We are a valuable resource for septic tank cleaning and the proper care of your septic system.

It might seem like a misnomer to think of a septic tank as being able to be cleaned. It holds waste after all! Why call for septic tank cleaning for something that’s only going to get dirty again, right? Well, you should clean a septic tank for the same reason you keep cleaning your home even though you know the dirty socks laying around, the dust on the dresser, and the muddy footprints at the door are going to return. You don’t want the mess to keep accumulating until a critical-mass situation is the result.

Septic Tank Cleaning in Spring Hill, Florida

Here’s another comparison to cleaning house: prevention makes the job easier. If you can train your family to clean up after themselves, you won’t have to spend as much time cleaning the house. Likewise, if you treat your septic tank properly and proactively keep it cleaner, you won’t need to call for septic tank cleaning as often.

At Tampa Bay Septic, we provide septic tank cleaning services in the Spring Hill, Florida area, but we are also a valuable resource for keeping your septic system in top working order. We are more than happy to provide you with a few tips that will make your septic tank cleaner and operate more efficiently.

  • Tip #1: Cleaning products to avoid– We recognize that your family is likely doing a bit more house cleaning than usual these days, including using anti-bacterial cleaning products and bleach. Unfortunately, these are not good for your septic system. You can still use them, but avoid letting them go down the drain. Also put any disinfecting wipes into the trash instead of flushing them. As for cleaning the toilet bowl, instead of using bleach products, use a solution of equal parts of vinegar and baking soda. A quarter cup of each is sufficient to get a nice, clean toilet bowl.
  • Tip #2: Increase good bacteria– The waste in the septic tank is broken down by a species of bacteria, which is why you don’t want to use anti-bacterial products when you have a septic system. You can give the good bacteria a boost by adding yeast to the system every so often. Another option is to crush up three or four rotten tomatoes every four months and flush them or put them through the garbage disposal.
  • Tip #3: Avoid putting certain food items in the garbage disposal– Actually, the less you use the garbage disposal, the better. Food should go in the trash or be composted whenever possible if you want to reduce the need for septic tank cleaning. With that said, the items you really want to avoid are cooked or raw meat, cooking oils, fats, and grease.
  • Tip #4: Don’t flush nonbiodegradable items– Things that the bacteria can’t break down easily shouldn’t be flushed. Many products tout themselves as being septic-friendly, but they really aren’t. If you want to test an item, put it into a container with water and see how long it takes to break down. If it takes more than a couple of days, don’t flush it.

Septic tank cleaning is going to be needed at some point, even if you were to follow all these tips religiously. There is no other way to get rid of the sludge that will accumulate at the bottom of the tank. Call us to schedule septic tank cleaning to avoid having that sludge damage the tank and cause other problems that could be far costlier than regular septic system maintenance.

FAQs About Septic Tank Cleaning

At Tampa Bay Septic, we believe we have the responsibility to be a valuable source for information about septic system care. If our advice can help you avoid major septic repairs or premature failure, we are happy to have helped. Here are a few of the questions we have gotten about septic tank cleaning, but feel free to ask us whatever questions you have in mind.

Can septic tank cleaning be done too frequently?

No. While we understand that you wouldn’t want to do it too often because of the cost involved, the expense of dealing with a backup can be far costlier. If you want complete peace of mind, we recommend an annual inspection to check your tank and determine whether septic tank cleaning should be done or if it can wait at least another year. This policy also gives you peace of mind there isn’t anything wrong with the septic system that should be addressed right away to avoid additional damage.

How long does septic tank cleaning take?

In most cases, it takes us no longer than an hour to perform this septic service at your Spring Hill, Florida home.

I don’t know where my tank access is. Can you find it?

We are pretty good at finding where the septic tank is located. We won’t need to dig up your entire lawn to find it! It is not unusual for a new homeowner to not know where it is, as few buyers think to ask the seller or have the septic system inspected before closing. Our advice is to do this, though, so any problems are found out beforehand and you’ll know how soon septic tank cleaning should be done.


At Tampa Bay Septic, we offer septic tank cleaning services in Tampa, Brandon, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Fort Myers, Indian River, Spring Hill, and Brevard County, Florida.