| How to Make a Camping Toilet Posted: 03 Sep 2020 01:00 AM PDT For many people, one of the roughest aspects of camping is going without the comfort and familiarity of a modern toilet. However, if you're out in the boonies without a toilet in sight, don't fret; you can easily make your own! All you need to make a portable camping toilet is a large bucket, a garbage bag, and either a pool noodle or some plywood and a toilet seat. [Edit]Using a Pool Noodle - Cut your pool noodle to be just shorter than the bucket's circumference. Use measuring tape to measure the circumference of the rim of the bucket. Then, use a utility knife to cut your noodle to be about shorter than this measurement.[1]
- The noodle needs to be slightly shorter than the bucket's circumference so that you're able to fit it entirely around the rim of the bucket without the edges of the noodle's ends bumping up against each other.
- Use a utility knife to slice open 1 side of the pool noodle. Draw a line down the length of the noodle from top to bottom to guide your knife when you go to slice it. Opening the noodle this way will allow you to set it snugly along the rim of the bucket.[2]
- After you cut open the side of the noodle, use your hands to gently pull the 2 sides of the cut you just made apart. Make sure the noodle has been completely cut open before you move on to the next step.
- Secure the noodle to the rim of the bucket with epoxy adhesive. Place epoxy adhesive along the inside of the pool noodle, making sure to closely follow the manufacturer's instructions for usage. Then, place the noodle onto the rim of the bucket and push it downward so that it "snaps" into place.[3]
- You can also opt to skip the epoxy adhesive entirely and just make your toilet out of a bucket and pool noodle. However, without the epoxy, the noodle seat will be less secure when you go to sit on it.
- You can buy epoxy adhesive at any home improvement store.
- For best results, allow your epoxy to cure for at least 24 hours before using your camping toilet.
[Edit]Attaching a Toilet Seat to a Bucket or Chair - Trace the outer and inner circumferences of the toilet seat on plywood. Lay the toilet seat on top of a piece of plywood and use a pencil or marker to trace around the interior hole and the outside of the seat. Be sure to mark the holes in the back where the seat will be screwed into the plywood, as well.[4]
- If possible, add a second, slightly larger circle around the tracing of the interior hole and plan to cut along this second line so that your piece of plywood is smaller than the actual toilet seat. This will make it less likely for waste to accidentally get onto the plywood.
- Cut out the tracing with a jigsaw and drill out the attachment holes. Cut along the exterior tracing first, then cut out the tracing of the interior hole. Use a drill bit that is equal in size to the bolts you're using to attach the seat to the plywood.[5]
- Your toilet seat most likely came with bolts and nuts that you're meant to use to install it. If for some reason you're missing these materials, bolts that are in diameter will probably work for your toilet.
- If you plan on using a chair for your camping toilet, be sure to drill a hole in the chair that is the same size as the interior hole of your plywood piece.
- Attach 4 small blocks of wood to the bottom of the plywood piece. These will act as stoppers to prevent the toilet seat from sliding off of the bucket or out of the chair when you go to use it. Use nails or screws to attach the wood pieces to the bottom of the plywood on all 4 sides.[6]
- Drive a nail or a screw down through the plywood piece and into each piece of wood in order to attach them.
- These wood pieces can be any size or shape, as long as they fit inside of the bucket. For best results, use pieces that are at least long and that aren't wider than the toilet seat itself.
- Secure the toilet seat to the plywood with bolts and nuts. Screw the bolts through the hinge on the back of the toilet seat and through the drill holes on the back of the plywood piece. Attach the nuts to the ends of the bolts on the underside of the plywood to secure the plywood to the toilet seat.[7]
- The hinge is the plastic piece on the back of the toilet seat that connects it to the lid.
- Place the toilet seat over your bucket or chair to finish your toilet. Push the seat through the hole in the chair if you're using one, or simply place it over the top of your bucket. Make sure all 4 bottom pieces of wood fit snugly and securely in the bucket or in the hole in the chair.[8]
- Be sure to place a bucket underneath your chair before you use your new camping toilet.
[Edit]Using Your Camping Toilet - Place a bag inside the bucket. Make sure the bag goes all the way down to the bottom of the bucket and that the top of the bag completely covers your noodle seat. For best results, use a heavy-duty garbage bag that doesn't easily rip.[9]
- If you're worried about odor, you can also use special odor-blocking garbage bags instead of ordinary bags. You can buy these at any grocery store.
