Sanitation & Hygiene

Why this outranks almost everything

After major disasters, disease from bad sanitation has historically killed more people than the disaster itself. A working bucket toilet and a handwashing routine protect a household more than any gadget. Set these up on day one, not week two.

At a glance

Set up the toilet and handwashing routine on day one — post-disaster disease kills more than the disaster.
Latrines: 2–3 ft deep and at least 100 ft from any well, stream, or water source, downhill.
Scrub hands 20 seconds, always after toilet contact; sanitizer is backup only.
Third wash basin sanitizes: a capful of bleach per gallon, then air dry.

The emergency toilet

Sewers fail with power and water pressure. When taps stop, toilets stop being flushable.

Bucket system (indoor, short term)

5-gallon bucket with a tight-fitting lid
Heavy trash bags as liners (two at a time)
Absorbent: cat litter, sawdust, shredded paper, or dry leaves
Sprinkle absorbent over each use to cut smell and flies

Bag changes daily or when half full. Tie bags well, store them sealed and away from living space until disposal is possible. Urine-only bags can be emptied outside far from water sources.

Pit latrine (longer term)

Dig 2–3 ft deep, 1 ft wide, at least 100 ft from any well, stream, or water source, downhill of it.
Cover waste with a scoop of soil after each use; keep a lid (board + plastic works).
When within 18 inches of the surface or smelling strongly, retire it: fill with 6 inches of soil and start another.

Never

Never relieve yourself within 100 ft of drinking water, never dump waste into streams or storm drains, and never bury waste in your vegetable garden.

Handwashing station

A jug with a spigot (or a bottle with pinholes), soap beneath, and a catch bucket makes handwashing possible without running water. Ash or fine sand scrubs hands clean when soap runs out — mechanically, it genuinely works. Scrub 20 seconds: backs, between fingers, under nails.

Hands get washed: before eating or cooking, after every toilet contact, after handling waste bags, after caring for the sick, before touching wounds.
Hand sanitizer (60%+ alcohol) is backup, not replacement — visibly dirty hands defeat it.

Kitchen and gray water

Wash dishes in three basins: wash, rinse, sanitize (a capful of bleach per gallon in the third). Air dry.
Gray water (wash/rinse water) goes outside away from gardens and water sources — food scraps strained out and buried deep or bagged.
Flies walk from latrines to plates. Lids on everything, screens where possible, buried scraps — fly control is diarrhea prevention.

Bodies and spaces

Wash armpits, groin, hands, and feet daily even without full bathing — a cloth and basin covers it.
Change socks and underwear daily; rotate "day clothes" so they air out.
Sick people's cups, towels, and bedding stay separate; wash sick-room linens hottest available water.

Grounded in public-domain FEMA/CDC/WHO emergency sanitation guidance. Educational only.