Back Up Bucket Toilet

I had some old buckets around, mostly from gardening and garage organization. They were getting beat up and a lot I no longer had a use for, trying to think of what I could do with them. Some are still decently sturdy but weather beaten and think parts chipping. It has holes as it was used for a planter for some time.

I was dealing with problems in my apartment before, the pandemic. Worst of all.... old plumbing. Often when it was being worked on we either had no water, I keep some stored for prepping reasons for a lot reasons. That being one of them. Or no water and we are not allowed to flush.

Worst part of old plumbing in a pandemic....Where I live the gov shuts down all the public restrooms whenever they see fit. Now a lot of businesses can reserve the right to deny access.

What better time when indoors a lot to find stuff to reduce, reuse, and make your household more self sufficient.

I was a local discount department store when I saw a toilet seat that was made for a bucket. I have seen the pool noodle idea a lot prior and always thought it was interesting but limited.

Now the creation shall commence.

• 3 old 5 gallon buckets
• Bucket top toilet seat
• Screw type bucket lid
• Spray bottle
• Rubbing alcohol
• Water
• Baby wipes
• Toilet paper rolls
• Thick trash bags
• Cat litter
• Hand sanitizer

Recommended but optional:

• Disposable gloves
• Lotion
• Air freshener
• Disinfectant spray of choice
• Solar shower type water heater
• Soap

• sand/earth/small rocks.

Take the sturdier of your buckets and add the screw top lid. Once that is in place you can open as close it securely as needed. The ones I got I use in my prepping for dry goods and other things because I hate having to near destroy the buckets taking the lids off/on or dealing with the mess occasional repercussions of leaving them 'kind of' on and forgetting.

This will be your storage bucket, toiletries holder and butt-napkin caddie.

You can either place anything you do not need at the time or extra supplies in it or if you have no immediate access to a trash can use it as a secure pace to seal the in the bags of waste till you can dispose of the properly.

Remove the handle on it and put a roll of TP through it before replacing. I have seen camp toilets that have the TP directly on it. I just did not like that idea, did not seem all that hygienic.

In the spray battle combine 70% alcohol and 30% water. I recommend the green type as it has a pleasant minty smell. 70/30 mix is good for a inexpensive disinfectant. Reason for that mix it is gives the alcohol enough moisture to coat and stay long enough to properly disinfect . Spray down the seat and safe enough for your paws if you wish. The lotion is recommended least they get dried out.

Set aside neat the butt-napkin caddie.

Place baby wipes and hand sanitizer on top of caddie. Use the baby wipes and wipes for hands after or whatever cleaning needs that may arise.

Stack the other two buckets. The secondary one acts as a bit of a riser, great for those who have a hard time getting up from lower positions. It also can hold the mentions sand/earth/rocks suggested. It will give the lower bucket more weight and help prevent it from tipping.

Take two bags(double bag highly recommended) and line the inside of bags in the top bucket. Put a good amount of the cat sand, this stuff as a multitude of uses. In this case it is the same use just different animal. I just got some cheap stuff that promised good absorbency and odor

control. Keep the bag not far off so you can add more as needed after each use.

Put toilet seat in place on it. I was debating making it lock on but the need to empty it without having to handle it heavily/linger over it longer to do lock and unlock. Just mind how fast you sit down and it should be fine.

There you have it!

Stack it all at the end up and down, screw top on the top as that is your storage area. I would bag up/sanitize and store the lid with the stack in what ever way works for you and your storage situation.

A solar shower/water heater is good for washing your paws properly vs just the hand sanitizer /alcohol spray.

Thanks for reading (weathering the sea of grammar errors and probably a number of typos) ^;..;^ Hopes this helps and helps to inspire.

P.S

I heard it said(pieced together over time) We are in the same ocean not the same boat. Some are in yachts, other row boats , rafts ,on inter tubes, treading water and flat out drowning.

Stay safe and be kind to yourself and others.

One thing I tell myself life is to long to take health(mental and financial included) compromising risks, and two short to stack up regret.