- Pour of absorption medium in the bottom of the bag. Use sawdust, cat litter, dirt, or some other absorption medium to soak up any liquids in the bag and suppress the odor. You'll also use this medium to cover your waste every time you finish using the toilet.[10]
- After you use the toilet, pour enough sawdust or cat litter into the bag so that your waste is completely covered.
- For convenience, keep your absorption medium in a separate garbage bag and use a plastic cup to scoop the medium into your toilet.
- You can get sawdust from a sawmill or lumberyard or buy sawdust at a feed store.
- Take the bag out of the toilet and tie it closed once you're done with it. Again, make sure you've covered your waste before you take out the bag. Use a double knot when tying the bag to make sure it's securely closed and that none of the contents will fall out.[11]
- Dispose of the bag and sanitize the inside of the bucket after every use. Tie the bag containing the waste closed, then place it inside another bag and tie this second bag closed as well. Take the bags to a drop-off facility for hazardous waste in order to dispose of them properly.[12]
- You can sanitize the inside of the bucket by washing it with dish soap and warm water.
- Do not simply leave your bag at the campsite when you head home; this is considered littering.
- If you want to ensure you can use your camping toilet in privacy, place it inside a cheap pop-up tent to create a makeshift outhouse near your camping site.
- Keep some toilet paper in a sealable plastic bag or old coffee can inside your bucket when you're not using your toilet. Then, simply take the toilet paper out of the bucket before you insert your garbage bag. This way, you'll never forget to bring toilet paper with you when you use the toilet!
- You can also attach the toilet paper to the handle of the bucket, if you don't plan on moving the bucket very much.
- Take along heavy-duty garbage bags for your waste. You'll likely need more than 1 bag if you plan on camping for an extended period. Take enough bags to change bags every 2 or 3 days, depending on the number in your camping party.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Pool noodle
- plywood
- 4 small pieces of wood
- Jigsaw
- Utility knife
- bucket
- trash bags
- Epoxy adhesive
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Create Voter Friendly Policies at Work Posted: 02 Sep 2020 05:00 PM PDT Many working people struggle to find time to vote, especially if they have family obligations outside of work. One of the most common reasons Americans give for why they don't cast their ballot is "work obligations." You can help your employees exercise their rights by creating voter-friendly policies in your workplace, like offering paid voting leave or making Election Day a company holiday. Get to know your local voting leave laws, and go above and beyond by giving your workers additional support and resources to make voting as easy as possible. [Edit]Giving Your Employees Time Off to Vote - Look up your state's laws on voter leave rights. In the U.S., there's no federal law that requires employees to give their workers time off to vote. However, many states have their own voting leave laws. These laws can vary a lot from one state to another, so research the laws in your state to make sure that you're in compliance.[1]
- For example, in Arizona, employers are required to give their employees up to 3 hours of paid leave time to vote. The employee must give advance notice at least 1 day before they plan to vote.[2]
- Some individual cities or counties might have their own voting leave ordinances, so check the laws on a more local level as well.
- Create a specific policy for your workplace. Whatever the laws are in your state, it's a good idea to come up with clear guidelines for your company's employees.[3] This will help ensure that you handle your employees' needs in a fair and consistent manner, whether they're voting early, absentee, or on Election Day.[4] Sit down and write out a policy that includes things like:
- A summary of local voting leave laws and how you plan to comply with them
- How many hours off you plan to give employees to vote
- Whether or not you will offer paid leave
- Whether your employees need to give you advance notice of when they plan to vote
- What days or times will be available to your employees for voting-related activities
- Give your employees written notice of their voting rights. Explain clearly to your employees what their rights are and how you plan to accommodate those rights. Write up a clear explanation of your company policy as well as local laws related to voting and email, mail, or hand it out to all your workers.[5]
- Include these policies in your employee handbook.
- Encourage your employees to ask any questions they might have about your company's voting policies.
