Last week when our water was turned off, for almost an entire day, I was very thankful that we were prepared for that little emergency. However, it did open my eyes to what we were still lacking. I’ve mostly just compiled a list of what I need to work on/have on hand, but thought that I would share in case you are in need of one too.
- No Rinse Shampoo or have items on hand to make your own.
- Hand Sanitizer
- Baby Wipes
or have items on hand to make your own.
- Disposable Diapers (for short term emergencies if you do not have what you need to wash cloth if that’s what you normally use).
- Ziploc Brand Freezer Bags
- Have all the items on hand to wash laundry by hand:Washboard, Wash Tub
(could also use for kids bath),Clothesline
,Clothes Pins
, &/or Drying Rack.
- Wash Basin/Large Plastic Containers
and a sponge for a bath (use these same bowls for washing dishes. I suggest pouring all used water into the toilet tank so that you can flush occasionally. Also, make sure you are using less water per flush to begin with…let’s not be wasteful).
- Emergency Toilet, Extra Toilet Liners
, and Toilet Deodorant
or at the very least make sure you have a shovel so you can dig a hole in the back yard if things are that bad, because no water means no toilet flushing.
- Try to cook foods that use as little water as possible for preparation. For short term emergencies use Paper Plates and Plastic Utensils so that you don’t have to use drinking water to wash them.
- Rain Barrels would be handy for washing, watering plants and animals (I personally wouldn’t dare drink rain barrel water where I live because there is so much pollution in the air, but I don’t see why not if you live somewhere with fresh air…just maybe boil it first).
These are just some things that I hadn’t thought about until faced with a water shortage, so hopefully it has given you some ideas and they will help you out too if you ever have to go through a water shortage/outage.
***Sorry if some of the spacing is funky on this post…blogger is having issues***
Printable Version of the List
Printable Version of the List
*Hey there, thanks for stopping by my website. This article is super old, so it has been archived as I no longer update it…so proceed if you wish…but it is definitely not my best work. Please stop by my home page, here, and see some of my better content. Thanks! ~Sarah*