizers attached to the inside of the bathroom door. They mentioned using one of the pockets to store ziplock bags, in which you would place used toilet paper. I've also seen a couple of other people mention placing used toilet paper in trashcans, instead of their toilet. I know that toilet paper has to go in a trashcan if you have a compostable toilet, but are people not placing it in the regular toilet either? I've owned Class B's for about 12 years and have used them mainly for a week or less of camping at a time, but I've always bought the RV toilet paper and have placed it in the toilet. So, now, I'm curious. What do most people do? Obviously there wouldn't be any issues with toilet paper blocking the valves or something if it doesn't go in the tank, but putting it in a trashcan sounds disgusting. Just curious and am trying to learn as much as possible, so I'm interested in hearing any opinions.

markopolo · 10-03-2018, 03:59 PM

There are no right or wrong answers with this topic, just opinions and preferences.

Used toilet paper goes in the toilet & ends up in the black tank in our RVs. I've always done that with no issues on either gravity dump or macerator pump out.

Boxster1971 · 10-03-2018, 04:27 PM

I just put t-paper into toilet. No issues using cheap regular t-paper.

avanti · 10-03-2018, 05:30 PM

I get enough of that when traveling to third-world countries, I'm not going to do it in this fine country. Our paper goes into the toilet with wild abandon. Never an issue in 13 years of B-vanning. For reasons I have never understood, looking for things to pointlessly obsess about seems to be a part of the RV-owner personality profile.

SteveJ · 10-03-2018, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avanti

...For reasons I have never understood, looking for things to pointlessly obsess about seems to be a part of the RV-owner personality profile.

Pam G · 10-03-2018, 05:48 PM

Thanks everyone for your quick replies and for letting me know that putting toilet paper in the toilet as intended is quite normal!! I had never thought of putting it elsewhere until I saw those comments I mentioned, and then I started wondering if I was crazy and was doing something wrong. Well, I guess I can't necessarily say I'm not crazy, but at least now I know I wasn't doing something wrong. Thanks again!!

I think there are probably people in any club or community that obsess a bit too much - that was a great comment though!

GeorgeRa · 10-03-2018, 06:19 PM

Indeed, propensity to RV toilet life chats seems to be high based on the number of threads related to macerators, hoses, black tanks, cassettes, dumping pleasures, etc.

I recently visited the well-preserved Teutonic castle - Malbork from the 13th Century, tour guide also talked about monks’ eating and toilet habits, their beer was a big portion of their diet so using cabbage leaves worked great.

Deer don’t need toilet paper, so, diet is important.

rvsprinterguy · 10-03-2018, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avanti

For reasons I have never understood, looking for things to pointlessly obsess about seems to be a part of the RV-owner personality profile.

Amen! (now, to make my reply long enough to send) Amen!

Doneworking · 10-04-2018, 03:13 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by avanti View Post
For reasons I have never understood, looking for things to pointlessly obsess about seems to be a part of the RV-owner personality profile.

then, rvsprinterguy:

Amen! (now, to make my reply long enough to send) Amen!

Can I just Amen the Amens? Hey, folks, these neat Bs are made to use and not constantly worry about all the possibilities of life.

InterBlog · 10-04-2018, 01:44 PM

Upon hearing a female longtimer speak favorably after she switched disposal methods, I decided to give it a try as well. The suggestion was to segregate #1 TP into a sealed bag for trash. #2 TP... well, there's much less of it generated, and it presents a greater potential health hazard, so it goes into the black tank.

I do find that I get cleaner black tank flushes with segregation and less TP in there. Whether or not there's enough of a difference to inspire someone to switch methods? I don't think it's critically important, but I said what the heck, it's not difficult to do and it makes dumping easier, so I'll do it. Plus we boondock and it helps save tank space between dumps.

I have a small kitchen can that I got from West Marine mounted above the commode for #1 TP, with a gallon zip lock inside. And a regular trash can for everything else (I almost always travel with our dog, so all trash is kept in the wet bath to keep it away from her inquisitive snout).

Oh, BTW, that IS a Sesame Street branded trash can in the second photo. It's the plastic-coated canvas collapsible kind with a metal wire embedded in the rim. I squashed it into a triangular shape to fit this wet bath corner, and then I cut a lid out of coroplast and edged it in belt webbing (hinged it as well). And it just wasn't complete without the Oscar beanbag toy.

Phoebe3 · 10-04-2018, 02:28 PM

Looks like somebody wants her toy back, thank-you-very-much!

Nice job, BTW.

Pam G · 10-04-2018, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I have a small kitchen can that I got from West Marine mounted above the commode for #1 TP, with a gallon zip lock inside.

I can understand what you're saying about having less TP in the tank by disposing of it separately. As I was reading your description, I was picturing opening and then resealing the zip lock bag each time TP is added, but then I saw the picture of the mounted kitchen can. It looks more like something you would just throw paper in. Do you keep the zip lock bag sealed or is odor not a problem?

BTW, I'm quite used to using zip lock bags or baggies to pick up after my dogs, but I haven't used them for TP before.

kpt · 10-11-2018, 06:47 PM

TP in the toilet. We have a gravity dump. We use regular (non-RV) TP and those moist wipes on occasion. We have never had a problem. Every gravity dump I have seen is a 3" pipe. That's household size. So, you should be fine. The moist wipes may be an issue for a macerator, but I have no experience with that.

Ladyflier · 10-15-2018, 09:20 PM

I think not a problem unless it (paper) happens to attach itself to some sort of sensor in the tank, is the only thing I've heard.

Bruceper · 10-16-2018, 02:59 AM

If you're worried about paper products clogging things up try this.

Get a small pail or bucket and put water in it. Drop in some fresh toilet paper or paper towel and swirl it around for a few seconds. If it stays in a clump you probably don't want it, if it breaks up into hundreds of tiny pieces then it's likely safe to flush.

Wipes are evil, they do not degrade like regular paper toilet products and clog up many things like blade valves, sewer lines and sewage treatment plants.

MrMyagi · 10-16-2018, 07:11 AM

My wife and I just started putting our toilet paper in a small trash can with a step on lid opener. We bought it from Wal Mart. We were having clogging problems because of the toilet paper in the black water tank. I initially thought that it would be pretty gross to do this but it has turned out to be a non issue after testing it out for a while. Of course the can is lined with a proper sized black plastic trash bag. It is disposed of regularly. There is no smell. I even bought a can of Lysol at first but it is not needed. The trash can just sits on top of the toilet in our Roadtrek 190P when not in use.

GallenH · 10-16-2018, 03:55 PM

When I was in Peru, even some of the best hotels in Lima required disposing of TP in a container that they provided. Lousy sewer plumbing. It worked perfectly fine. However, in my 1997 PW with gravity dump I've never had a problem with RV TP. I suppose it would lessen the frequency of black tank dumping, though.

rvsprinterguy · 10-16-2018, 06:21 PM

We avoid this issue by not using the onboard facilities for the business that requires much TP. That which is used anyway by the DW has never been a problem.

michaelingp · 10-16-2018, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GallenH

When I was in Peru, even some of the best hotels in Lima required disposing of TP in a container that they provided.

I had the exact same experience in Santiago, Chile at a government office. I was really loathe to comply, but what I realized later was that they had maids that watched, and emptied the little trash can after every use. Different cultures have different views on waste.

MsNomer · 10-17-2018, 11:47 PM

We have found this practice so common in our foreign travel that when we get home, it can be hard to remember to put the paper in the toilet. It’s really no big deal.

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