- Allow your workers at least 2 hours of time off to vote. The length of time it takes to vote can be unpredictable, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made the voting process more complicated and uncertain than ever.[6] Give your employees at least 2 hours off for voting, and more than that if possible.[7]
- Keep in mind that the time it will take for an employee to vote can be impacted by a huge variety of factors, including how far they have to travel from work to their polling place, whether or not they need to use public transportation, how long the lines are, and what kinds of extra safety measures they might have to deal with due to the coronavirus.
- If you already have a specific amount of time allotted in your company policy for voting, consider extending it or dropping time restrictions altogether. This will make it easier for your employees to deal with the unique challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.
- Provide paid voting leave if possible to reduce employee hardship. Even if they're able to take time off, many employees are discouraged at the thought of losing much-needed income during the time it takes to get to the polls and vote. If you can, offer paid leave so that your employees can exercise their right to vote without suffering financially.[8]
- In some states, employers are required by law to offer a certain number of hours of paid leave for voting.[9] Even if it's not required in your state, consider adopting paid voting leave as part of your company policy.
- Offer leave for early voting as well as on Election Day. Your workers will feel more encouraged to vote if they have as many options as possible. Instead of restricting your employees to voting on just one day, give them the option to vote on whichever date is most convenient for them.[10]
- Most states offer some type of early voting options, sometimes starting as early as 50 days before the election. Find out when and if early voting is available in your state at Vote.org: https://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/.
- If your state allows voting by mail, you can also give your workers time off to drop off or mail in their absentee ballots. A few states have transitioned entirely to voting by mail as of 2020.
- One option is to give your employees a certain number of unspecified "civic hours" that they can use for voting-related activities whenever they like.
- Make Election Day a corporate holiday to encourage voting. Even if you allow leave for early voting, it's still a good idea to make Election Day a special day at your company. Give your employees the whole day off and urge them to vote, or set aside at least part of the day as a time when your workers can go to the polls.[11]
- Offering an Election Day work holiday will also give your employees a chance to get involved in the voting process in other ways. For example, if they're not tied up at work, they can volunteer at the polls, give other voters rides to polling places, or even babysit their friends' and colleagues' kids while they go vote.
- Go above and beyond what's required by law. Whatever your local voting leave laws may be, take a leadership role by going beyond the bare minimum. Give your employees extra time and support to ensure that they have every opportunity to exercise their rights. This way, you will not only help your workers, but you'll also set a great example for other employers in your community.[12]
- Add your company to ElectionDay.org's database of voter-friendly companies.[13] Share information about what you're doing to make voting easier for your employees so that other civic-minded businesses can follow your lead!
[Edit]Providing Information and Resources - Distribute information to your workers about how to vote in your state. Empower your employees by giving them information about when, how, and where to vote. Share resources including voter registration rules and deadlines, vote by mail rules and deadlines, election dates, an early voting calendar, a polling place locator, voter ID information, and more. You can find all of this information at https://www.vote.org/.[14]
- Voting and election rules are changing quickly due to COVID-19, so share a reliable resource for your employees to check for any updates in their state, such as https://www.vote.org/covid-19/.
- You can also direct your employees to websites with helpful information about upcoming elections, candidates, and ballot measures. Some good options include Vote.org, BallotReady.org, and USA.gov's "Voting and Elections" pages.[15]
- Host a voter registration drive at your workplace. Make voting as easy as possible for your employees by helping them register from the convenience of work! Holding a company-wide voter registration drive is a wonderful way to encourage voting and foster an atmosphere of civic spirit in the workplace.[16]
- Contact a local organization that already has experience coordinating voter registration drives, such as your local League of Women Voters branch. They can help you make plans and assemble the materials you need to have a successful drive.[17]
- Getting people registered can be as simple as asking them to fill out a form online. Set up a computer with the Vote.org registration website pulled up: https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/.
- You can also embed free or paid Vote.org tools on your internal or external company communications platforms from https://www.vote.org/technology/.
- Identify #VoteReady Captains across your team that suit your organizational structure to be leaders in sharing this information internally and externally.
- Make the experience fun and exciting by having competitions to see which department can register the most voters. Or, you can offer your employees small prizes for registering, even if it's something as simple as a sticker, pen, or button.[18]
- Help eligible employees apply for absentee ballots. Many states are expanding their rules regarding absentee or mail-in voting due to the coronavirus pandemic. If your employees are concerned about the safety of voting in person, encourage them to apply for an absentee ballot if your state allows it.[19]
- Let your employees know that they can apply for an absentee ballot and look up important vote-by-mail deadlines at Vote.org.
