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You are here: Home / Beginners Info / How to Eliminate Odors in your RV?

How to Eliminate Odors in your RV?

By Mark on June 15, 2019

How to Eliminate Odors in your RV

How to Eliminate Odors in your RV?

At first, you smell a really nasty smell in your RV, grab an air freshener and blast the whole place.

The spray seems to be working but the stench keeps on growing to a point where you cannot ignore it anymore. I bet this has happened to almost anyone. Keeping the windows down or using air fresheners aren’t working anymore.

The good news is that we are going to share with you the best tips on how to eliminate odors in your RV. It’s time, let’s get rid of that musty RV odor!

Avoid Carpets.

Carpets will always be a tempting addition because they tend to make your RV look plush and comfortable.

Additionally, they create a cool ambiance compared to laminated or hardwood floors. On the other side, carpets may turn out to be hot-bed for hard to remove the stinky musky smell.

If you come to think about it, every time you get into your RV, you get more grinding dirt into the car. The situation becomes worse if you have a pet that pees in the car.

Its hair gets stuck in the carpet fabrics as well. Cleaning the carpet may seem to be a cheap solution unless you are willing to get down on your knees and hands to clean it up, it’s not going to be easy so it’s advisable to forego carpeting your RV altogether.

Clear Uneaten or Food Remains as Often as Possible.

It’s common to take food with you in your RV. Some, like farm produce, bread, meat, and some processed food seems to get bad quickly due to the changing conditions as you travel.

Unless you are having a fridge, you will need to have a fresh supply and get rid of the food remains. I bet you don’t want to scour RV only to find moldy, rotting food to be the source of the stench.

Drain Your Bathroom Water Holding Tank Frequently.

If a bathroom back at home can get filthy, in an RV it could never be any better. Every system in the RV runs in pipes. Be sure to check how full the tank is. It should be almost full but you should never allow it to overflow. During cleaning, take things slowly or else you will spill waste in your RV.

Keep the Kitchen Drains Clean.

Having the whole place cleaned up and still have a musty kitchen really doesn’t rhyme. Food particles accumulate in the sink.

Every time you wash the dishes the draining process continues growing slow resulting in rotting. Check the system and unclog it, wash the sink thoroughly using a cup of vinegar and baking powder dissolved in hot water.

Clean the Fridge.

It’s possible to have a clean kitchen with a stinking fridge in it. You cannot keep running away from cleaning a fridge forever. The small size of the fridge makes it daunting to clean.

Though you may gut it, it will give that odorous smell, a combination of all the things you had stashed there before.

However, all you will need is warm water in a bowl and baking soda. Add the baking powder to the water, half a cup will do. Use this mixture to clean the whole fridge.

FINAL VERDICT.

Your recreational vehicle is your pride and joy… However, you will admit it can get stinky sometimes. The good news is that, with these handy tips, you can tackle any odor that sprouts from your vehicle, may it be from the kitchen, bathroom or any system.

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Related questions.

How to get rid of bathroom odors naturally

  • Use an air purifier

One of the reasons why your bathroom has a bad odor is because of poor air circulation. You can remodel your bathroom to increase air circulation. However, if you don’t have the time or money to do that, you can use an air purifier. An air purifier is an electronic device that dramatically increases air circulation in your bathroom. It also eliminates odor-causing bacteria from your bathroom space. Air purifiers are readily available in departmental stores. You can also buy them online through e-commerce websites like Amazon and eBay. Air purifiers are not expensive. Top-rage air purifies cost about $250. But for a small bathroom, you can buy a small one for just $25.

  • Use a nice essential oil air freshener

The good thing about essential oil air fresheners is that they don’t contain harsh chemicals that can irritate your skin or cause/ aggravate health conditions. In fact, you can make them right at home. An example of essential oil recipe to remove odor from your toilet is a solution comprising 15 drops of your favorite essential oil (orange, eucalyptus, or lavender), rubbing oil and 1 part of vodka.

  • Use a blend of lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda

The set-in odor is one of the reasons your bathroom has a bad smell. A blend of lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda is an effective cleaning agent to remove set-in odors. Simply spread the solution on your toilet seat and toilet bottom, let it sit for about 15 minutes and then clean it out with a brush.

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Why does my RV smell like sewer?

Any RV owner will tell you that they have experienced a sewer-like smell in their unit despite regular cleaning and flushing of the bathroom bowl and tank. This smell may occur because of a damaged sewer tank, a leaking toilet, clogging or leaving your toilet uncleaned for long. If left unattended, the smell can become so strong that you won’t be able to relax in your RV. Luckily, there are steps you can take to ensure your RV doesn’t smell like a sewer.

How do you get rid of sewer smell?

  • Unclog the RV toilet
  • To safely unclog your RV toilet, you’ll need rubber boots, a cleaning bucket, gloves, protective eyewear, disposable clothing and a hose attached to a faucet. Here’s how to unclog your RV toilet:
  • Close your water tank valve
  • Fill the tank with water
  • Pour the unique tank cleaner into the water tank via the toilet
  • Leave it for about 12 hours. After 12 hours, the solids found in your holding tanks should have liquefied
  • Open the tank valve to empty out the liquid
  • Thoroughly clean and sweeten the tank

Once you’ve unclogged the toilet, you need to thoroughly sanitize and sweeten the tank because some debris may still be stuck on the sides of the tank. Otherwise, it would still smell. You can sweeten the tank using Spic n Span.

Sanitize the flapper

You might have sanitized and sweetened your toilet, but the odor persists. This may be because of the flapper not closing properly due to tissue papers stuck in the rim. To remove the stuck tissue papers, wipe the flapper and area around it. When you do this often, you’ll have a clean smelling RV toilet, always.

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I AM MARK, AND I LOVE MY TRAILER!

On Camper Trailer Report I want to share things and my experience and help other RV owners to enjoy their camper even more.

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