Make a Shelter Plan #4-How would you use the bathroom in your shelter?

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ReadyMom

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So, this is currently being discussed on another forum I frequent. Zip lock bags, tubs, kitty litter are all being thrown into the mix.

Another concern is odor.

What about pets?
 
Well for starters the exhaust exits from the bathroom. That is it's final destination before leaving the shelter.

I am not sure that every shelter in a SHTF situation will have a nice bathroom with an exhaust fan.

Saw dust or shavings is a consideration for many. A five gallon bucket with a toilet seat is an option. I have that set-up, but have no saw dust. I also have some garbage bags that are for that purpose.

Something that helps with odor in out houses is lime sprinkled into it. It depends upon your situation, of course.

If a person were in a shelter with a bunch of others, privacy would be limited in a few ways. For odor, I would have some aerosol spray. I am putting that on my shopping list.

Also, if you are using reusable wipes, have a 5 gallon bucket with some non-chlorine beach in some water in the bucket with a lid on it. It will make cleaning the flannel wipes easier to clean.
 
For odor, I would have some aerosol spray. I am putting that on my shopping list.

If you are in a sealed, room/area for 14-21 days, for a missile crisis, I'm concerned about using aerosol spray. I'm thinking that it would compromise whatever limited air is already in the room. I thought the idea is to limit exposure to 'fallout', so that would limit the amount of airflow going in, right?
 
If you are in a sealed, room/area for 14-21 days, for a missile crisis, I'm concerned about using aerosol spray. I'm thinking that it would compromise whatever limited air is already in the room.
I'm thinking the poop smell doesn't contaminate the air, but the aerosol spray would,
the poop smell you just may have to live with until people breathe it in and it goes away...
 
An airplane literally turned around their flight due to someone leaving a stinky poop in the airplanes bathroom. Okay, that would be embarrassing... lol.
Not so sure that poop smell in a shelter would be the same as on an airplane fight, but this article made for an interesting read and makes me think, ...would people who are in a stressful SHTF situation be tolerable to any offensive smells... and not sure nose plugs would be the answer either.

"A bad smell filling the air means that odor molecules are coming out of the bathroom and into your nasal passages. But odor particles aren't the same as pathogens flying through the air; bacteria and viruses require a surprising amount of force to be picked up and transmitted through the air. That's why diseases like Ebola are not airborne--the virus is just too big to float around in the air."

“It’s obviously offensive and difficult for the folks on the airplane, but I’m not aware that a particularly bad odor indicates a greater risk for infection or bacterial transmission,” says Jean-Pierre Raufman, a gastroenterologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine."

https://www.popsci.com/can-you-get-diseases-bad-bathroom-smells
 
One thing that could help with the smell would be to have some clove oil on hand to dab under your nostrils. I never used it in this way, but many nurses who were trapped in smelly situations did. Other oils would probably work as well like lavender, orange, lemon, etc. You could also use vapo-rub in the same way to overpower your smell receptors. Yeah, I'd rather smell vapo-rub than DH's stinky poo! Neither would be pleasant. I think I'm gonna try the oils I have on hand and see how that works out.

It would be a good time to cut down on intake and practice some fasting techniques. The less that goes in......the less that goes out. I might also take it easy on the beans while in a small space.......even though beans are easy to stock, cheap, and can be eaten without heating. No matter what, those days won't be pleasant. Lots of choices to make that we don't even give a second thought to during our everyday activities.

Some things on the subject I have been thinking about as it relates to 14-21 days in an enclosed area.....

