© secrets to stay sanitary - bulletproofhome.com.s3...

© Secrets to Stay Sanitary

2015

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2015

Contents

Secrets to stay sanitary, even when everything around you is diseased and dangerous ..... 3

Water Supply .................................................................................................................. 4

Personal Hygiene ............................................................................................................ 6

Wash Your Hands ........................................................................................................... 6

Soap and Water ............................................................................................................... 7

Plain Hot Water .............................................................................................................. 7

Hand Sanitizer ................................................................................................................ 7

Moist Towelettes Or Baby Wet Wipes ........................................................................... 7

Gloves ............................................................................................................................. 8

Nail Hygiene ................................................................................................................... 8

Taking Care Of Your Excrement .................................................................................... 8

Women’s Hygiene .......................................................................................................... 8

Infant Care ...................................................................................................................... 9

Hair Care ......................................................................................................................... 9

Dental Care ................................................................................................................... 10

Body Care ..................................................................................................................... 10

Waste Disposal ............................................................................................................. 10

What not to do .............................................................................................................. 11

Campers and Camp Toilets ........................................................................................... 11

Bucket Toilets ............................................................................................................... 11

Composting Toilets ....................................................................................................... 11

Latrines/Outhouses ....................................................................................................... 12

Toilet Paper ................................................................................................................... 12

Garbage ......................................................................................................................... 12

Vermin Control ............................................................................................................. 12

Access Control .............................................................................................................. 13

Sequestration................................................................................................................. 14

Quarantine..................................................................................................................... 15

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN SECRETS TO STAY SANITARY IS MEANT

TO SERVE AS A COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF TIME-TESTED AND PROVEN

STRATEGIES THAT THE AUTHORS OF THIS COURSE LEARN OVER THE YEARS,

RELATED TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.

THE MATERIAL IN SECRETS TO STAY SANITARY MAY INCLUDE INFORMATION,

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Secrets to stay sanitary, even when everything around you is diseased and dangerous

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines basic sanitation in

the following manner: “Basic sanitation is described as having access to facilities for the

safe disposal of human waste (feces and urine), as well as having the ability to maintain

hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection, industrial/hazardous

waste management, and wastewater treatment and disposal.”

There are just some things that are a given in life. Under normal circumstances

you turn on the water and clean water comes out of the tap. Although many feel it

necessary to filter it using reverse osmosis or another method, the fact is it is potable

and in most cases safe to drink. You flush the toilet and the sewage is taken away to be

treated somewhere else. If you get a cut on any part of your body, you trust that the

water that comes out will help sanitize the open wound. Apply it a little soap and you

are ready for a bandage.

During any kind of catastrophe there will be disruption of the baseline services

that we routinely take for granted. For example, you may turn on the tap and nothing

comes out. With no water your toilet doesn’t flush and that cut can’t get washed, which

can lead to infection.

What all this comes down to is that you are ultimately responsible for your

health and well being. Part of living a prepper lifestyle is being ready for anything that

comes down the pike. Whether due to reasons of natural disaster, civil unrest, martial

law or terrorism, the one basic necessity we all come to rely on may not be available.

Rather than wait for that eventuality, let’s look at some things you can do to be

prepared to stay clean and healthy if you have a disruption of basic services for an

extended period of time.

Water Supply

Arguably the most important aspect of staying healthy is having a clean source of water.

If you can control your water supply you are way ahead of the game. Clean water is not

only important for drinking and staying hydrated but also for cleaning and washing.

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Many preppers store water by the hundreds of gallons. This is a good idea if you have

the room. Don’t buy those cheap milk jugs of water at the grocery store, as the plastic in

these will break down quickly and your water will leak out. A better idea is to invest in

the higher quality clear plastic jugs since they will keep much longer.

Products to look at include a water bob, which is a storage bladder that fits in

your bathtub. When the first sign of a disruption is seen, the bladder is filled with water

and you have a few gallons of storage.

Other preppers have built ponds and swimming pools on their property in order to have

a much bigger storage capacity.

But storing water is not a long term solution, especially if you have to stay clean,

or do any washing or disinfecting. You will need to secure a renewable source of water.

