Pink and Blue
My hubby and I are new to caravanning this year. We love it with a passion. We bought our caravan in February and have managed to get in 12 trips this year (weekends mainly)
we have realised that we really love CL sites. I read somewhere that you guys have alternatives to expensive "pink" as we are now using loads of it !!!
thanking you in anticipation
Comments
-
Bio gel washing pods 😉. We use Lidl Formil. Others use Aldi or other value own brand ones. We still sometimes use the organic fluid. Our flush is direct from our water tank so don't use additives in the flush but some use fabric conditioner, some Zoflora disenfectant.
3 -
It's not essential to use pink in the flush water. We use nothing at all, the same as people like Bakers whose flush water comes from the main tank. I'd save your money and use nothing.
The only essential is blue, or an equivalent, in the cassette itself.
1 -
I can't resist mentioning that there's still a lot on the front of the shelves, Elsan Blue for one, which rely on formaldehyde to do the job, which is disastrous ecologically - maybe not in individual doses, but like the contraceptive pill ending up recycled into the water we all drink, the formaldehyde builds up until it does have destructive effects.
There are some good eco or bio or organic ones available. There are also some ineffective ones, we hear, which cost much and do little. And some of those claiming "formaldehyde free" just substitute other nasty stuff. Can recommend one if you want.
1 -
Formil bio pods from lidl. (Green Box) People have tried other brands like Waitrose and had problems. In the flush water I use Aldi or Lidl fabric conditioner- smells lovely and no black bits. Massive savings over blue and pink. We have used it for something like 3 years now and wouldn't go back to blue. I used to handle blue like explosive- one mistake with it and bang goes that carpet, towel or whatever.
2 -
I get on fine with Lidl bio pods (now use them in the washing machine too) but I didn't get on so well with fabric conditioner in the flush. However someone suggested a touch of Zoflora in the flush tank which I will try when I run out of the Pink.
1 -
Zoflora is too expensive to dilute in the rinse tank. Fabric softener ideally should be diluted/mixed before pouring into the tank.
1 -
I find that strange Pippah? I put the same amount of Fabric Conditioner in that I would Pink and then fill the flush tank with fresh water. It's always flushed really well. I have to service the loo this winter- really looking forward to it I don't think😂😂.
1 -
That you everyone
i will have a natter with my hubby and see what he thinks
0 -
I'm not convinced about Zoflora being a good alternative for the normal pink fluid. I tried it a few months ago because I was experiencing the 'gunge' in the header tank, like so many others - and to start with, it seemed OK. However, after about a week of daily use, I noticed similar 'gunge' developing - not quite as bad as with the pink, but still there. I had previously cleaned out the header tank with a bio pod solution, so it can't have been residue from the previous pink. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm doing something wrong.
1 -
Thanks Merve. No I haven't but will probably give it a try. What has been putting me off the fabric conditioner is that when we had our previous washing machine repaired, the engineer warned against using fabric conditioner at all because it contained fats and that was what caused the black gunge in the dispenser tray that everyone experiences - especially when the machine is used on a low temperature which we are now encouraged to do to be 'eco-friendly'!
I was wondering if I was simply using too much of either the pink or Zoflora. Someone on here suggested a mere capful but I must admit to tipping in more than that.
3 -
I don't think we should add more of anything like fabric conditioner etc than recommended. I used to be heavy handed with things but came across issues like gunge from fabric conditioner, which I still use, but even more sparingly than recommended dosages.
Two benefits less gunge in the case of fabric conditioner, lasts longer and I don't have to buy to often 😉. I think it's a case of less is more 😆.
1 -
If you are putting pink additive in your header tank, only use very small amounts as it can leave a pink slime on the inner surface of the tank which then turns into black bits which come through with the flush. Large amounts of these black bits can block the pump.
Secondly, I am changing from the pods as I don't like the outer skin as it disolves, You can buy the same stuff at Lidl, as liquid in a bottle and it is even cheaper.
1 -
Merve, the liquid bottle has a measure inside the upturned lid and the label on the bottle says 25 washes. I cann't remember how many pods there were in the green box.
Regarding the outer skin of the pods, I dropped a pod into my wastemaster as it helps get rid of smells, The outer skin disolved and left a very sticky gunge. If I put a pod into my toilet header tank and the gunge got into the pump I would not be a happy bunny. So for me it's the liquid rather than the pods that I prefer.
1 -
You don't put pods in the header tank. It goes in the cassette.2 -
Sorry for the delay, Bakers2, I've been away from this quite a bit recently.
http://bluebio.co.uk/new/new-website/
(I preferred their less whizzy previous site but hey!)
It's not the cheapest to buy, but they reckon it gives 50 doses, and the way ours is going I'd not be surprised at that. Compared to the other expenses of caravanning, 30 odd pence a day inc p&p isn't too heavy for a cleaner result.
No issues with fats ending up in "Fatbergs" further down the system either!
I have a fairly sensitive schnozzle, and find it smells OK too, both in use in the van (yes, both varieties!!) and emptying out at the sluice.1 -
I think we have tried this, may even still have some in the van. If I'm right it was difficult for use by a left handed person. (Handover the measure? it's a few years since we bought it so not 100% certain). We didn't continue for this reason.
0 -
The inner wall of my header tank was pretty mucky and I was getting black flecks through with the flush, Because of this I did put some bio liquid in the header tank, but I poured it from the bottle, not a pod. After a journey and a good slosh round the bio liquid cleaned up the inside of the tank nicely. Method in my madness, but it worked.
0 -
There was a long thread about Bio pods with everybody raving about them so this year we tried them in the holding tank (not the flush where we use a small amount of pink). They seemed to work for a while, even though I didn't like the smell, but after using them for a couple of weeks and emptying every other day we found the toilet started to smell unpleasant - and that's using the toilet at night time only. So, it's back to ecologically unfriendly Thetford blue.
I also wonder how hygienic laundry pods are. The blue is a powerful odour suppressant and probably helps keep germs at bay. Expensive stuff but it's popular for a reason.
0 -
if (for some reason) your clothes ended up covered in crap (sh*t really does happen sometimes) .....and you put them in the washing machine to clean them, what would you use?
a Lidl washing pod or a glug of Thetford 'Blue'?
1 -
We had a similar experience when we tried some of the alternatives to blue. They worked for a while but seemed to become less effective over time. We are now using Elsan double strength. Cheaper as you need very little of it each charge and the pink seems to leave no black residue which we have experienced with other makes.
0 -
That's a daft comment BB. The two products are designed for totally different purposes. If bio pods work for some people then that's fine. They are convenient and cheap but they are not designed to break down solid waste or to remain effective for up to four days. I can only describe our experience over several weeks and it seems I am not alone in finding that the laundry pods are disappointing.
This post is about advising newcomers and it is only right to offer different views.
1
