The first hour
- Know your evacuation zone. Look it up on your county or state emergency website.
- If told to evacuate, go. Take your go-bag, meds, pets and documents.
- If staying, go to a small interior room away from windows on the lowest floor that won't flood.
- Charge phones and power banks. Fill the bathtub for flushing water.
The first day
- During the storm, stay inside even if it gets calm. The eye can pass and the wind returns.
- After: wait for officials to say it's safe before driving or returning.
- Stay out of floodwater. It can hide downed wires and debris.
- Generators outside only, 20+ feet from windows and doors.
- Take photos of damage before you clean up, for insurance.
The first week and beyond
- Follow boil-water notices if issued.
- Throw out food that touched floodwater or got warm for 2+ hours.
- Wear gloves and sturdy boots for cleanup. Dry or remove wet items within 24 to 48 hours to limit mold.
- Rest. Cleanup is a marathon. Take breaks and drink water.
Get ready now: checklist
Your checks save on this phone.
Common mistakes
- Waiting too long to leave. Roads clog fast.
- Driving through floodwater.
- Going outside during the eye.
- Running a generator in the garage.
- Ignoring storm surge warnings.
Keeping kids calm
- Pack a 'comfort bag' with a toy, book and snack.
- Explain the noises (wind, rain) before the storm so they're not a surprise.
- Keep a normal bedtime routine if you can.
Gear that helps
- NOAA weather radio: my pick, Midland ER310
- Waterproof document pouch: my pick, ENGPOW Waterproof & Fireproof Document Bag, Two Pockets
- Tarp: my pick, Kotap 10 x 12 ft Heavy-Duty 8-mil Tarp
- Contractor trash bags: my pick, Hefty Contractor Heavy Duty Clean-Up Bags, 42 gal, 35 ct
- Work gloves: my pick, Wells Lamont Heavy Duty Leather Palm Work Gloves with Safety Cuff
- Rubber boots
- Power bank: my pick, Anker 325 PowerCore 20K
- Water storage jugs: my pick, Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7 gal
- Manual can opener: my pick, OXO Good Grips Soft-Handled Manual Can Opener
- Plywood or storm shutters
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sources
Keep going
Prepper tricks for this
Staying Cool Without Power (9)
Wet sheet in the window with a fan
Cost: Free (plus a battery fan if you have one, about $15-30).
Why it works: Water evaporating from the sheet pulls heat out of the air passing through it, like a homemade swamp cooler.
How to do it
- Soak a thin cotton sheet in cool water and wring it out so it's damp, not dripping.
- Hang it over an open window where a breeze comes in, or in front of a battery fan.
- Re-wet it every hour or so as it dries.
Safety: Works well in dry heat. In very humid weather it barely helps and can make the room feel muggier. Watch for drips on floors and outlets.
Source: Ready.gov: Extreme Heat
Frozen water bottles in front of a battery fan
Cost: Free if you already have bottles and a fan.
Why it works: Air blowing over ice cools a little as it passes. It's a personal breeze, not air conditioning.
How to do it
- Before a heat wave or storm, freeze a few water bottles or jugs (leave a little room for the ice to expand).
- Set one in a shallow bowl right in front of a battery fan, pointed at you.
- Keep the rest in a cooler and swap them as they melt. Drink the cold water afterward.
Safety: It cools you sitting right in front of it, not the room. Keep the fan away from water.
Source: Ready.gov: Extreme Heat
Cool your feet, wrists and neck
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Blood vessels run close to the skin in these spots, so cooling them cools the blood circulating through your body.
How to do it
- Fill a basin or bucket with cool water and soak your feet for 10-20 minutes.
- Wet a washcloth or bandana and put it on the back of your neck, wrists or underarms.
- Take a cool (not ice-cold) shower or sponge bath before bed.
Safety: If someone is confused, stops sweating, or has hot red skin, that may be heat stroke: call 911 and cool them right away.
Source: Ready.gov: Extreme Heat
Wet bandana or cooling towel
Cost: Free; cooling towels are about $5-10.
Why it works: Evaporation pulls heat from your skin, the same way sweat does.
How to do it
- Soak a cotton bandana in water, wring it out and tie it loosely around your neck.
- Re-wet it whenever it dries.
- Add a few ice cubes folded inside for extra cooling if you have them.
Safety: Works best in dry heat. Don't rely on it during hard work in extreme heat; take breaks and drink water.