Your best source of potable water will be your own well that nobody else has access to,

which requires you to have good ground water in your area. If your well was safe before

a disruption it will probably be safe after one. The only concern would be an earthquake

in your area that could allow new contaminants into your well.

Others look to cisterns that collect rainwater. An old-fashioned rain barrel is just

a small cistern. Several can be connected together to make a formidable water

collection system.

Rivers, lakes and streams may be utilized if you have no other resources. The

problem with these water sources is that as others begin using them as well, they can

become contaminated all too quickly.

Any water you collect needs to be treated to make sure it is safe to drink. There

are several ways to accomplish this, and combining them will be better than relying on

one method only.

Water that isn’t clear to begin with will need the sediment removed. This can be

a two- stage process. First allow the water to sit, so all the heavy particulates settle to

the bottom of the container, and the lighter ones float to the top. Skim off the floating

material, and then carefully pour off the clear water above any sediment on the bottom.

You can pour muddy water directly into a filter mechanism but in the long run

your filter will last much longer if you pre-treat dirty water first, even if that means just

pouring it through several layers of cloth. If there is a chance of chemical contamination

you will need to soak it with charcoal to soak up the contaminants.

It is important to know that boiling your water will kill the bad bugs in it but will

not remove any chemical or heavy metal contamination.

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The CDC gives directions on how to treat your water with solar disinfection

(SODIS). This also reduces the amounts of virus, bacteria and protozoa in the water. To

treat your water with SODIS you will need clear containers for your water. Place your

clear water in the container and shake it up to oxygenate it. Then place the container on

a roof in the sun for at least six hours. The CDC recommends two days in cloudy

weather.

Another way to treat your water is with chemicals. Water can be treated with

chlorine, iodine and even the ancient practice of mixing water and wine, to make it

potable.

There are a huge number of water filters on the market. You will need to do some

research to find what will work best for your situation. It is highly advisable to have at

least two different filters along with several spare filer cartridges.

Whatever you do you must find a way to secure a potable water source. That is

your first order of business.

Personal Hygiene

Cleanliness is next to godliness, and if you don’t stay clean there is a chance you

will be meeting Him sooner rather than later.

In any kind of disaster, cleanliness and attention to basic personal hygiene is a

must. Without electricity and running water, it becomes much more difficult to deal

with germs and bacteria, but if you pay attention to basics, it is not impossible. Keeping

yourself clean in the first place is far easier than ignoring the cleanliness factor, getting

injured or sick, and then trying to get back to health without modern conveniences.

It is often said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is good

advice to heed, but how?

Wash Your Hands

It may seem obvious in today’s settings and with today’s knowledge, but the

simple act of washing your hands can ward off many health problems. There was a time

when people, even doctors, scoffed at the idea, but it has since proven to be greatly

beneficial.

Your hands are the point of contact with most everything you touch. From

relatively clean things like the food you prepare, to your children or other people, dirt,

feces, and who knows what else. If you neglect to regularly wash your hands, you have a

much greater risk of contaminating your food and everyone you touch with disease.

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It is very important to keep your hands free of potential contamination. You

should use prevention methods such as:

Soap and Water

Simple soap and water can go a long way in preventing health problems. There is

no need to get an antibacterial soap. In fact, you will probably want to stay away from

soaps containing triclosan, because overuse will break down the skin and make you

even more susceptible to infection and disease.

Get a supply of cheap, simple soap and a source of clean water. It won’t do you

wrong. If you can swing it, supply yourself with paper towels that you can cleanly dry

your clean hands with. While cloths are good in a pinch, bacteria can grow on cloth rags.

Although more wasteful and expensive, paper towels are better in the long run at

eliminating potential infection.

Plain Hot Water

If you don’t have any soap, a good rubbing and rinsing with hot water will go a

long way toward removing harmful germs from your hands and body. Don’t

underestimate the power of hot water! Use water as hot as you can stand, just don’t

scald yourself or your loved ones!

Hand Sanitizer

While hand sanitizer is not as good as washing with soap and water, it can come

in handy when water is scarce or not available. Although it is better to wash the germs

and bacteria off with soap and water, but sometimes that might not always be possible.