- As of 2020, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, Utah, and California are automatically sending mail-in ballots to all registered voters.[20]
- Provide access to printers, postage, childcare, and other resources employees may lack. Some employees may be discouraged from voting because they have limited access to the materials and resources they need. Reach out to your employees and help them get access to tools that will make it easier for them to vote.[21] For example, you could:
- Give out voter registration forms or absentee ballot applications, or give your employees free access to a printer so they can print out their own.
- Provide postage-paid envelopes so your employees can mail in their ballots or registration forms.
- Organize a shuttle or bus on Election Day to bring workers with limited transportation options to the polls.
- Arrange a company-sponsored childcare and/or eldercare program for employees taking time off to vote on or before Election Day.
- Give out information about voting safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like so many other things, the coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on voting. Help your employees by giving them up-to-date information on how the virus has affected voting in your state.[22] You can get the latest updates by visiting your local election website or browsing the links available here: https://www.vote.org/covid-19/.
- If your employees plan to vote in person, encourage them to read the CDC's guidelines on how to stay safe.[23] These include wearing a mask in public, staying at least from others as much as possible, and washing or sanitizing your hands frequently.
[Edit]References |
| How to Get Rid of Smoke Smell Posted: 02 Sep 2020 09:00 AM PDT Whether you smoke in your home or something recently caught fire in the kitchen, you're probably looking for a way to get rid of that lasting smoke smell. You've probably also seen that this smell is tough to get rid of. But luckily, there's hope! It might take some work, but you can get rid of smoke odors without having to call in an expensive professional cleaner. With the right tricks, you can knock out that smoke smell for good. [Edit]Airing Out Your Home or Car - Clean out any ash trays in your home or car. Ashes and cigarette butts will continue to smell, so get rid of these first. Wash or vacuum out the ashtrays in your home or car and get rid of loose cigarette butts so they don't keep giving off a smoke smell.[1]
- Make sure cigarette butts are completely extinguished before throwing them in the trash to avoid accidental fires.
- Vacuum all of your floors, carpets, and seats thoroughly. If you've smoked inside your home or car, then ashes can get everywhere and continue smelling. Give everything a good vacuuming, especially fabrics and upholstery, to get rid of any leftover ash.[2]
- Make sure you don't miss any spots in your car. Vacuum under the seats, the dashboard, and in the space between the doors.[3]
- Open all the windows in your home or car to bring in fresh air. A good airing-out can be very effective. Try opening all the windows in your home or car to let some fresh air in. Opening windows will also pull out some of the smoke odor.[4]
- It might take a few hours or days of airing out to make a big difference.
- Keep an eye on the weather if you're airing out your car. You don't want any rain getting inside.
- Place fans in the windows of your home to pull odor out. Fans can get the air circulating faster. Put box fans in 1 or 2 of your windows so that they're facing outward and turn them on.[5]
- Keep the fans running for a few hours or all day if you have to.
- Put smelly furniture, mats, books, and other items outside to air out. Your couches, chairs, tables, books, and knick knacks absorb smoke smells. The same goes for removable mats or seat covers in your car. Move your smelly items outside on a nice, sunny day and leave them out there for a few hours to air out.[6]
- Keep an eye on the weather. Make sure you do this on a day when no rain is expected so your things don't get ruined.
- Give everything a quick smell test before you bring it back inside. If anything still has a smoke odor, don't bring it back indoors. Stow it in your garage or somewhere else.
- Replace all of the air filters in your home. Even if you clean your whole home, the smoke odor may still be hanging around in your air vents. Replace the filters on your furnace and AC units so they don't keep pumping the smell into your home.[7]
- If you have central air and heating, vacuum around the vents and ducts to get rid of any lingering ash.[8]
- If you've replaced the filters and the smell persists, then you may need a professional to come and clean the vents.
[Edit]Deodorizing Your Home or Car - Sprinkle baking soda on smelly surfaces to soak up the odor. This is a good, simple trick for homes and cars. Baking soda absorbs smells, so sprinkle a good amount around your home or car, including on all the carpets, furniture, beds or mattresses, rugs, and solid surfaces. Let it sit for a few days, then vacuum it all up.[9]
- Baking soda won't damage fabrics, so don't worry about using it in your home or car.