* perhaps get 2 luggable loos - one for urine and one for feces. I would think the feces would be the worst offender and would be easier to deal with on it's own.
* not sure if clumping kitty litter is better than regular kitty litter. I think the clumping kind would be better for cleaner air due to less dust?
* cedar chips and/or lime (as mentioned by Weedy)......yes, forgot about that. Good to have a bag available and add it to help dampen the fecal smell.
* having several larger buckets WITH lids in your area to seal up the offensive debris.
* have lots of ziplock bags, garbage bags and rubber gloves!
* If you have a baby, definitely get a diaper genie! They are not 100% effective, but much better than nothing and do a pretty good job.
* have lots of TP available.....not too hard if it's only a 3 week supply. No need to reuse cloths for that small period of time.
* have hand cleaning station or hand sanitizer and lotion available for proper hand washing along with lots of paper towels.
* have a shower curtain or room separator for privacy if in a small space.
* get some cheap odor absorbers from the dollar store....they don't last but a few weeks but that's all you'll need - place them by the potty area.
* have feminine protection products and have the ladies put that waste in a separate enclosed container.

Not potty related but....

*make sure you have toothbrushes, paste, mouthwash in your area and mint gum or candies
*have some baby wipes ready for quick clean ups since it won't be prudent to shower often - these can be life savers!!
*air purifiers with extra filters wouldn't be a bad idea if you have power to use it
*fabric softner sheets can be wiped on the dogs to give them a quick freshen up

A quick note on the luggable loos. Yes, I know you can make your own with a 5 gallon bucket and potty seat, but I picked one up in the camping section of a sports store for $15 and it wasn't even on sale. The seat and lid fit perfectly and there were even blue paks included. For the money, I thought is was a great deal and I didn't have to waste my time piecing it together. I also plan on using my loo in the deer blind. The other stuff mentioned isn't that expensive to have on hand. You'll just need to get it all in whatever place you will be holed up in. Some of the products I won't need, but you never know who else may be at your mercy. I'd rather have it and not need it....you know?
 
I still have a bedside commode that was used when a family member came home from hospital. I would place bags in the container and throw them out of the shelter as needed. Luckily it has an inner lid like a stew pot (sorry for that visual).

Basement shelter has a 12v variable speed fan with HEPA filter for fresh air as needed, potty goes next to exhaust vent.

Just keep the S from ever HTF! :good luck:
 
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I still have a bedside commode that was used when a family member came home from hospital. I would place bags in the container and throw them out of the shelter as needed. Luckily it has an inner lid like a stew pot (sorry for that visual).

Basement shelter has a 12v variable speed fan with HEPA filter for fresh air as needed, potty goes next to exhaust vent.

Two questions:

What if the nuke took out the power grid and that knocked out your exhaust fan?
If it was a fallout situation you were trying to avoid, would you risk contamination in leaving your shelter just to take your poo outside?
 
I lived, for 25 years, in an area where honey buckets were common and visited villages where they were universal except for the school which had the only flush toilets. Mostly the buckets were in a box with a vent through the roof. Think about a Port-A-Potty or the camp ground outhouses. Keeping the bathroom door closed was also useful.

Lysol, the liquid not the spray, was a common answer to knocking down the odor. A little poured in with the poo keeps the odor knocked down.

Separating urine and feces helps keep odor down.

If you plan on sheltering inside your home then the toilet becomes an option. You will probably not have much excess water. You can still separate the urine and use that to flush the feces. You will probably only generate half the liquid necessary this way but two people might be able to flush once a day.
 
Two questions:

What if the nuke took out the power grid and that knocked out your exhaust fan?
If it was a fallout situation you were trying to avoid, would you risk contamination in leaving your shelter just to take your poo outside?

All you need to do is to set the bucket outside and close the door. You would need multiple buckets or plastic bags for this plan to work.

In a nuclear situation I would not factor exhaust fans into my plan.

In a situation where there is little water and the sewer is compromised you can place two layers of heavy duty plastic bags in the toilet bowl or bucket. When it gets near full then tie the inner bag and haul it away and dispose of it. Put in another bag and you are set to go. Separating urine is necessary and if you do so just putting the lid down should be adequate for odor control.

If you have used too thin of a bag or waited too long, when you start to see the first bag stretch too much, STOP, grab both bags and get extra strength.
 