Source: Ready.gov: Extreme Heat
Sleep low: ground floor or basement
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Hot air rises, so upper floors get the hottest. Earth around a basement stays cooler.
How to do it
- Move sleeping spots to the lowest floor of the house.
- A basement is often the coolest room in summer.
- Sleep on a thin sheet or mat directly on a cool floor if needed.
Safety: Never run a generator or fuel-burning device in or near a basement. Avoid basements during flooding.
Source: Ready.gov: Extreme Heat
Block the sun, especially on the east and west sides
Cost: Free to about $5 for emergency blankets.
Why it works: Sunlight through glass is one of the biggest sources of heat in a house. Reflecting it back out keeps rooms cooler.
How to do it
- Close blinds and curtains on east-facing windows in the morning and west-facing windows in the afternoon.
- For the sunniest windows, tape a Mylar emergency blanket or foil-covered cardboard to the glass, shiny side facing out.
- Outdoor shade (awning, tarp, shade cloth) works best because it stops heat before it reaches the glass.
Safety: Leave at least one window you can see out of and get out of.
Source: Ready.gov: Extreme Heat
Open up at night, close up by day
Cost: Free.
Why it works: You're flushing the house with cool night air, then sealing it like a cooler during the day.
How to do it
- After sunset, once it's cooler outside than inside, open windows on opposite sides of the house to make a cross-breeze.
- Put a battery fan in one window facing out to push hot air out.
- In the morning, before it heats up, close windows and draw the blinds to hold the cool air in.
Safety: Use window locks or stops that only let windows open a few inches if security is a worry.
Source: Ready.gov: Extreme Heat
Pre-freeze water before a storm
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Ice is stored cold. A closed fridge keeps food safe about 4 hours; a full freezer about 48 hours (24 if half full).
How to do it
- When a storm is forecast, fill clean containers about 90% full with water and freeze them.
- Pack empty space in the freezer with them; a full freezer stays cold longer.
- During the outage, keep fridge and freezer doors shut. Move a few frozen jugs into the fridge to keep it cold.
- Once they thaw, the water is drinkable.
Safety: Throw out perishable food that's been above 40°F for more than 2 hours. When in doubt, throw it out.
Source: FoodSafety.gov: Three ways to keep food safe when you lose power
MYTH: A fan alone will keep you safe in extreme heat
Cost: Free.
The truth: When the air is hotter than your skin, a fan just blows hot air on you.
What to do instead
- The truth: fans feel nice, but the CDC says they won't prevent heat illness once temperatures reach the high 90s.
- In extreme heat, go somewhere with air conditioning: a cooling center, library, mall or a friend's house.
- Check on older neighbors, babies, and people with health conditions at least twice a day.
Safety: Know the signs of heat stroke (confusion, very high body temperature, hot skin) and call 911.
Source: CDC press release: fans will not prevent heat illness in the high 90s
Water (10)
Store water the cheap way
Cost: Basically free using soda bottles and tap water.
Why it works: Clean tap water in clean, sealed containers stays safe; the 6-month swap keeps it fresh.
How to do it
- Store at least 1 gallon per person per day for at least 3 days; 2 weeks is better if you can.
- Use food-grade containers or washed 2-liter soda bottles.
- Avoid milk jugs. They're hard to clean and break down over time.
- Write the date on each one. Store tap water in a cool, dark spot and replace it every 6 months.
Safety: Don't store water near gasoline, pesticides or cleaners; plastic can absorb fumes.
Source: Ready.gov: Water
Plain bleach: 8 drops per gallon
Cost: A $4 jug of bleach can treat thousands of gallons.
Why it works: Chlorine kills most bacteria and viruses. It's how cities treat drinking water.
How to do it
- Use plain unscented household bleach (6% or 8.25% sodium hypochlorite). No scented, color-safe or splash-less bleach.
- If the water is cloudy, let it settle and pour the clear water off, or filter it first.
- Add 8 drops per gallon for 6% bleach, or 6 drops per gallon for 8.25%. Double it if the water is cloudy or very cold.
- Stir and wait 30 minutes. It should smell faintly of bleach.
- If there's no bleach smell, add the same dose again and wait 15 more minutes.
Safety: Bleach loses strength over time, so replace your jug about once a year. It's less reliable against some parasites like Cryptosporidium; boiling is better if you can. Bleach can't fix water contaminated with fuel or chemicals.
Boiling
Cost: Just fuel.
Why it works: Boiling kills bacteria, viruses and parasites. It's the most reliable home method.
