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Black/Gray Tank clean procedure
The goal of this note is to share good practice on tank dumping/cleaning.    The issue is not protection of yourself, although that is very important, but to protect others from you.    Generally your personal family already has be exposed to your germ/virus biology.   The real issue is we have no idea what was the practice of the folks that preceded us to  the water or dump station.   

 As background I worked in medical field and hospitals most of my adult life.   With this in mind this is a modified system I use to protect me and mine.    The key is to keep 'dirty' equipment separated from clean equipment.   
1. open compartment
2. put key in pocket
3. put on gloves
4. open 'dirty' bag and connect dump hose
5. open value to dump black then gray water
6. close value
7. disconnect dump hose
8. clean dump hose using dump area water
9. store  dump hose in 'dirty' bag
10. remove gloves   See of Checklist 5: Applying Non-Sterile Gloves of this page . 1.3 Hand Hygiene and Non-Sterile Gloves – Clinical Procedures for Safer... .
11. put gloves in trash
12. remove key from pocket -- lock bin
13. start LD --  vacate dump station

glen
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King

Re: Black/Gray Tank clean procedure
Reply #1
Glen,

I, too, maintain one outside compartment/bay for all my gray & black water gear and clean up fluids. I also store several plastic leveling blocks and a bottle jack in the the bay.

My fresh water items are stored in another bay. Draining water from all hoses prior to storage allows me to store many other camp related items with this equipment.

If I may add to your list one item, that would be to rinse/hose down the dump station and rinse the water down the drain. This will help flush any waste that can often escape the RV dump hose.

Sanitizing the dump station water valve/handle can also help keep our fellow campers just a bit cleaner. Just a little something that takes only a few seconds and costs pennies.

Thanks for your post.

Kent

2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"

Re: Black/Gray Tank clean procedure
Reply #2
I bought grey and white containers with snap-on lids.  The containers just fit through the access door in the back of my 31IB.  I keep all black waste hose, orange water hose, sprayable clorox solution and gloves in the grey box.  The white water hose, filter, pressure regulator, etc go in the white container.  I keep containers apart after they are removed from the storage locker.  Also wipe down both containers with clorox spray before storing back in the coach.   I use the clorox solution to spray down everything that I am going to interact with at the dump station. 

Re: Black/Gray Tank clean procedure
Reply #3
"I use the clorox solution to spray down everything..."

I didn't give sanitation much thought until I watched the guy next door wash out his sewer hose using the fresh water spigot. I suddenly got cold chills thinking about what would likely happen when the next camper hooked up to that same spigot. It was then that I started using a spray bottle of Clorox!   :-\
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!

 
Re: Black/Gray Tank clean procedure
Reply #4
Kent,
That is almost exactly what I do.  I was trying to keep my 'steps' simple.  

The place were most all 'untrained' folk make mistakes is in the glove removal process.    The order of putting on and removal of gloves seems simple.   A person must be thinking ahead and not be worried about stopping the whole process so they can maintain a 'clean' process.    

There seems to be a bit of social pressure at the dump station to get in and out as quickly as possible.   I get that.   But as I told my students -- the only person that will suffer is you if you make a mistake.  

glen
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King