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A few years ago, the New York Times published an article about how a third of people don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom, not even when they’re out in public. It’s pretty gross thinking about some stranger’s germ-coated hands touching the same chairs, doorknobs, and banisters that you touch, but it’s okay since we live in a relatively clean society.
A few extra germs won’t kill you. And besides, there is plenty of soap and running water available, and nowadays there are anti-bacterial gel dispensers everywhere.
However, after a natural disaster or an economic collapse, the level of hygiene in first world nations is going to plunge dramatically for three reasons: no tap water, no sewage treatment plants, and no garbage collection.
Without tap water, most people will be hard-pressed to keep their homes and themselves clean. Not only will they be unable to shower, they’ll be unable to wash their clothes. And if they’re unable to flush their toilets, they’ll simply go outside when nature calls (and many of them won’t bother to bury it). When that happens, it will be a field day for bacteria.
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Without sewage treatment plants, sewers could leak or overflow into the surrounding ponds, lakes, and pipelines. And if there’s no tap water, many people will collect and drink contaminated water without bothering to purify it. When that happens, waterborne diseases like cholera and dysentery could become commonplace.
Without garbage collection, trash will pile up all over the place. People will simply dump their garbage in their front or backyards, causing insect and rodent populations to grow exponentially. When that happens, we could see a return of deadly diseases like the plague.
On top of all that, the stress of living through a major, long-term disaster is going to weaken your immune system. When all this happens, it will be up to you to safeguard yourself and your family with proper survival hygiene.
To that end, here is a list of 27 items you should have on hand in case the shit hits the fan.
Hygiene Products
1. Anti-Bacterial Gel – To be clear, I’m not recommending you start slathering this stuff on your hands all the time. In fact, there are many reasons not to, including the fact that overuse of hand sanitizer could lead to the development of superbugs.
Instead, you should use soap and water. However, if you’re in a survival scenario where water is scarce and the people in your area are getting sick, you’ll be glad to have a bottle of anti-bacterial gel on hand.
2. Anti-Bacterial Soap – You didn’t think I’d make a list of sanitation supplies without mentioning soap, did you? Bar soap is very cheap, but also consider getting some liquid hand soap as it doesn’t require you to use quite as much water (which might be in short supply).
3. Anti-Bacterial Wipes – These are a great way to wash your hands without using any water. I have several canisters of Wet Ones Fresh Scent Wipes.
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4. Baking Soda – It’s not just for baking food. You can use baking soda to make shampoo (1 part baking soda to 3 parts water) or toothpaste (2 parts baking soda to 1 part water), and it can be used to clean and deodorize things around the house.
5. Bleach – Be sure it’s regular unscented bleach. This kind of bleach has a longer shelf life, and in addition to cleaning, it can also be used to purify water.
6. Borax – This stuff is very versatile. You can use it to clean tubs, toilets, drains, dishes, refrigerators, and many other things.
7. Dental Floss – There may come a time when dentists are hard to find or you simply can’t afford one. Take good care of your teeth in the meantime because a bad toothache can be completely debilitating. I prefer floss forks because they’re so easy to use.
8. Deodorant – I highly recommend stocking up on antiperspirants as you’ll be sweating a lot if you’re cleaning up after a disaster or don’t have air conditioning. It won’t stop you from sweating, but it will at least minimize it. And the less you stink, the better.
9. Disinfecting Wipes – Unlike anti-bacterial wipes, these are for cleaning surface areas such as counters and sinks. I use Clorox Wipes. They come in four-packs at Walmart.
10. Face Masks – If the disaster you’re experiencing is a pandemic, you’ll need these. But even if it’s just someone in your home with the flu during a disaster, wear these and keep your hands very clean because the last thing you’ll need is you and the rest of your family getting sick.
11. Feminine Hygiene Products – I think this is pretty self-explanatory.
12. Kitty Litter – Not just for covering your cat’s poo. You’ll need it for your own poo in case you have to make an emergency toilet. Be sure to get the scoopable kind as it’s better at absorbing urine.
13. Laundry Detergent – You might be thinking, “How am I supposed to use laundry detergent if I don’t have power to run my washing machine?” Well, see #17 below.
14. Microfiber Towel – These things are so great! Unlike a regular towel, they don’t take up much space, yet they still absorb enough water to dry you off after a shower.
15. Mouth Wash – As I said above, you’ll want to take care of your teeth, and if you and several others are in close quarters (such as small room that you’re keeping warm during a winter power outage), they’ll appreciate you having fresh breath.
