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Original poster

Hygiene in a SHTF/long term outage situation?

53 replies

DoYouRememberJustinBobby · 05/10/2016 12:45

I've been thinking recently about what we would need hygiene wise if water/electricity was cut off for a few days or even a week. Not so much a mass outbreak of illness because I don't want to be around to deal with that type of thing.

We have some water stored away and a good store of soap too but I do worry that illness could spread quickly without access to hot water and sanitation. I have a chronic illness which means my immune system is shot and I worry about tummy bugs setting me back or making me incapable of looking after my family.

We don't tend to use a lot of bleach in our house but I recently saw it on 3 for 2 in the supermarket so I've stashed away a few bottles in the utility room.
I'm not a fan of wipes but I wonder if it might make sense to have a few packs of anti bac cleaning wipes and toilet roll wipes to make sure everything is kept extra clean.
I also have a few bottles of anti bac gel in our camping box. I don't really go in for anti bac this and anti bac that long term but I think it might well be useful.

What are your plans?

OP posts:
Artandco · 16/10/2016 10:06

Living in a flat, my plan would just be to bury toilet waste in a park. With the amount of people in flats, Hyde park will look like a swamp in about 2 days!

biscuiteater · 16/10/2016 14:08

We once had a power cut that lasted for 3 days! It certainly makes you think, it was okay kind of, our hot water lasted for a couple of days and we have a log burner so kept a bit warm, rest of house got freezing though. Since then we bought a generator and had solar panels installed. As for water shortage, it would be difficult, we have got an above ground pool so could use that water for washing if needed.

cozietoesie · 16/10/2016 14:47

I used to live in an area that had frequent unplanned power cuts and it was interesting to note how people tended to 'suspend activity' while they were going on. (E.g - they went to bed for a snooze and hoped that things would be fine when they woke up.) Anything more than a couple of hours, though, and they started to become real twitchy.

A radio is a seriously good idea during an outage. People can hopefully plan a little more if they have the faintest idea of what's happening.

NameChanger22 · 22/10/2016 00:57

I have a plumbed in toilet in an outdoor shed. If water was cut off I would flush it with buckets of rainwater maybe. Does that sound reasonable?

I read somewhere that for long-term problems it would be best to cling film up the indoor toilets, due to gases coming up, and make a toilet outdoors out of a bucket and leaves or cat litter. But I think an outdoor toilet is better than this? Am I correct?

cozietoesie · 22/10/2016 13:51

I think you're likely underestimating the amount of water needed to flush a toilet just once. That rainwater would probably be needed for drinking purposes.

What is the outside toilet connected to?

NameChanger22 · 22/10/2016 18:46

Thanks, I'm working on a system to harvest lots of rainwater. I think it only takes a good size bucket to flush and I would only need to flush once a day. I think it's fine to leave wee to sit there all day as the toilet is effectively outside.

I think the toilet is connected to the mains, but I'm not exactly sure how. Plumbing is not one of my skills.

cozietoesie · 22/10/2016 19:46

So, in essence, it's an inside toilet which just happens to be in an 'outside' seeming position? Wink

It might be best to wait until your rainwater system is running successfully before you make decisions in any case. What if something happened during a dry spell?

Original poster
DoYouRememberJustinBobby · 22/10/2016 22:00

Could you turn it into a composting toilet?

OP posts:
NameChanger22 · 22/10/2016 22:24

To turn it into a composting toilet I'm guessing I would have to rip the toilet out and start again. I don't think I want to do that because there will probably never be a need for a compost toilet.

Hopefully in a dry spell (do we have those in this country?) I would hopefully have enough water stored for days when there is no rain. And some days there might not be enough to flush, but it shouldn't be a problem as the toilet is outside so we won't smell it.

If gases come up, then that should be fine too shouldn't it? As the toilet isn't in the house.

cozietoesie · 22/10/2016 22:32

Good thinking there. Smile

PrincessHairyMclary · 22/10/2016 22:42

For toileting, I'd dig a hole in the garden and bury it, going in a bucket indoors I guess. My garden isn't anywhere near a water source so this would be fine.

