The development of the Commoderizer™ started back in 2012 during a sailing charter in the British Virgin Islands.
We were new to boating and having an absolutely incredible vacation - until we noticed that the boat’s marine head had a seriously offensive odor problem. The crew was well aware of the issue and relied on a variety of air fresheners and deodorant sprays in an attempt to manage it. Despite the effort, the odor persisted.
At the end of the charter, we talked to the captain about the problem and possible solutions. As owner of a small manufacturing company, I began researching the causes of marine head odor and experimenting with potential designs once we returned home.
The Problem
Marine head odor is not caused by a single issue. It comes from two related sources within the plumbing system:
Seawater, which introduces organic material and odor-causing bacteria with every flush
Calcium scale, which forms inside plumbing lines when urine reacts with seawater and creates a porous surface that traps odor and worsens over time
Why Traditional Methods Fail
The most common approach to controlling marine head odor is to periodically flush chemicals—such as deodorants or bleach—through the system. While this may provide temporary relief, it fails to address the underlying causes for several reasons:
Every flush introduces fresh seawater, bringing new organic material, bacteria, and calcium-forming minerals into the toilet, plumbing lines, and holding tank
Deodorants and bleach lack proper chemistry to dissolve or prevent scale buildup
Treatments are applied intermittently, not continuously, allowing odor and scale to return between applications
How the Commoderizer™ Is Different
The patented Commoderizer™ was designed to address odor and calcium scale at the source-working automatically with each flush rather than relying on periodic treatment.
Details of the system and its operation are explained in How It Works.