SANITATION
We don't talk about sanitation much when discussing emergency preparedness, but if the water stops running after a disaster then flushing the toilet will very quickly become a messy problem! If you choose to remain in  your home after a significant disaster then you'll need to know your options:

Indoor Sanitation
With a few modifications you can use your own toilets as emergency potties

• Empty the water from the bowl
• Put a heavy duty 13 gallon (or larger) garbage bag into the bowl
• Secure garbage bag with duct tape
• Duct tape the toilet handle to remind everyone it doesn't work
• After each use pour a small amount of kitty litter, sawdust or Quicklime into the bowl and close the lid until next time.
• Change the bag when needed, carrying the "full" bag outdoors in a bucket.
• Discard toilet bag in an outdoor garbage can, garbage pit or somewhere suitable.
• Provide a way to clean hands after using toilet (alcohol gel, or soap/water/paper towels)

Outdoor Sanitation
Bucket Toilet

• Use a 5-gallon bucket with a toilet seat on top
• Put a heavy duty 13 gallon (or larger) garbage bag into the bucket
• Secure garbage bag with duct tape
• After each use pour a small amount of amount of kitty litter, sawdust or Quicklime into the bowl and close the lid until next time.
• Change the bag when needed, and discard in an outdoor garbage can, garbage pit or somewhere suitable.
• Provide a way to clean hands after using toilet (alcohol gel, or soap/water/paper towels)

Pit Latrine

• Locate the latrine in a spot that is at least 100 feet from rivers, streams, lakes or wells, and is downhill from water sources.
• Location should be well drained and above flood level.
• Hole should ideally by 6+ feet deep.
• Make a latrine cover that includes a hole no more than 6 inches in diameter.
• Throw kitty litter, sawdust, ash or Quicklime onto waste after using latrine to decrease flies & odors.
• When the waste is 20 inches below ground level it is time to build a new pit. Cover the first pit with soil.
• Provide a way to clean hands after using toilet (alcohol gel, or soap/water/paper towels)

Toilet Paper Alternatives
Eventually it will run out....and THEN you can use:

• Other soft papers (napkins, paper towels, facial tissue)
• Other paper (printer paper, newspaper, wrapping paper)
• Water irrigation (via a spray bottle) perhaps wiping with a clean flannel or cotton cloth, afterwards (then put cloth in a bucket and wash them when the bucket fills up)
• Leaves , including leaves from corn husks, Big Leaf Maples, Large Leaved Asters and Cottonwoods. 

LAUNDRY
How will you do your laundry without power?
​

• Shake out clothing before washing
• Apply a small amount of Shout to any visible stains and then scrub with a brush
• Use a small amount of laundry detergent with your wash so the clothing doesn't take so much water to rinse. 
• To make your own laundry  detergent, mix together:

                 - 1 cup Borax
                 - 1 cup Washing Soda
                 - 1 cup grated bar of soap
          then use 1-2 Tablespoons per load of laundry

• If you have an emergency manual washing machine like one of these, follow the directions

                  - Wonderwash
                  - Laundry Pod​

​​

• If you have neither of these, you can use a 5-gallon bucket, put hot water and detergent into the bucket, add your clothes, and use one of these cleaning options:

             1) Seal it with a Gamma Seal Lid
                  - Then shake the bucket back and forth for several minutes. 
             2) Agitate clothing with a "Breathing" Mobile Washer, or you can just use a plunger
             THEN: - Drain out the soapy water
                           - ​Rinse clothing by repeating the process with fresh water

• How to wring out the clothes?

                  - Do this by hand, with a mop wringer or with a hand-cranked laundry wringer. You can also use a
                     large (5-gallon) salad spinner to spin your clothes dry(ish)!

• Finally, hang your clothes to dry on a clothesline or a drying rack.

"Breathing" Mobile Washer

Hand-Cranked Laundry Wringer