Sometimes we have to settle for just killing as many of the germs as we can. Be aware

that hand sanitizers do not kill everything. Generally, they kill 99.9% of germs, but they

do not kill every bacteria (such as MRSA, e.coli, and flu). Don’t let them give you a false

sense of security.

Hand sanitizers, with regular use, can cause skin to dry out, crack and even

bleed, where pathogens can more easily get in. Some people are more sensitive to this

than others. Look for varieties that contain alcohol to use during the most crucial/germy

times, and for more gentle varieties of hand sanitizer that do not contain alcohol.

Moist Towelettes Or Baby Wet Wipes

Moist towelettes usually have alcohol in them, which does a good job of killing

germs. Baby wet wipes usually do not contain the alcohol, but can be handy to use in

less-germy situations where you want to ‘wash’ your hands and do not have running

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water to do a thorough job of it. To avoid the issues of using hand sanitizers, wet wipes

are better for “less dirty” times, to give your skin a break.

Gloves

If you will be caring for the obviously sick or injured, gloves will go a long way in

preventing transfer of illness/pathogens to the others. You can also use gloves when you

don’t have access to other methods of cleaning your hands and you need to prepare food

or do other tasks where it is important not to spread germs and bacteria around.

Nail Hygiene

Always pay special attention to your nails when cleaning your hands. Nails trap

dirt and crud that is not dislodged during casual washing. Often overlooked is the fact

that long nails tend to harbor more germs and bacteria. Keep nails trimmed so they are

easier to keep clean.

Taking Care Of Your Excrement

While not everyone wants to admit it, taking care of the other end of things can

be a challenge. Hand cleanliness is imperative to keep risk of e.coli in foods and all of

the health problems that could potentially be deadly if not treated (or, better yet,

avoided).

One way that many cultures have dealt with this issue for a long time is to use

one hand for eating, and one hand for wiping oneself after doing one’s business. This

might seem gross to us, but it is one way of minimizing passing germs around. Make

sure you wipe yourself well and keep as clean as possible. Be sure and wash your hands

well after any bowel movements.

(See Waste Disposal for ideas on this topic)

Women’s Hygiene

Women have the added responsibility to think about what they are going to do

for when they are menstruating. This need cannot be ignored.

Be sure to stock up on disposable pads and tampons, as they very well may

become scarce and a high-need item if “TSHTF.” You may even be able to use an over

supply for barter items.

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Another good resource are cloth pads and other alternative reusable means.

Keeping a stash of your own cloth pads can be a very helpful, economical way to deal

with menstruation, as long as you have a way to wash them after each use.

Prepper women shouldn’t be without silicone or rubber menstrual cups.

Silicone/rubber menstrual cups (such as the Keeper, the Diva cup, or the Luna cup), are

reusable for up to 10 years. They need to be washed periodically and boiled before and

after each cycle, but they are the easiest of all ways to deal with menstrual needs, and

take the least amount of care and water. They don’t work for everyone, though, so it is

recommended that you pick one up before disaster strikes so you can get over the

learning curve.

Because these are reusable, in the right situation they can be a high-trade item if TSHTF.

Infant Care

The main thing to consider in preparing for infant care is diapers.

Diapers are a real need, especially since in a high-stress situation Elimination

Communication may go by the wayside (though it’s not completely off the table if the

mother/caretaker is up to it).

Disposable diapers can be had in large amounts. Even the cheapest diapers are

better than no diapers. Cloth diapers are the next alternative. Keep a stash around, as

they can be used for many other purposes other than mere diapers if you don’t have a

baby around. Get a couple sets of diaper pins or a Snappi to help hold the diaper in

place. Flat fold diapers are best, since they can be creatively folded to fit anywhere from

newborn size up to toddler size, are easier to clean since they are one-ply, and they dry

more quickly than diapers made of sewn multiple layers.

In the days of civil defense shelters, it was recommended that if you had infants

and small children with no diapers, to cordon off an area and allow the children to run

naked. The idea was to keep the mess confined to one small area. Obviously you would

not put an infant in with a two year old, but the basic idea should be considered if no

other means are available.