How to do it
- Let cloudy water settle, then pour off the clear water or filter it through a cloth.
- Bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute.
- If you live high up (above about 5,000-6,500 feet), boil for 3 minutes.
- Let it cool, covered. Pour it back and forth between two clean containers to improve the flat taste.
Safety: Burn risk with big pots. Boiling doesn't remove chemicals or fuel.
SODIS: sun-disinfecting water in clear bottles
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Sunlight's UV rays plus heat kill germs in the water. It's tested and used worldwide.
How to do it
- Use clear plastic PET bottles (the kind water and soda come in), 2 liters or smaller, with no scratches. Peel off the labels.
- The water must be clear. If you can't read large print through the bottle, filter it first.
- Fill the bottle 3/4 full, cap it and shake for 20 seconds, then fill it to the top.
- Lay bottles flat in full sun, ideally on a metal roof or foil.
- Leave them 6 hours on a sunny day, or 2 full days if it's more than half cloudy. Don't rely on it on rainy days.
Safety: Doesn't remove chemicals. Doesn't work with glass bottles that block UV, colored bottles or cloudy water. It's a backup, not your first choice.
Source: Eawag SODIS Manual (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science)
Coffee filter or cloth pre-filter
Cost: A few cents.
Why it works: Removing dirt helps bleach and boiling work better and protects water filters from clogging.
How to do it
- Let murky water sit for an hour so dirt settles.
- Pour the top water slowly through a coffee filter, clean t-shirt or paper towel into a clean container.
- Then disinfect it by boiling or with bleach.
Safety: This does NOT make water safe to drink by itself. Germs pass right through.
Fill the bathtub (or a WaterBOB) before the storm
Cost: Free; a tub liner is about $30-40.
Why it works: It's a big, quick water reserve right in your home.
How to do it
- When a storm is coming, scrub and rinse the tub, then fill it.
- For drinking water, use a WaterBOB-type liner (holds up to about 100 gallons) so the water doesn't touch the tub.
- Use plain tub water for flushing, washing and cleaning.
- Use a clean pitcher to scoop, not your hands.
Safety: A full tub is a drowning risk for small children. Keep the bathroom door closed and supervise. Treat liner-free tub water before drinking.
Source: Ready.gov: Water
Your water heater is a 30-80 gallon reserve
Cost: Free; it's already there.
Why it works: The tank holds the same clean water that comes out of your taps. FEMA and CDC list it as a safe source.
How to do it
- Turn off the power to the water heater at the breaker, or turn the gas to 'pilot' or 'off.' Do this FIRST.
- Close the cold-water valve on the pipe at the top of the tank. If the city water might be contaminated, also shut off your main water valve.
- Let the water cool for a few hours.
- Open any hot water faucet in the house to let air into the tank.
- Put a clean container (or a hose) under the drain valve near the bottom of the tank and open it.
- The first bit may have rust or sediment; let it settle and pour off the clear water.
- Don't turn the heater back on until the tank is completely refilled.
Safety: Hot water burns; wait for it to cool. Turning a heater on with an empty tank can ruin it. Don't use water from the heating boiler or radiators in older homes.
Toilet TANK water (never the bowl)
Cost: Free; about 1.5-3 gallons per toilet.
Why it works: Tank water comes straight from your supply line and doesn't touch waste.
How to do it
- Lift the lid off the tank (the back part, not the bowl).
- Only use it if the water is clear and you don't use drop-in tablets or cleaners in the tank (blue or green water means no).
- Scoop it out and boil or bleach it before drinking to be safe.
Safety: Never drink bowl water. Skip tanks with any cleaning chemicals.
Rain catchment basics
Cost: Free with buckets; rain barrels are about $50-100.
Why it works: A 1,000-square-foot roof sheds about 600 gallons per inch of rain.
How to do it
- Set a clean food-grade barrel or bucket under a downspout.
- Put screen or mesh over the top to keep out leaves and mosquitoes.
- Let the first few minutes of rain wash the roof before collecting (a 'first flush').
- Use it for flushing, washing and plants. Filter and then boil or bleach before drinking.
Safety: Roofs collect bird droppings, dust and chemicals, so FEMA says don't drink rainwater untreated. Check local rules; some places limit rain collection.
Source: FEMA: Emergency water sources if you run out of clean water
Pool or hot tub water: for flushing, not drinking
Cost: Free.
Why it works: It's lots of water close by, and flushing doesn't need drinking-quality water.
