BARE HANDS on the sewer conections


DL Rupper

Senior Member
Every time I watch the new RV arrivals and departing RV'ers hook -up or unhook from the park connections, it still amazes me how many of them use their bare hands on the sewer hoses and connections.

For you newbies to RV'ing. The sewer hoses connections are DIRTY and may even have germs on them. Go to WAL-MART and buy a box of disposable gloves. They cost about $5.00 for a box of 50. You can find them in the First Aid area. That in itself ought to tell you something.

For you old timers, I won't bother suggesting the disposable gloves as you are to set in your ways and must like getting your hands down and dirty. :laugh:
 
G

Guest

Guest
RE: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

ok DL then i be nice , i am one that does not use gloves ,, but then agian u should see what i get into on these thingys ,, without even thinking about gloves ,, yuck :dead: :dead: :dead: ;) :laugh:
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

Hey Rod, I hope you have a large bottle of GermX handy. ;) :laugh:
 
G

Guest

Guest
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

to tell u honestly ,, i don't really think about it ,, i'm still here ,, and i have gotten into much worse stuff then black tanks ,, ever work on a garbage truck??? well i did when i worked for a fleet service ,, now that is nasty :approve: :approve: :approve: :eek: :eek:
 

ARCHER

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

Now that my lungs are shot, I wear gloves (always did) and I also wear a mask so I do not even breath it when I connect or disconnect the lines. I don't use them when I just empty the tanks while hooked up because all I really do is pull the opening valve for each and I spray that with disinfectant before and after usage. ;)
 

LEN

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

I wear latex gloves but the way I have things setup it's clean operation unless things go wrong. But I do have the DW stand on the out put so it doesn't get blown out of the hole, now that would be fun!!!! And I do wash things down real well before storing the hoses and such.

LEN
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

Hey Archer, hope you're feeling somewhat better. I don't wear the mask, but use the GERMX after pulling the levers on the tanks. Paranoid I guess, but I feel better doing it. I keep a bottle of GERMX outside in the compartment and I use 90% alcohol on the water connections before hooking up.
 

utmtman

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

Hey DL guess I am a newbie, lol I have the gloves on hand just never use them. Figured thats what soap and hot water is for. I survived Viet Nam, Panama, the Phillipines, and Korea. Think I am impervious. Doctor once told me nothing could live in my body with all the hot chit I put in it. Even bacteria is scared of me. lol
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

I don't think my dodo will hurt me, but I worry about my friends and DW's dodo. Just as soon not have it all over my hands. I know that when I have the gloves on I get wet sewer water on my hands when handle the sewer hoses/connectors. Anyway to each his own. :dead:
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

I always spray down the fresh water connection with a mix of 20% chlorine bleach and water when I first arrive. You need to allow it to stand for at least 1 minute in order to do the job, I usually spray it and then connect the electricity to give it the time. I also always connect the water before I fool with the sewer hose.

As to dirty hoses, I'd say it is pretty safe to say that either waste water tank has some unpleasant stuff in it. I'll not get into any pissing matches over what it the "only" right way to do things but I always use a good hand soap and lots of water after I finish. Gloves or not, a good hand washing seems to me to be a good idea.

One thing that often amazes me is the number of people who religiously wear gloves when they dump, but the gloves are not disposable and so after a few uses, I'd bet they have more living in them than do most waste tank effluents.

On the blown out connection, I recently went off and left the screw in fitting for most sewer connections behind and as a result had to buy a new one. The good side of that is that our new one has an elbow that actually locks into the screw in fitting so it won't come out, ever. I am now glad that I forgot my old one.
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

I agree the non-disposable gloves are useless. You pick them up to put them on and transfer all the old stuff yuck to your hands. I also wash my hands after using disposable gloves. Just paranoid. I see too many campers spewing the sewer water all over the campground when they disconnect their sewer hoses and then they stick the sewer hose over the fresh water tap to rinse it out. That's why I use the alcohol on the fresh water connections. If I used a bleach solution, I would have white splotches all over my clothes. :laugh:
 

cwishert

Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

Good info to know. I told my husband about the gloves but he is one of those who thinks that he has been a lot dirtier what could it hurt. I will definitely get some bleach or alcohol before we leave tonight to make sure the things are as clean as possible. I saw on here about listerine keeping the mosquitos away. I wonder if it would disinfect the water connections also? :question:
 

rjann

New Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

Been flushing out holding tanks for about 25 years with no gloves. Flushed porta-potties out after overflowing from kids use before that. Been camping for 40 years. Everyone's healthy. I do wash my hands afterwards, mostly because it's disgusting.
I do admit that the stuff in holding tanks is disgusting, even though it comes from me and my own loved ones, but it's definitely not dangerous. Your body is full of those "germs" you talk about, whether you touch the hoses or not. If they were, in fact, "germs" you'd be sick. They are just friendly bacteria.
Just my 2 cents.
Bob
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

To each his own. Just thought I would pass on some helpful hints to the new RV'ers. All you oldies seem stuck in a rut. rjann if you don't think CRAP is dangerous and the germs are friendly, there's nothing I can say. :dead:
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

Bob, you are entitled to your opinion (and experience.) I don't take issue with that.

Just a little bit of research will tell you a different story about those "friendly bacteria." You owe it to the people around you that might touch handles that you touch.

Please don't think me unfriendly if I meet you and don't shake hands. :eek: :)
 

Oakman

New Member
RE: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

I rarely wear gloves when dumping my tanks. But I do wash my hands afterwards. Same goes for when I take a dump, I don't wear gloves when wiping myself but I do wash my hands afterwards.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

This thread has gotten real long, and the possibility of damaging relationships here is great.

I think the point of using the gloves is to isolate the "stuff" from areas that OTHER PEOPLE might touch.

Now, if you twitter around all of the covers, lids and handles with those gloves on, then there's nothing gained.

But, if you isolate the contact to the dump area, and THEN remove the gloves to fiddle with the other gadgets around the RV you'll be doing the right thing for the people that come behind you.

Your "stuff" may not be harmful to you, but it damn well could be harmful to someone else, especially if they have low immunity to start with.

And you would never know what you did to them ...
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

Well, yall scared me so bad I went and bought a whole box of them latex gloves. First time I used them I broke out in hives. Alergic to latex and most everything :angry: Should I use them after potty use for wiping :laugh: :laugh: Just kidding, I do use gloves and wash hands after dumping but those latex ones do break me out.
 

LEN

Senior Member
Re: BARE HANDS on the sewer conections

Ya but how do you get the gloves off??? I know have the DW take them off that way you stay nice and tidy LOL . I do use the gloves and still wash everything down real well.

LEN
 
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