16. Nitrile Gloves – You don’t have to wear them all the time, but you’ll definitely need them when you’re taking care of someone sick, cleaning the toilet, or handling trash. I prefer nitrile, as opposed to latex, because they’re more puncture resistant.
17. Non-Electric Washing Machine – There are several options such as the WonderWash or the Laundry Pod. The cheapest option is to put your clothes, water, and detergent in a five-gallon bucket and wash them with a Mobile Washer Learn more in this post.
18. Paper Plates – You don’t want to waste your clean water washing dishes. Using paper plates will create more trash, but it will save you a lot of trouble. (Try to reuse the plates if they’re not too dirty.)
19. Paper Towels – Don’t use cloth towels any more than necessary because they have to be washed. That will be a big problem if water is in short supply. Paper towels are the fastest sanitary way to dry off your hands.
20. Plastic Utensils – See #18 above. Unless you have a reliable source of water nearby such as a well or a river, you’ll want to be careful not to use too much.
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21. Portable Toilet – If you’re unable to flush toilets, this will be more comfortable than crouching over a latrine. Don’t forget to buy some trash bags to use as liners along with some toilet deodorant. Learn more in this post.
22. Shampoo & Conditioner – If you have a water source, don’t forget to stock up on extra shampoo and conditioner. Clean hair is a wonderful thing that we all tend to take for granted.
23. Solar Shower – These are great. You just fill it up with water and the sun heats up the water for a few hours. After that, you can have a nice warm shower.
24. Toilet Paper – There’s an old survivalist joke that when the SHTF, toilet paper will be worth its weight in gold. I wouldn’t be surprised if this actually happened.
25. Toothbrush & Toothpaste – Remember, the mouth is the dirtiest part of the body. And as I said above, you want to maintain your teeth as well as possible so you don’t end up with a horrible toothache during a time when dentists are hard to find.
26. Trash Bags – You can never have too many trash bags! Get plenty of regular kitchen trash bags, but some smaller trash bags or large contractor bags could also come in handy.
27. Water Filter – This one is crucial, and there are several options. The LifeStraw is very popular because it’s so easy to use. The downside is that it’s only good for about 250 gallons. A better option is the Sawyer Mini because it will filter up to 100,000 gallons. (I have one in my bug out bag.)
Unfortunately, neither of these will kill or filter out viruses. The Steripen is good for about 2000 gallons and it will kill viruses, but you’ll need to prefilter your water. I personally have a Big Berkey with Ceramic Filters, but it’s not very portable and it is a bit pricey.
Final Thoughts
Here are a few things that you and your family need to be doing in a grid down scenario:
• Wash Your Hands Regularly – Be sure to disinfect all water and only wash your hands with clean water. After you’ve washed them, don’t rinse them off with the same water because that water isn’t clean anymore. It is now what’s called “grey water”, and there are other uses for it.
• Keep Your Clean Water Clean – Disinfected water should be stored in thick, sealed containers that are clearly marked “Clean water.” Wear gloves when getting water out of or adding clean water to these containers so it doesn’t get dirty.
• Keep Your Garbage Sealed And Separate – Use thick trash bags and tie them closed with a double knot. Just to be safe, you might want to put particularly hazardous things like dirty diapers and rotten food in gallon Ziploc bags.
Imagine having tons of food, survival gear, and weapons stockpiled, only to be taken out by a disease of some kind. Don’t let that happen. Practice proper hygiene when the SHTF.
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I would add to list, BOOKS. Reference, First-Aid field manual, Homesteading,How-to anything you WILL .need
Listerine (more than just mouthwash) is a brand of antiseptic mouthwash product. Inspired by Louis Pasteur’s ideas on microbial infection, the English Doctor Joseph Lister demonstrated in 1865 that use of carbolic acid on surgical dressings would significantly reduce rates of post-surgical infection. Lister’s work, in turn, inspired St. Louis-based Doctor Joseph Lawrence to develop an alcohol-based formula for a surgical antiseptic which included eucalyptol, menthol, methyl salicylate, and thymol (Its exact composition was listed in the British Pharmaceutical Codex of 1907 as Compounded Glycerin of Thymol p.475). Lawrence named his antiseptic “Listerine” in honor of Lister.
Source: babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015067876873&view=1up&seq=1&skin=2021
Listerine, has been used as a treatment for acne, athlete’s foot, bee stings, blister’s, boil’s, gonorrhea sinusitis, sore throat and a floor cleaner, among others. Despite its long and varied history, it didn’t become known exclusively as a mouthwash until the 1970s.