How to do it
- Use buckets of pool water to flush toilets (pour 1-2 gallons quickly into the bowl).
- Use it for washing floors and other cleaning.
Safety: Don't drink it, even boiled. Pool chemicals and germs don't boil off. Cover the pool so kids can't fall in.
Source: FEMA: Emergency water sources if you run out of clean water
Light (7)
Headlamp + water jug = room lantern
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Water scatters a narrow beam into a soft glow in every direction.
How to do it
- Fill a gallon jug with water. Milky-white jugs work best; clear ones work too.
- Strap a headlamp around the jug with the light facing in toward the water.
- Turn it on. The water spreads the light so it fills the room.
- No headlamp? Set a phone flashlight face-up under a water bottle.
Safety: Safer than any flame. Keep the jug where it won't tip onto electronics.
Source: Ready.gov: Power Outages
A headlamp for every person
Cost: About $5-10 each in multi-packs.
Why it works: Hands-free light lets you cook, care for kids and use the bathroom safely.
How to do it
- Keep one headlamp per person, plus one by each bed.
- Use lithium batteries in headlamps kept in the car or cold spots; they work better in cold.
- Kids love having 'their own' light. It also keeps them calm.
Safety: Store spare batteries outside the device so they don't leak.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
Solar garden lights as free night-lights
Cost: About $1-3 each.
Why it works: They charge themselves every day with no fuel.
How to do it
- Buy cheap solar stake lights (about $1-3 each).
- Leave them outside in the sun during the day.
- At night, bring them in and stand them in a jar or vase in the bathroom, hallway or kids' room.
Safety: They're dim and work poorly in short, cloudy winter days. Good for marking paths, not for reading.
Source: Ready.gov: Power Outages
Glow sticks for kids
Cost: About $1 for 15 at dollar stores.
Why it works: No flame, no heat, no batteries. Most last 4-12 hours.
How to do it
- Keep a pack of glow sticks with your outage supplies.
- Give each child a glow necklace or bracelet at bedtime so you can find them in the dark and they feel safe.
- Put one in the bathroom as a night-light.
Safety: The liquid inside can irritate skin and eyes. Watch young kids so they don't chew them.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
Olive oil lamp in a jar
Cost: A few dollars for oil; wick and jar are free.
Why it works: Olive oil won't catch fire at room temperature, so if the jar tips, the flame usually goes out in the oil. It's much safer than kerosene.
How to do it
- Pour 1-2 inches of olive oil (or any vegetable oil) into a small glass jar.
- Bend a piece of wire (from a coat hanger or craft wire) into a holder that hooks over the rim and holds a wick upright.
- Thread a 100% cotton wick or cotton string through it. Let about 1/4 inch stick up above the oil.
- Let the wick soak for a minute, then light it.
Safety: Still an open flame: set it on a plate on a sturdy surface, never leave it alone, and keep it away from kids and pets. The glass gets hot near the wick.
Source: NFPA: Candle Safety
Shortening (Crisco) tub candle
Cost: About $3-5 for the tub plus wicks.
Why it works: Shortening is a slow-burning fat, so a tub gives a long-lasting, dim light. Online claims of '45 days' aren't backed by testing; plan on it lasting many hours, not weeks.
How to do it
- Push a long candle wick (or several) straight down into the center of a tub of solid vegetable shortening with a chopstick.
- Leave about 1/2 inch of wick above the surface.
- Set the tub on a metal tray or plate and light it.
Safety: The tub or container can melt or catch. Always use a metal tray, keep it away from fabric, never leave it alone, and never put water on a grease flame (smother it with a lid).
Source: NFPA: Candle Safety
MYTH: Candles are the best outage light
Cost: Battery lanterns are about $10-20.
The truth: Battery lights don't burn, smoke or use up oxygen.
What to do instead
- The truth: flashlights, headlamps and lanterns are safer and cheaper per hour than candles.
- Many home fires during outages start from candles.
- Keep candles as a backup only, and never in kids' rooms or near curtains.
Safety: If you do use candles, put them in sturdy holders and blow them out before you leave the room or fall asleep.
Source: NFPA: Candle Safety
Cooking Without Power (8)
Haybox / retained-heat cooking with a cooler
Cost: Free; it can cut fuel use roughly in half or more.
Why it works: The heat already in the food keeps cooking it slowly, like a slow cooker without electricity.
How to do it
- Line a picnic cooler with towels, a sleeping bag or blankets.
