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Guide · GUIDE 34

Hygiene & emergency toilet without running water

Last reviewed on 05.07.2026

Stop the faecal-oral infection chain at three points: keep hands clean (hand disinfectant with at least 60 per cent alcohol, or soap and little water – for visibly dirty hands always use soap), do not flush the WC when the sewerage fails but use an emergency toilet instead (bucket, garbage bag, litter, lid), and store waste tightly packed, separately and away from food until disposal resumes.

When water or power fails, hygiene quickly becomes critical: without a working toilet and without handwashing, germs spread via the faecal-oral route – from faeces via hands, water and food back into the mouth. The World Health Organization identifies this exact chain as the main cause of diarrhoeal diseases in emergencies. Three things stop it: keeping hands clean (hand disinfectant with at least 60 per cent alcohol or soap and little water), an emergency toilet instead of a non-flushing WC, and wrapping excrement safely and storing it separately. The official Swiss emergency supply lists hygiene (soap, toilet paper) as its own category – but no authority specifies concrete amounts for a toilet set; the guideline values here are based on experience.

Why hygiene becomes critical quickly in crisis

Without running water and without a working toilet, the sanitation chain breaks – toilet, collection and disposal of waste. Then germs from faeces can travel via hands, water, food and surfaces back into the mouth. The World Health Organization identifies this faecal-oral transmission route as the core of the problem: diarrhoeal diseases mostly occur because waste is not disposed of cleanly.

The remedy is simple and effective: handwashing with soap after using the toilet and before handling food interrupts the chain most reliably. Combined with a clean toilet solution and safe disposal, it significantly reduces the risk of diarrhoeal diseases.

That is why hygiene is as important as water, food and warmth in emergency preparedness. The Swiss emergency supply explicitly lists hygiene (soap, toilet paper) as its own category – plan for it from the start, not just when water supply is sorted.

How do I keep my hands clean without running water?

Rule for choice: if your hands are visibly dirty or greasy, or you have had contact with faeces or vomit, wash with soap and little – if necessary bottled or boiled – water. If clean water is not available and your hands are not visibly dirty, use alcohol-based hand disinfectant.

Alcohol content: hand disinfectant must contain at least 60 per cent alcohol (recommendation of the US health authority CDC). Apply enough product to all surfaces of your hands and rub it in for about 20 seconds until your hands are dry.

Limits of disinfection: hand disinfectants do not work reliably on visibly dirty or greasy hands and do not kill all germs – for example noroviruses or cryptosporidium, typical diarrhoeal pathogens. In these cases, soap and water is superior.

Save water: a makeshift handwashing station from a large water container with a tap saves water – a thin stream is enough for soaping and rinsing. For handling waste and faeces, disposable or household gloves belong in the set.

Body and dental hygiene with minimal water

Body: for daily cleaning, wet wipes, a wet cloth or a cat wash with little water (face, armpits, intimate area, feet) is enough. This keeps skin and well-being intact and uses only a fraction of the water of a shower.

Teeth: brushing teeth is possible with very little water too – a small cup for rinsing is enough. Toothbrush and toothpaste belong on the supply list; in an emergency, dry brushing or chewing gum is still better than nothing.

Plan water: the official Swiss guideline of about 3 litres per person and day covers drinking and cooking – water for body and hand hygiene is not included. Plan additional grey water (rain or greywater is enough for body washing; for hands before eating try to use clean water).

The toilet during an outage: flush or not?

Short power outage, sewerage intact: gravity sewerage often still works for a while. The cistern can be filled once with greywater (rain, greywater) by hand and flushed. This is a temporary solution, not permanent operation.

Sewerage or wastewater system affected: then: do not flush anymore and do not add more water. Sewerage needs a lot of flow to transport faeces and paper; too little water threatens blockage and in extreme cases sewage backing up into the house. In this case, switch to an emergency or camping toilet (next section).

Note on sources: switching to a bag-based emergency toilet in case of sewer failure is specialist and official consensus (German BBK, US CDC). An explicit «do not flush» rule from Swiss authorities (FOCP/Alertswiss) does not exist – the recommendation is based on sanitation logic and foreign crisis guides.

How do I build an emergency toilet?

  1. Prepare a sturdy bucket – a household or builder's bucket, typically a 5-gallon bucket (about 19 litres)
  2. Attach a removable toilet seat or lid so you sit safely and comfortably
  3. Line the bucket with a sturdy, tear-resistant garbage or plastic bag (double for solids)
  4. Add a thin base layer of litter: cat litter, sawdust/wood shavings, bark mulch, sand, wood ash or finely shredded newspaper
  5. After each use, sprinkle a handful of litter over – this absorbs moisture, covers and reduces odour and flies
  6. Close the lid as much as possible when the toilet is not in use
  7. When the bag is about two-thirds full, tie it firmly and replace with a new one (do not overfill – the bag must still hold)

Separate solids and liquids: the two-bucket principle

For lower odour and cleanliness, separate urine and faeces into two buckets (recommended by US authorities as the «twin bucket» system): one bucket for urine only, a second – with bag and litter – for faeces only.

Why separate: most of the odour occurs only when urine and faeces mix. Separated, the solids stay drier and can be sealed airtight. Urine is usually low in germs and is easier to dispose of diluted. Faeces contain the bulk of the bacteria and must be treated especially carefully.