All you need to do is to set the bucket outside and close the door. You would need multiple buckets or plastic bags for this plan to work.

In a nuclear situation I would not factor exhaust fans into my plan.

I'm having the same concerns as angie. If we are in a situation where we have to remain securing in one location ... inside ... NOT outside ... wouldn't you be defeating the purpose of that sheltering, by opening a door to toss your bathroom trash OUTSIDE? :dunno:
 
In a situation where there is little water and the sewer is compromised you can place two layers of heavy duty plastic bags in the toilet bowl or bucket. When it gets near full then tie the inner bag and haul it away and dispose of it. Put in another bag and you are set to go. Separating urine is necessary and if you do so just putting the lid down should be adequate for odor control.

If you have used too thin of a bag or waited too long, when you start to see the first bag stretch too much, STOP, grab both bags and get extra strength.

I agree about the bags. We have THOUSANDS of grocery sacks stored away :cool: . I've always grabbed a 'few' extra, when I'm shopping :rolleyes:. For some reason, Hubby has a 'thing' about those plastic sacks and he grabs a HANDFUL whenever he goes ... and he's NOT a prepper. They are SO easy to store, because a lot store in a small space, when they have NOT been opened yet! Literally a few hundred in a shoe box!

Lime. I need MORE lime. But WHERE to store it, in large amounts, when you live in a home, in 'Suburbia'. I also have a lot of cheap kitty litter for 'pottie' needs. Also heavy & takes up a lot of space.
 
I'm having the same concerns as angie. If we are in a situation where we have to remain securing in one location ... inside ... NOT outside ... wouldn't you be defeating the purpose of that sheltering, by opening a door to toss your bathroom trash OUTSIDE? :dunno:

First, you wouldn't be doing this on day one so there would be a reduced threat. This might be a weekly chore or longer depending on how many people were in the house. Second, you would just open the door, lean over a bit, and set it outside. The few seconds that the door was open should pose little threat. I might delay a bit if it was windy or choose a door on the leeward side.
 
I agree about the bags. We have THOUSANDS of grocery sacks stored away :cool: . I've always grabbed a 'few' extra, when I'm shopping :rolleyes:. For some reason, Hubby has a 'thing' about those plastic sacks and he grabs a HANDFUL whenever he goes ... and he's NOT a prepper. They are SO easy to store, because a lot store in a small space, when they have NOT been opened yet! Literally a few hundred in a shoe box!

Lime. I need MORE lime. But WHERE to store it, in large amounts, when you live in a home, in 'Suburbia'. I also have a lot of cheap kitty litter for 'pottie' needs. Also heavy & takes up a lot of space.

I'm not talking about the plastic bags that they put groceries in. these are too flimsy, they mostly have holes that might leak, and they are too small to work well. I use the heavy black trash bags that fit a large trash can. The typical 13 gallon trash bags for a kitchen trash can should do fine but I prefer the heavier plastic.
 
I think that once you have the garbage bags tied up, you can put them in a bucket with a tight fitting lid. If you would need to add more to the bucket, it might be better to use gamma-seal lids on those buckets.

Lime. I need MORE lime. But WHERE to store it, in large amounts, when you live in a home, in 'Suburbia'. I also have a lot of cheap kitty litter for 'pottie' needs. Also heavy & takes up a lot of space.

Five gallon buckets can be used for all kinds of storage, including the lime, and they can also be used as seating, for lighter weighted people. In a shelter, you can keep all kinds of stuff in them, and sit on them. Some people have made special seats for them as well. I have some gamma-seal lids on some buckets, and can always use more.
 
Another option is the free 3 1/2 gallon buckets you can get at the bakery department at the grocery store. They usually come with a gasketed lid. These are shorter so you might want a short platform to set them on but you can just seal them up as they fill.
 
Another option is the free 3 1/2 gallon buckets you can get at the bakery department at the grocery store. They usually come with a gasketed lid. These are shorter so you might want a short platform to set them on but you can just seal them up as they fill.