The following active ingredients of mouthwash are:
• Eucalyptol (eucalyptus oil) 0.092%
• Menthol (peppermint oil) 0.042%
• Methyl salicylate (wintergreen oil) 0.060%
• Thymol (thyme oil) 0.064%
• Alcohol 12 – 21%
Listerine Vintage Ad’s Marketed Usage from 1920’s – 1950’s vintageadbrowser.com/search?q=listerine
A few gallons of bleach are handy and in addition to that you might buy a couple of containers of pool shock it is crystalized bleach requiring much less space, and less likely to spill if knocked over or its package breaks but it will need water to turn it into bleach but remember it is strong so add it sparingly to the water,
A method for cleaning your pans so as to save Presious cleaning supplies if you have animal fat in your pans and have been cooking on a wood fire mix the white wood ash into the animal fat and spread it around the pan wear gloves as you are making lye and when it starts turning it will get hot enough to chemically burn skin have water nearby to rinse it from hands use the paste to clean any metal or China dixies cups and the like it will destroy plastic so if your cleaning that be quick to rinse it off and make sure you get it all off.
A different subject but when things start going wrong, they tend to snowball so dealing with internal and external parasites for humans and pets Dogs and cats get some {D.E. Diatomaceous Earth} food grade a little bit in a pet’s food once a week and humans’ food the same will physically (without the need for chemicals) kill any internal parasites it is a cheap item very poorly advertised because it doesn’t make a lot of cash for the pharmaceutical industry. look it up on the internet and you will see it’s value.
I will most certainly be getting some of the things listed. Some of these I had never thought of.
Hello, I disagree with the anti-biotical soaps. plain soap and water is better
LifeStraw “Whole House” filter DOES filter out virus. Easy set up and portable!
I’ve just started with my prepping, but this past weekend my food supplies were “plundered”. My daughter is married to a worthless excuse for a human being. They’ve been married for 7 years and he’s been out of work (by his choice) more than he’s worked during that time, Thank God he’s NOT my grandson’s father!!! My daughter teaches at a daycare and has been pretty much supporting the 3 of them. (That is, when she’s not coming to me or my mother for money and food.) I’d already bought them groceries a week ago, but they’d eaten it all up (her husband weighs 500lbs at least) and the only “extra” food I had was my prepping food. She fussed that it was all canned food so I told her she didn’t have to take it, but she did take it. I’ve tried to get her and my grandson to move in with me, but for some unknown reason she won’t leave her husband. What do I do when the ones taking my supplies are family who need it in the here and now?
Just say NO?
Tell them to go to their local church, welfare, or some place that gives out food for the poor.
AND HIDE YOUR STASH.
Suggest your daughter get counseling. There’s some reason why she’s choosing to destroy her own life and her son’s life through her choice of partner. If she’s unwilling or unable to get counseling, try (after the counseling avenue has been irredeemably nixed) pointing out that her son’s male role model will influence her son’s life, long after you and your daughter are gone. If she wants her son to survive and thrive, her choice of partner should be someone who can model those life skills. But only say that AFTER she refuses any counseling. It’s better for her to work through her reasons WHY she’s making self-destructive choices.
Dear Jennifer
Cut them loose, especially that “Useless waste of space” you call your daughters husband.
Next time make two hoarding places, one that she knows about and the other that she doesn’t.
Remember Op Sec – operational security. Keep your mouth shut about your second hoard, remember loose lips sink ships.
LifeStraw “Whole House” filter system…easy to transport in a backpack. it DOES remove viruses
Multiple toothbrushes
A solar charger
Rechargeable batteries and charger for any cpap, respirators, etc…
The hand gel is nearly pure alcohol. It will burn and run the dollar design stoves for cooking food and boiling water for drinking. ———–Grampa
All the things you mention are nice to have, but what happens when you run out of them?
Np body is their right mind is going to stock up 5 or 10 years worth of them. That is about the length of time most so called “SHTF events”, overseas have lasted, (they actually were not SHTF events, but that is another matter).
You should be suggesting natural substitutes for these items or instructions on how to make them or their alternatives. That would be useful info.
BOOKS
Instead of all the antibiotic products, which are NOT cheap, buy just a couple of ounces of pure silver (Canadian Maple Leaf coins are pure) or even just pure silver wire. Buy several rechargeable batteries (useful for many reasons) and a solar charger which can recharge those batteries. Stock up on salt – pure, non-iodized salt with no flow agents added. Stock up with a LOT, as it’s also good for preserving meats.
