sanitation kit

i'm giving you fair warning to not read this post while eating your lunch =o]

there are several reasons you might need to use this kit, but we created it with a home based quarantine in mind. in the united states there are three stages of quarantine, and the effectiveness of this kit depends on where you live and which stage your community is in. i bet you can guess what next week's post is going to be about...

Sanitation Kit

Suggested Materials:

·         2 Trash cans with lids

·         Shovel

·         Black trash bags (small and large)

·         Bleach and/or enzyme 300

·         Bucket with a lid and plunger

·         Hand Sanitizer

·         Detergent

·         Wet wipes

·         Vinegar

·         Flannel Toilet Paper

·         Baking Soda

·         Mesh bags

·         Old #10 can with lid

·         Old tennis ball

·         Peri-bottle

·         Old Phone books

·         Rocks/gravel, pine needles/leaves/twigs

This sanitation kit is meant for “stage one" quarantine. This is the plan for when H5N1, the avian flu, hits- see pandemicflu.gov. It is projected that sanitation problems will kill as many people in quarantine situations as the disease or biohazard. We create so much waste!

Unavoidable Trash:

-Burn, compost, recycle/reuse what you can, then throw the rest away in a can or pit compacting as you go. If it is stage two and you can't go outside designate a room in your house as the garbage room and keep everything in doubled up black trash bags. The garage is most feasible.

Bio- Waste:

-Everyday Toilet- Use your current toilet with no water or a bucket. Plug the hole with an old tennis ball. Line the bowl with a black garbage bag. Use old phone book pages until they run out, just for bowel movements, or start with the flannel toilet paper right off (see below). Change the lining everyday and add bleach or the enzyme to the bag before sealing it and putting it in a larger black bag lined trash can. (Not the same one as your other trash.) When the can is full double up the current bag and then bury it. The waste must be at least 50 yards (about 80 paces) away from your living area and covered with at least 2 feet of dirt. Dig down 8 feet if you can. Use hand sanitizer after each contact with any part of this process.

To use Flannel TP you need three sets of wipes for each person. Each set has three wipes. Use one set a day. You can color code them if you want to make sure you use the same sets each time, or everyone can use everyone else's after washing. Plan on washing them every other day or at least every third day. If you are not using old phone book pages for bowel movements, designate one of your wipes for that and the other two for urine. Have a #10 can next to the toilet with a mesh bag for each person's flannel TP. At the end of the day put all the TP into a bucket of cold water to soak overnight. The next morning dump out the dirty cold water and wash the TP with  a mixture of hot water, baking soda (one large pinch per set) and detergent. Once the cloth appears clean, dump out the dirty water and soak the TP in a mixture of vinegar (one capful or less per set) and water. Wring out each TP square and hang up to dry in the sunshine.  Never use bleach on your flannel TP as it ruins the absorbency.

*To make Flannel TP: Prewash flannel alone in hot water. Dry in the dryer alone on hot setting. Cut flannel cloth with pinking shears into 6 inch squares. If you don't have pinking shears hem the edges.

 

-Feminine Supplies- Keep a three month supply of tampons (only keep pads if there is a possibility of childbirth) or purchase a diva cup.

           - Make flannel TP designated for just that week and use a peri-bottle

-Diapers-  Make or purchase cloth diapers. The old fashioned ones with the plastic pants for each size and diaper pins would not be my first choice. Cloth diaper systems made by Bum Genius or Gro Via are much more manageable.

-Make or buy flannel baby wipes. Be sure to scrape off everything you can into the 'toilet' then wash your cloth diapers the same way you wash the flannel TP.

Wash Water:

 If your drain systems aren't working, you will need to dispose of the water you use to cook, do laundry, and bathe because it is now greasy and not good for the soil and will attract pests if just 'thrown out'. Make a soakage pit to dump it into. Dig a hole roughly four feet squared by two feet deep. Fill the hole with rocks and/or gravel. Spread a layer of pine needles, twigs and/or leaves on top to catch most of the grease; occasionally burn and replace the topping to avoid the attraction of pests.

best of luck!