These would be a good size for a kid's pottie!
 
I think that once you have the garbage bags tied up, you can put them in a bucket with a tight fitting lid. If you would need to add more to the bucket, it might be better to use gamma-seal lids on those buckets.
I like the idea of the gamma lids for this!
 
Another option is the free 3 1/2 gallon buckets you can get at the bakery department at the grocery store. They usually come with a gasketed lid. These are shorter so you might want a short platform to set them on but you can just seal them up as they fill.

Yup, I've got these buckets too in 2-5 gallon sizes with gasketed lids. I have some in my shelter already but they are filled with stuff. So, I would be taking some things out to put waste in. That way I don't have several empty buckets in my small area.

As far as the grocery plastic bags are concerned. Where I'm at, they're all different. The Dollar Tree bags are so thin it's not even worth having. The cashiers just end up double and triple bagging anyways, so I'm not sure why them make them so thin? The Walmart bags are just slightly thicker, but not by much. The independent grocers and farm supply stores still have the thicker plastic bags. Those are the ones we use when we camp with the dogs for poo bags b/c they stretch and don't break. My mom always taught me to unpack your groceries/goods and if the bag is clean, fold it back up and put in in the cabinet. We use them at yard sales and such. I still have way more than I'll ever use, but I can always recycle them if need be. They also make great packing material if you need to ship anything. However, these days I just use my cloth bags that I always keep in my car.

I'm still rusty (ie: ignorant) on what precautions need to be taken for a nuke fallout situation and that's the line I'm thinking along. This thread in another forum was presented more that way. Still, there's really good responses here. Without worrying about anything outdoors harming us from the sky, things would be much easier to manage. I don't think I would seal up my outside entrance only to break the seal to set out waste. I really don't know what is safe and what isn't when talking fallout situations. I guess I'd rather err on the side of caution. The emergency radio would likely determine a lot, but I dunno. If I KNEW for a fact that nukes hit the mainland, I think I'd disappear in my hole and seal up the entrances as soon as possible and stay there for 2-3 weeks. I have some reading to do......again.:confused:

So many books..............
 
I thought about something relative to this. There are people from Mexico and maybe other Latin American countries who do not put their toilet paper in the toilet. They put it in a garbage can by the toilet. I learned about this when I had several students whose parents were not born in America. We had to come up with a way of helping them understand to put it in the toilet and flush it down. In a SHTF situation, this might be something to consider. I am not sure what I would do, separate trash or in with the fluids and solids.
 
I'm still rusty (ie: ignorant) on what precautions need to be taken for a nuke fallout situation and that's the line I'm thinking along. This thread in another forum was presented more that way. Still, there's really good responses here. Without worrying about anything outdoors harming us from the sky, things would be much easier to manage. I don't think I would seal up my outside entrance only to break the seal to set out waste. I really don't know what is safe and what isn't when talking fallout situations. I guess I'd rather err on the side of caution. The emergency radio would likely determine a lot, but I dunno. If I KNEW for a fact that nukes hit the mainland, I think I'd disappear in my hole and seal up the entrances as soon as possible and stay there for 2-3 weeks. I have some reading to do......again.:confused:

So many books..............
You are correct in considering all the variables with nuke fallout. If your shelter opens up to the outdoors then you do not want to break your seal, as you stated. If you have a basement shelter and your home is intact, then you can consider being able to place the waste outside of the door if needed.

As a general rule you shelter yourself for a two week period to let the fallout decay to an acceptable level. The only trouble is what if after one week there’s another detonation hundreds of miles away and you have more fallout coming? You might not be getting that information on the emergency radio. I have some of the old Civil Defense radiological meters (geiger, survey meter, dosimeters) in working order (though not recently calibrated) and also a new digital geiger counter so I will be able to monitor actual levels at my shelter. You can also use them to determine what areas in your shelter have the most shielding.
 

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