That’s it: Now you can make your own hypochlorous acid (HClO) using proper ratios of salt and water plus electricity from a battery; and you can make your own colloidal/ionic silver using water plus silver and electricity from a battery. Both solutions are best when made fresh prior to use (within a few weeks) and are highly effective against all bacteria and known viruses (cannot speak for the Frankenstein viruses being made in labs).
I disagree with all the disposable wipes, as they’ll inevitably create a pile of garbage which will give away your level of preparedness in a long-term SHTF situation, making you a target. Using HClO for washing clothes and rags, you won’t generate piles of trash, AND, you won’t run out after a few months.
What happened to your idea – your work!
I am sure you know this, but the information you provide in this and other updates, is absolutely true, accurate and critical information. I cannot wait to get each email and read the information, references and lists you provide. I, and the others that follow your site, owe you much gratitude and respect for the work you do. It can save so many lives and really make the difference……. if only we listen and take action. Because of your site, I have the backup food, water, weapons and gear. I have taken the time to learn to make fire, shelter, first aid and much more. I am truly prepared for myself and my family. We ALL hope and pray it will not be necessary, but far too few of us prepare. You changed my mind and continue to teach me so much. Thank you and your staff.
Trust but verify . The sawyer mini would get you in trouble do not buy it check out the reviews . I know form someone in business most good reviews are bogus. Always look at the bad reviews.
I’ve seen articles about the form of “testing” that Sawyer Mini uses. When you “test” and filter water from a “clean” site, any filter will not clog up very rapidly. Now test the same filter in a dirty lake or stream, ( much more common than a “clean” water source outside of a municipal water source ), and see the results of their gallons that can be filtered. And just know that a “filter” will not remove metals and fertilizers ( chemicals ) from lakes or streams near farm land. It takes a water “purifier” to remove those. So you must be aware of the location you’ll be in as to whether you need a filter or purifier to be able to consume the water.
Guns, ammo, hatchets, machetes and fire starters should be at the top of the list. There are a lot of people that will resort to “local procurement” for their needs which means they will want your stuff.
Also, organize groups within your neighborhood and know who has special skills such as medical attention, security, and form groups to do these things within your immediate community.
If you ever read the book, ” One second after” about EMP attacks it is interesting that a 22 LR bullet became an item for bartering.
Those items belong on a DIFFERENT list. This list was about hygiene rather than about defense. This site DOES have lists about defense items; but on this list, they’re irrelevant. Stick to the topic.
The pop up tent for showers is not very user friendly. It zips up. So how do you take a shower and then reach out to get your dry towel?
And, why do these stupid Google ads pop up by the dozen in the middle of this comment screen and you can’t see what you are trying to reply. Then the blasted “We’ll try not to show…” and “Add closed…” get right back in the way? Where the stupid ad was.
Watch Petticoat Junction, the intro part where they are showering.
And unburied bodies, both animal and human, everywhere. Don’t forget the shovels, plastic sheeting, lye, personal protective gear, mouse/rat poison and insect repellant/killer. It’s going to be a very unpleasant life for a while (presuming you survive). Oh yeah, and your defensive weapon – gangs of dogs will be as dangerous as germs.
Don’t poison rats and mice…they’re a food source! Just trap them and enjoy! The same can be said for those loose dogs running around. They’re fair game for the grill!
One mating fertile pair of cats can produce 1 million offspring in a year (assuming all their offspring reproduces and all survive).
Asians have been eating cats since forever.
A human body has about 144,000 calories in it (HINT).
Males more protein, females more fat.
Just be sure to clarify things when your wife says ‘eat me honey’ lol
Very good advice. I would like to add just a few things to the list. As an RN and infection control Nurse it is also important to have a basic first aid kit. If nothing else in a zip lock bag place a tube of antibiotic ointment, band aids, (they don’t take up much room), 2×2 and4x4’s, a gauze covering and tape to cover a wound. Diaper rash ointment, and anti fungal ointment. I would also suggest fine fishing line and sewing needles as well as safety pins and Q-tips. You can suture a cleaned wound if necessary and apply ointments with a Q-tip. A few wooden craft sticks are also great to apply meds and as a splint to a finger if needed.
Hope you find this information useful.
Debbie
Excellent advice. Thanks for posting.