For washing, I live near the sea so I guess could wash in there (North Sea might be a bit chilly in the winter). Or I guess you could use water from a water butt but that type of water would be easier to purify to drink than sea water if needs must.

cozietoesie · 22/10/2016 22:49

Sorry - just lost a long post.

I was actually replying to JustinBobby there because I think that's not half a bad idea if SHTF. It's worth keeping in the back of your mind, anyway.

The UK is a wet country but much of the water falls onto the land and is drained into rivers/reservoirs etc. If you remember that humans need - what is it - 2.5 litres of liquid/water per day just for drinking (happy to be corrected on that - it's just a figure in my mind) then you can start to see the strain that would be placed on your rainwater collection if that had to cater for toileting also.

I'm not considering the issue of pumping here. (Which would apply to your outside toilet also - possibly - depending on the length of the event and the nature of your system.) Familiarise yourself with your plumbing is what I'd recommend.

cozietoesie · 22/10/2016 22:52

Buckets have loads of uses at all times - and don't really bulk too much for storage when they're stacked or used to contain things. I'd always have a good few to hand. Smile

PickAChew · 22/10/2016 22:55

So long as it was safe to go outside, you could use water from a water butt for the loo. (Though I see the post above has mentioned rainwater collection)

I think, barring what could be achieved with wipes, clean water does need to be saved for hands and consumption. The rest of you would need to put up with some degree of itching and stinking, short of washing feet, pits etc in the rainwater that was then used for flushing the loo, periodically.

PickAChew · 22/10/2016 22:55

And yes, I'd shit outside, if it was safe.

cozietoesie · 22/10/2016 22:56

Strewth, Princess - you're hardy! Bathing in the North Sea? Grin

PickAChew · 22/10/2016 23:02

As for pumps, you tip the bucket of water into the cistern, then flush with that.

I live somewhere reliant on pumps for water pressure, to some extent. When they're knocked out by an outage (and they stay off after it's over - so often knocked out by a simple brownout), we have some residual pressure. Can't run the washer, the cistern takes 10 minutes to fill and the shower is a pathetic trickle - but so long as I place no other demands on the water, I can have a wash. (Discovered this after a blizzard which took down a load of power lines nearby, one year)

cozietoesie · 22/10/2016 23:20

That's useful. Smile

Is there a natural pressure gradient or were there pumps on some standby power?

Out2pasture · 22/10/2016 23:27

if the toilet is dry (no water in it) it's easy to slip a black plastic bag in it and around the rim. the family uses the toilet and on a daily basis the bag is thrown out and new one inserted. works fine if the issue is just a simple week need to conserve water.

cozietoesie · 22/10/2016 23:30

Black plastic bags. Something else to always have a good stock of. Smile

gillybeanz · 25/10/2016 18:20

I'm new to this board and have nothing to add yet, but what does SHTF mean?

cozietoesie · 25/10/2016 18:42

'Ordure Hits The Fan'. The Big Berthas in other words.

gillybeanz · 25/10/2016 19:07

Aw, thank you. Just reading through the various posts, lots of practical stuff.

A solution for the hot water, OP.
Do you have a camping stove? You could probably only do small amounts but would be hot enough to keep clean.
Obviously you'd need gas or oil provision.
If that's daft ignore me, I'm new to prepping. Grin

cozietoesie · 25/10/2016 19:14

I truly believe - and have said before - that a goodly part of preparing is being able to actually think about matters. No such thing as a daft suggestion. Smile

captainproton · 25/10/2016 19:32

When I was at sea. Our lifeboat training stipulated that you didn't drink for 24 hours, and what water there was, was rationed, can't remember how much but it was nowhere near 2 litres. You also had to eat rations, which were high in sugar and I think low in protein. Think high protein food required the body to need more water to digest it. You didn't eat for 48 hours, toilet was to be over the side. Trying to think how that translates shore side. you'd have to have a spot of land which you use as a toilet. But I would definitely not eat for 48 hours just to preserve rations.

i suspect also that if SHTF you'd have to work with your neighbours or people you trust and pool resources. Having books on survival might be useful. Fire lighters, knives and be prepared I guess to fend off anyone desperate enough to kill for water/food! Then you'd have to think about moving any corpses away from water sources to prevent waterborne diseases. Actually I think you'd have to burn them...

Tbh I think I'd be fucked in a proper SHTF situation.