- Bring your food to a full boil in a heavy pot with a tight lid: 5 minutes for rice, 10 minutes for soaked beans, about 10 minutes for stews.
- Quickly put the pot on a folded towel inside the cooler and pack more blankets all around and over it. Close the lid.
- Leave it: about 1-1.5 hours for rice, 3-4 hours for soaked beans, 2-3 hours for stew.
- If it's not done or has cooled, bring it back to a boil before eating.
Safety: Food needs to stay hot (above 140°F). Don't leave it overnight, and reheat to boiling if it's cooled. The towel under the pot keeps the hot pot from melting the cooler.
Source: Low Impact: Haybox (retained heat) cooking and food safety
Thermos cooking: oats and rice
Cost: Free if you have a good thermos.
Why it works: A good thermos holds near-boiling heat for hours, so grains cook with no extra fuel.
How to do it
- Fill your thermos with boiling water for 5-10 minutes to preheat it, then pour that water out.
- Add 1/2 cup rolled oats and about 1 cup of boiling water, or 1/3 cup white rice and about 3/4 cup boiling water.
- Cap it tight and wait about 1-2 hours for oats, 2-3 hours for rice. Overnight oats are ready for breakfast.
Safety: Don't overfill; it can spurt when opened. Not for meat.
Source: Low Impact: Haybox (retained heat) cooking and food safety
Soak beans to save fuel
Cost: Dry beans cost about $1-2 per pound, far cheaper than canned.
Why it works: Soaking softens the beans so they cook much faster.
How to do it
- Rinse dry beans and soak them overnight (8-12 hours) in plenty of water.
- Or quick-soak: boil for 2 minutes, then let sit covered for 1 hour.
- Pour off the soak water and cook in fresh water.
- Always boil kidney beans hard for at least 10 minutes.
Safety: Raw or undercooked kidney beans contain a natural toxin that boiling destroys. Slow-cooking alone isn't enough.
Source: Low Impact: Haybox (retained heat) cooking and food safety
Pizza box solar oven (be honest about it)
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Sunlight comes in, turns into heat on the black surface, and the plastic traps it.
How to do it
- Cut a flap in the lid of a pizza box, leaving a 1-inch border. Cover the flap's inside with foil.
- Tape plastic wrap tightly over the opening to make a window.
- Line the bottom with black paper.
- Set it in full midday sun and prop the foil flap to bounce light in.
Safety: Pizza box ovens usually only reach about 150-200°F on a hot, sunny day: fine for melting s'mores, warming leftovers or nachos. Don't use them for raw meat or eggs. Sturdier panel or box cookers with a dark pot get hotter.
Canned heat (chafing fuel)
Cost: About $2-3 per can; each burns about 2-6 hours.
Why it works: It's a compact, shelf-stable fuel that lights easily.
How to do it
- Buy chafing-dish fuel cans like the ones caterers use.
- Set the can under a stand or wire rack and put a small pot on top.
- Use it to warm soup, canned food or water for coffee.
Safety: Low heat; it's slow to boil water. Some fuels burn with a nearly invisible flame, so treat it as lit until you've snuffed it with the lid. Follow the label's ventilation rules.
Cinder-block rocket stove
Cost: Cinder blocks are about $2-3 each, and sticks are free.
Why it works: The chimney pulls air through the fire hard, so it burns hot and clean with very little wood.
How to do it
- Outdoors, on bare ground, arrange 4 cinder blocks so you have a sideways tunnel for feeding in sticks that turns upward into a chimney about 12-16 inches tall.
- Set a metal grill grate on top with gaps for air and smoke to escape.
- Burn small, dry sticks fed into the side opening.
- Set your pot on the grate.
Safety: Outdoors only, at least 10 feet from buildings. Use dry blocks; wet concrete can crack in heat. Keep water or an extinguisher nearby.
Cast iron on the grill, outdoors
Cost: Free if you own a grill and a skillet; a used cast iron pan is often $10-20 at thrift stores.
Why it works: Cast iron spreads and holds heat evenly, making the grill work like a stove or oven.
How to do it
- Set your grill up outside, at least 10 feet from the house, never in a garage or under a porch roof.
- Use cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens on the grill to fry, simmer and even bake.
- Dutch oven baking with charcoal: for about 350°F, use twice the pot's width in briquettes (12-inch pot = 24 briquettes): about 2/3 on the lid and 1/3 underneath.
- Practice once before an emergency.
Safety: Never bring a grill or charcoal inside, even after the fire's out; coals keep making carbon monoxide.