Hair Care

If hair is not taken care of properly, lice or fleas may decide to take up residence.

If no way is available to care for your hair consider cutting it off and keeping it closely

shorn.

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If you can’t wash it and you won’t cut it you could use a mud wash. Thoroughly coat

your hair and scalp with mud and let it dry. Then start breaking the dried mud up and

brush it from your hair.

Dental Care

It is important to take care of your teeth. Neglecting dental care can lead to

cavities and other issues that are both painful and hard to deal with in a survival

situation. Put a toothbrush and toothpaste in your BOB, have some spares in your

prepping supplies, and educate yourself on creative ways of making your own dental

hygiene supplies.

Chew a twig from an aromatic tree until it is frayed and use this to brush your

teeth. This was called a “chew twig.” Dip it in salt for a more aggressive cleaning.

Body Care

In warm weather bathe as often as you can justify using the water. Just like

washing your hands, this is a preventive measure that will keep you cleaner and

healthier. If you are short on water consider taking sponge bathes. You should check

yourself daily for parasites, as no one wants tick fever or some other malady. Limit your

exposure to the sun. A severe sunburn can open your skin up to many infections.

Personal hygiene is largely a matter of preventative maintenance. Take care of

your body by keeping it clean and it will most likely take care of you by staying healthy.

Waste Disposal

What do you do with your waste when the sewer stops working, and the

garbage trucks stop running? You can’t just let things pile up helter skelter and expect to

stay healthy.

Untreated human waste can contaminate whole communities and lead to

disease and infection. On the other hand, human waste that is treated properly can be a

boon to a sustainable community.

For centuries in Asian countries farmers would build latrines on the edge of their

fields hoping to entice travelers into leaving a deposit of rich fertilizer that they could

spread on the field. If you don’t want to recycle your own waste, you can dig a hole,

squat, do your business, and cover it up thoroughly.

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What not to do

An open cesspool or ditch latrine is very unhealthy. Any system where there is

uncovered excrement will allow flies to transmit germs and parasites from the

excrement to your food supply. From this is how cholera can spread quickly.

In the late 60s there was a small commune that decided to drop out of society.

Things went well for a couple months. Everyone sat around getting stoned and

communing with nature. Then a wave of dysentery went through the community, and

while no one died they all decided to pack up and return to civilization. The reason?

Open latrines.

There are a few options for treating your sewage that should keep you clean and

healthy.

Campers and Camp Toilets

Those toilets with blue chemicals will get you through a short disruption but

can’t be counted on for a long term situation.

Bucket Toilets

Some preppers use a simple five gallon bucket lined with a garbage bag and a

little bleach in it. When the bag is full they dispose of it somewhere. A better bucket is

the sawdust or earth bucket. Again a simple five gallon bucket with a layer of sawdust or

dry dirt in the bottom every time someone uses the toilet they cover their excrement

with a handful us sawdust or dirt.

It is best to have at least two of these buckets because when one is filled up it is

set aside to “work” until the next one is filled. The first one is then emptied into the

compost pile and buried or is buried in an out of the way spot. This method is actually

mostly odor free and clean.

Composting Toilets

There are ready made units available for purchase that require little or no water

to operate. They work the same as the sawdust bucket but with a greatly increased

capacity. You can build a larger bucket unit for yourself if you are handy and save quite

a bit of money.

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Latrines/Outhouses

The old pit outhouse is what the hippies of the commune used. If you are going

to use one you need to make sure and sprinkle sawdust, dirt or lime in the pit after each

use to keep the flies down.

Toilet Paper

TP is a luxury that many preppers buy in bulk. But if you run out you can try

some substitutes. Paper of any kind can be used. The outhouses of old had an old Sears

catalog in them just for that reason. Other things to try include corn cobs, sticks, leaves

(be sure it is not poison ivy), a handful of sawdust or grass, and in the winter a handful

of snow. If all else fails your bare hand can be used and then washed thoroughly.