Practical: empty the urine bucket regularly (it needs no bag); operate the solids bucket only with bag and litter and keep it tightly closed. This reduces volume, odour and infection risk simultaneously.

Storing and disposing of waste safely

Packaging: remove full bag, squeeze out air and tie tightly; wrap solids bag preferably twice. The goal is a tight, tear-resistant seal.

Intermediate storage: do not leave bags open. Store in a closed container (e.g. a dedicated bin with a tear-resistant bag), cool, away from people, food and drinking water, until regular disposal resumes. This keeps odour and flies out and prevents contamination.

Not in regular household waste: human waste does not simply go in the regular rubbish – in an emergency, use a separate container. Optionally, add some disinfectant. After handling waste or faeces, wash or disinfect your hands.

Menstruation, babies and sick relatives

Menstruation: menstrual products belong in the supply – humanitarian aid explicitly counts them as basic hygiene and points out that supplies are often forgotten. Plan for several cycles, with private changing opportunity and discreet, tight disposal. The German BBK also explicitly lists «monthly hygiene» on its hygiene supply list.

Babies and small children: stock nappies, wet wipes and additional hygiene items. Even tiny amounts of faeces contain very many germs – wrap used nappies tightly, dispose of separately and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Sick: if there is diarrhoea or vomiting in the household, consistently disinfect hands and surfaces, use separate towels and if possible a separate toilet solution to stop faecal-oral transmission. People with special needs: see the guide for special groups.

Common mistakes

  1. Continuing to flush the WC when the sewerage system is down or adding water – this causes blockage and can back sewage into the house
  2. Leaving full bags open – attracts flies, spreads odour and germs
  3. Putting human waste in regular household rubbish instead of a separate container
  4. Relying on hand disinfectant alone when hands are visibly dirty or there has been contact with faeces – then soap and water is needed
  5. Using hand disinfectant with too little alcohol (below 60 per cent) – works unreliably
  6. Mixing urine and faeces in the same bucket – creates the most odour and makes disposal harder
  7. Forgetting hygiene in the emergency supply – soap, toilet paper, bin bags and litter belong from the start
  8. Only barely stocking menstrual products, nappies and medicines – resupply is not guaranteed in emergencies
What goes in a hygiene and toilet set (guideline values per person)
Item Guideline value per person/week Purpose
Hand disinfectant (≥ 60 % alcohol) 1 bottle per household Hands when clean water unavailable
Soap / liquid soap ongoing supply Handwashing (most effective protection)
Toilet paper 1–2 rolls Toilet hygiene
Sturdy garbage/plastic bags (tear-resistant) several per day Line emergency toilet, dispose
Litter (cat litter, sawdust, sand, wood ash) several litres Absorb moisture, cover odour
Wet wipes / household paper 1 pack Body washing, cleaning without water
Disposable or household gloves 1 pack Handle waste and faeces
Toothbrush / toothpaste basic equipment Dental hygiene
Menstrual products several cycles' worth Monthly hygiene
Nappies / baby hygiene (if needed) calculate daily requirement Infant hygiene

Amounts are experience and planning values, not official specifications. The Swiss emergency supply (FOCP/Alertswiss) lists hygiene qualitatively as «soap, toilet paper» but gives no quantities; the German BBK also provides a positive list without amounts. Basic approach: supply for about one week, continuously used and replaced.

Frequently asked questions

May I flush the toilet during a power outage?

In a short power outage with intact sewerage, you can fill the cistern once with greywater by hand and flush once. If the sewerage system itself is affected or sewage backup threatens, do not flush and do not add water – too little flow causes blockage and can back sewage into the house. Switch to an emergency toilet instead.

How do I build an emergency toilet?

Use a sturdy bucket (typically about 19 litres) with a removable toilet seat, line with a tear-resistant garbage bag and add a thin layer of litter (cat litter, sawdust, sand, wood ash or shredded newspaper). After each use sprinkle a handful of litter over and close the lid. When the bag is about two-thirds full, tie it and replace with a new one.

How do hands stay clean without running water?

If hands are not visibly dirty, use hand disinfectant with at least 60 per cent alcohol and rub it in for about 20 seconds. For visibly dirty or greasy hands and after contact with faeces, soap and little water is superior – disinfectant does not catch all germs like noroviruses. A makeshift handwashing station from a container with a tap saves water.

How do I dispose of waste safely?

Tie the full bag tightly, wrap solids bag preferably twice and store in a closed container, cool, away from food and drinking water, until regular disposal resumes. Do not put human waste in regular household rubbish – use a separate container. Wash or disinfect your hands after handling waste.

Why separate urine and faeces?

Because most odour occurs when they mix. Separated, solids stay drier and seal airtight, while the less contaminated urine is easier to dispose of diluted. The two-bucket principle reduces odour, volume and infection risk simultaneously.

How long does a hygiene supply last?

As a rule – like the rest of the emergency supply – a supply for about one week, which is continuously used and replaced. No Swiss authority specifies fixed amounts; the guideline values in the table above are experience-based. Plan menstrual products, nappies and medicines more generously because resupply in an emergency is not guaranteed.

Official sources