Plan a few no-cook days
Cost: Free using pantry foods you'd eat anyway.
Why it works: The cheapest fuel is the fuel you don't need.
How to do it
- Stock foods that need no cooking: peanut butter, tuna or chicken pouches, crackers, canned beans, fruit cups, granola.
- Make 'overnight oats' with shelf-stable milk or water.
- Save fuel for hot drinks and one hot meal a day.
Safety: Once opened, eat canned foods within 2 hours if you have no cold storage.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
Sanitation (6)
Two-bucket toilet: pee and poop separate
Cost: About $25-40 total.
Why it works: Keeping pee and poop apart cuts the smell way down. Poop stays drier and is easier to handle.
How to do it
- Get two 5-gallon buckets with lids. Label one PEE and one POOP.
- Line the poop bucket with a heavy trash bag (0.9 mil or thicker).
- For a seat, use a snap-on bucket toilet seat (about $15-25), or slit a pool noodle and press it on the rim.
- Pee goes in the pee bucket. Dilute it with water and pour it on dirt or lawn, away from vegetable gardens and wells.
- After each poop, cover it with a scoop of dry material (see the next tip). Toilet paper goes in this bucket too.
- When the poop bucket is half full, tie the bag, double-bag it, and store it away from food, water, pets and pests.
Safety: Never add bleach or cleaners to the pee bucket. Bleach and the ammonia in urine can make harmful fumes. Wash hands after every use.
Source: City of Wilsonville (Oregon): The Two-Bucket Toilet Solution
Cheap cover material: pine pellet bedding and sawdust
Cost: A 40-pound bag of pine pellet bedding is about $7-10 at farm stores.
Why it works: Dry carbon material soaks up moisture, cuts odor, and keeps flies away.
How to do it
- Keep a bag of cover material and a scoop next to the bucket.
- Pine pellet horse or animal bedding is cheap and great: it absorbs and controls smell.
- Other options: sawdust, wood shavings, peat moss, coconut coir, shredded paper, or clay kitty litter.
- Add a cup or two after each use, enough to cover.
Safety: Clay kitty litter works but is heavy. Store cover material dry.
Bucket-flush the toilet when the water is off
Cost: Free.
Why it works: A toilet flush is just a fast dump of water into the bowl; you can do that by hand.
How to do it
- Only do this if the sewer is still working. If you're told the sewer is down, use the two-bucket toilet instead.
- Pour 1-2 gallons of water (pool, rain or tub water is fine) quickly into the toilet bowl.
- The rush of water pushes waste through on its own.
- Don't flush every pee. 'If it's yellow, let it mellow' saves water.
Safety: If the city says sewers are damaged, flushing can back sewage up into homes.
Source: Oregon State University Extension: Survival Basics - Sanitation and Waste Management
Trash discipline
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Rotting food and waste draw flies, rats and smells, and they spread germs.
How to do it
- Trash pickup may stop for weeks. Make less trash: rinse and flatten cans and boxes.
- Seal food scraps in bags and keep them in a lidded can outside, away from the door.
- Keep the toilet bags separate from regular trash.
Safety: Never burn plastic trash; the smoke is toxic.
Source: Oregon State University Extension: Survival Basics - Sanitation and Waste Management
Plunger-in-a-bucket washing machine
Cost: About $10-25.
Why it works: Plunging pushes water through the fabric like a washing machine does.
How to do it
- Get a 5-gallon bucket and a NEW sink plunger (or a 'mobile washer' plunger, about $20).
- Drill a hole in the bucket lid big enough for the plunger handle.
- Add clothes, water and a small squirt of detergent. Plunge up and down for 2-3 minutes.
- Dump the water, refill with clean water, and plunge again to rinse.
- Wring clothes out by twisting and hang them to dry.
Safety: Wet clothes are heavy; wring in small batches to protect your back.
Source: Oregon State University Extension: Survival Basics - Sanitation and Waste Management
Jug hand-washing station (tippy tap)
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Hand washing is one of the best ways to stop stomach bugs, which spread fast when water is off.
How to do it
- Clean out a laundry detergent jug that has a spout, or use a water jug with a spigot.
- Set it on a ledge or table with a bucket underneath.
- Hang a bar of soap on a string (in a mesh bag or old stocking) next to it.
- Wet hands, turn off, lather for 20 seconds, then rinse.
Safety: Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol helps when there's no water, but it doesn't work well on visibly dirty hands.
Source: CDC: About Handwashing