Holding Tank Decommissioned - How to Get Rid of Foul Smell

[Terra Nova]

Your cushions and fabric coverings have absorbed the odor.

[duefocena]

Not sure if this will work for you but these are a couple tricks I've used over the years:
Coffee:
A plate of coffee grounds ( unused ) will absorb a number of smells. I think the absorption of the smell by the surface area of the grounds is the trick.
Apples:
An old car dealers trick for cars that have been smoked in for years is to cut an apple in half putting the halves under the seat. Close the doors and windows and voila, in a day of hot sun the smell is absorbed by the apple.
I have a mesh bag of absorbent clay that sits onside the holding tank. Monthly I take it out and after a day in the sun it expels the odours. I replace it by the tank and have never had a noticeable smell, ( at least not noticeable to me but I might have gone, "Nose Blind" ).

[jkindredpdx]

My holding tank was under vberth. When I decommissioned for my composter, I cleaned inside of hull and inside surface of berth lockers as well as the head with TSP and painted with bilge paint. In head I finished with topsider paint. Good as new.


JimK

[ranger58sb]

I'm surprised at how many say they have odors where their holding tank is/was.


-Chris

[n8kraft]

I recommend the Pure Ayre solution too. I did that when we had our holding tank leak in to the bilge and into the wood. After cleaning with Pure Ayre, just spraying, scrubbing and letting it absorb I sanded and painted and there wasn't residual holding tank smell til we starting using our new plastic tank. It's not bad now.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

I'm surprised at how many say they have odors where their holding tank is/was.


-Chris

I figured after 40 years Sedna deserved a bath and makeover... besides, I don't expect to have my head gutted and under vberth totally exposed again for quite some time.


JimK

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

I figured after 40 years Sedna deserved a bath and makeover... besides, I don't expect to have my head gutted and under vberth totally exposed again for quite some time.

Yep, I certainly get that. Every time a space becomes open, clean it to death!

But it sounds to me like people have been unnecessarily living with tank odors that shouldn't have been there in the first place, should have (could have) been fixed immediately upon detection...

As if boats should be allowed to smell. Or as if boat odors are somehow insurmountable.

And I find that to be the surprising part.

-Chris