Garbage

Dealing with your garbage is important also. Garbage lying around attracts

vermin and disease. Compostable things can go on the compost pile, otherwise bury

them.

Combustible garbage like paper and cardboard can be burned to stay warm or

even cooked over, but don’t directly grill food over garbage. Use it only as a source of

heat.

Vermin Control

Rats and other vermin can spread disease and should be controlled by all means

at your disposal.

Remove any places for them to hide; piles of lumber and rubble allow them to

borrow and move around unseen. This may not be possible in cases of severe

disruption.

Poison might be an option for you, and should be seriously considered especially

if your disruption is disease based. However, a word of caution: if you have other

animals, such as a dog or a cat, they, too can eat the poison.

Trapping is a good way to reduce the population. Setting out multiple traps will

thin the population quickly.

Shooting will work if the population is high and you have the time to sit around

waiting. A pellet rifle is a great rat reduction tool. Cats and dogs will put a dent in the rat

population, but it takes an aggressive cat to wipe out rats.

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When things are really bad rats can be eaten for food. Just be sure you are

prepared to deal with any flea infestations you might pick up.

Supplies You Want to Store Beforehand

• Disinfectants and cleaners

• Alcohol Rubbing and Drinking

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Iodine Soap

• Wet wipes

• Alcohol wipes

• Hand sanitizer

• Bleach

• Drugs/Remedies Herbal remedies

• Prescription drugs/ vet meds

• Bag Balm

• Sun Screen

• Consumables

• Toilet paper

• Garbage bags

• Masks

• Disposable gloves

• Paper plates

• Plastic Knife/fork/spoons

• Diatomaceous earth (for dealing with parasite and keeping flies down)

• Tampons and pads

• Diapers

• Plastic sheeting

• Water storage

• Bug dope

• Body powder

Access Control

Once you have your immediate area safe and clean of contaminants you will

need to have a plan to keep it that way.

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If the situation warrants it you will want to secure an area that you or your group

can control all access to. This may be your apartment, home, neighborhood, town or even

county.

During the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak the western slope county of Gunnison in

Colorado enacted sequestration in order to protect its citizens. Everyone entering the

county to stay, was put into a two-day quarantine. Barricades were erected at the

county line and all motorists were told not to stop or pick up passengers. The same

went for the rail station, no one could get off the train or they would be arrested and

put into quarantine.

When the quarantine went into effect there were already two cases of flu in the

county. They were an infected woman who came to visit her sister on a remote ranch.

Both sisters became ill and the local woman died a few days later. These were the only

deaths during the sequestration.

A third wave of the flu made it to the valley a couple months after the ban was

lifted resulting in the deaths of five young people. As you can see if you can control who

you are in contact with, there is a good chance of avoiding being infected or

contaminated.

The biggest problem you will run into is trying to enforce the boundaries of your

secure area. The area should be kept as small as possible to allow for the greatest

control over the area.

You cannot control what people around you do with their sewage, garbage, bio

and hazardous waste, but you can keep people from bringing those things into your

home.

There are two things we can learn from Gunnison County

Sequestration

The county closed its borders in order to protect its citizens. . On a small scale

this is what the US government tells you to do by sealing your windows and door with

plastic and duct tape. While that may work on a small home it allows little leeway for

travel in and out of the home. Anyone who is planning on bugging in is planning on

sequestration.

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Quarantine

They quarantined themselves to keep out possible contagions. Anyone who

came into the area of control had to spend 48 hours under quarantine. You can do this

on any scale available to you. Set aside a small place to quarantine anyone who needs

to enter your area of control.

An additional point to consider is a decontamination area. This is an area for

newcomers to be cleaned, decontaminated, deloused, or whatever needs done to clean

them up. It can be as simple as a washtub set and cordoned off with plastic in your

foyer.

Access control boils down to making sure no one brings new contaminants into

your area of control.

Our environment is full of contaminants and contagions, you will never be able

to avoid each and every one, but if you are careful, keep yourself clean and handle

potential threats proactively you stand a good chance of staying healthy while others

around you are succumbing to all sorts of hazards.

© secrets to stay sanitary - bulletproofhome.com.s3...

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