Oopsie, poopsie! It smells on me! Why your Trelino® smells bad and what you can do about it

Dry separation toilets don't smell because they do two things: they separate your business into solids and liquids and embed the solids in dry wipes or, more accurately, dry litter. With good drying, regular emptying and proper cleaning, the only odeur your nose will detect is the smell of the particular litter you are using. 

"My urine canister smells. What's the cause?" "Counter question: do you occasionally flush the canister with water?" "Yes, every now and then, after emptying it." "You see, that's the crux of the matter, or the canister's urine scale!"

When it comes to the topic of "smells from the urine canister," the dialogue is almost always the same. But why does the liaison of water and pee stink so much and what can you do to prevent the two from running into each other in the first place?

The formation of urine scale

When lime combines with urine, a chemical reaction occurs. The result is urine scale. Since tap water always contains lime, the formation of urine scale is unavoidable. On the one hand, yellow-brown deposits are formed that grow over time and are difficult to remove, and on the other hand, odors are formed.

How can you prevent urine scale in your Trelino®?

Never use pure water to rinse and flush your urine canister. Instead, use diluted acetic acid (1:1 or stronger) or diluted citric acid (max. 3 tablespoons to 1 liter of water). Alternatively, ph-neutral cleaners or agents containing effective microorganisms are also suitable. The urine canister should be emptied every two to three days. The longer you wait to empty it, the more likely it is that bacteria will form, which also cause odors.

What to do if the urine scale is already there?

If urine scale has already collected in your canister, it can be removed with vinegar essence rinses. It may take a few rinses until all residues are removed. However, you will notice that the odor will gradually dissipate.

What is the difference between vinegar essence and vinegar? 

Vinegar essence is more concentrated than vinegar. Wine or apple cider vinegar contains up to 15% acid, while vinegar essence contains 25%. Thus, the pH value of vinegar is also lower than that of vinegar essence. While vinegar is produced from apples, wine or brandy by fermentation with alcohol, the production of vinegar essence takes place synthetically. For regular cleaning of your Trelino®, acetic acid is absolutely effective and sufficient.

By the way...

Not only the canister, but also the solids container or the separator insert can be cleaned very well with diluted acetic acid. As a practical aid, we recommend a spray bottle: simply apply a few sprays of the solution to the separator insert and then wipe with one or two sheets of toilet paper. Your Trelino® will be fresh and ready for the next use. If you like citrus oil scents, you can also use fresh sprays for the separator insert as an alternative or supplement.

What if it doesn't smell at the front, but at the back?

Odors arise in the solids bucket of your Trelino® when the big business does not dry well enough. There are various reasons for this.

Depending on the consistency, you need more or less litter to dry out the liquid. That is, the more liquid the session turns out, the deeper you may reach into the litter bag. If Montezuma's revenge hits you with monsoon-like force, it makes sense to empty the solids bucket after the session. Refrain from using unnecessary moisturizers like a douche or damp toilet paper. For the freshness kick afterwards, there are alternatives made of foam, which can be dosed well and do not develop so much moisture.

If you are on the road in the summer, condensation can form from the urine at high temperatures, which rises in your dry separation toilet, "rains down" on your solids and moistens them again. In this case, it helps to connect a fan that can extract the moisture.

 We have summarized everything you need to know about cleaning your dry separating toilet in a video. Take a look: 

With this in mind: No matter whether No. 1 or No. 2., just be happy with your loo.