- If you don't want to get baking soda everywhere, leave bowls of baking soda around your home or car. This won't work quite as well, but it will pull some of the odor out of the air.
- Wipe down hard surfaces with white vinegar. If your home still smells after a baking soda treatment, then the odor may be clinging to the walls. Wet a rag with white vinegar and wring it out. Lightly wipe solid surfaces like the floor, walls, and wooden furniture to get rid of the smell. You can also wipe down lamps, picture frames, and any other solid items.[10]
- You can use this trick to wipe down the steering wheel, dashboard, and other plastic spots in your car.
- You can wipe upholstered furniture with a small amount of vinegar if it smells. This also works for leather car seats as long as you dilute the vinegar with an equal amount of water.[11]
- If you prefer not to wipe things down with vinegar, leave out bowls of vinegar to absorb odors from the air.
- Clean your windows to get rid of smoke residue. Smoke can leave a smelly layer of residue on glass surfaces. Use glass cleaner to wipe down your windows and get rid of the smoke residue.[12]
- Don't forget to clean other glass surfaces like mirrors.
- Leave a bowl of activated charcoal in smelly spots. Activated charcoal is a bit stronger than baking soda, so it may do a better job of absorbing leftover odors. Try leaving bowls of it around your home to get rid of any remaining traces of the smell.[13]
- Keep the activated charcoal in a bowl or container since it can stain surfaces.
- Steam clean your carpets, furniture, and car seats to deep-clean them. If none of your deodorizing tricks worked, you may need to give everything a thorough steam-cleaning. Luckily, many hardware stores rent these machines. Use the steamer on all the fabrics and upholstery in your home or car, and let them air-dry for a few hours to knock out the smell.[14]
- You may need to use different shampoo types on different fabrics, so be sure to follow any specific instructions by the manufacturers.
- You can also call in a professional steam-cleaner if you don't want to do this yourself.
- Repaint your home interior if nothing gets rid of the smell. If someone smoked in a home for many years, then even your best efforts might not get rid of the smell. In this case, your only hope is repainting. Give the interior walls in each room of your home a fresh coat of paint to cover up any remaining odors.[15]
- In very serious cases, you may need to replace the insulation in the walls as well. It's possible for smoke smells to set in here.
[Edit]Cleaning Fabrics and Loose Items - Wash your clothes and fabrics with of vinegar. Put your clothes into the washing machine and adding of white vinegar instead of detergent. Then, run the cycle as you normally would. Smell your clothes when they come out and wash them again if the smell isn't gone.[16]
- Don't put stinky clothes in the dryer before you re-wash them. You could set the odor into the clothes if you put them in the dryer.[17]
- Use this trick for bedding and other loose fabric items like curtains.
- Dry-clean fabrics if washing doesn't help or you can't wash them. If you've washed your clothes and bedding a few times and the smell just won't go away, then dry-cleaning can help. This is usually an effective way to get rid of odors, so drop your items off at the dry-cleaner to see if that helps.[18]
- Make sure you tell the dry-cleaner that you want to get rid of the smoke smell so they can wash your items correctly.
- You can also dry-clean more fragile items like tapestries and wall hangings. These usually can't be put in the washing machine, so try dry-cleaning from the start.
- Seal small items you can't wash in a bag with baking soda. Other items like books can't really be washed easily. In this case, the best way to fight the odor is sealing them in a plastic bag with some baking soda. Leave them in there for 8 hours so the baking soda can absorb all the smells.[19]
- Baking soda doesn't stain, so you can just dust off the items when you take them out.
- Remove and replace carpets that you can't get the smell out of. Sometimes you can't completely get rid of smoke smell just by cleaning the carpets, especially if the smell was caused by a fire or years of smoking indoors. If you've tried baking soda and other washing tricks and the smoke odor is still there, then your only hope is removing the carpet. Pull out the old carpet and either leave the floor bare or install new carpet to get rid of the smell entirely.[20]
- Clean the hard floor under the carpet with vinegar, just in case the smell soaked through the carpet. Otherwise, the odor might hang around after you put a new carpet down.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Activated charcoal
- Glass cleaner
- Vacuum
- Rags
- Using scented candles or air fresheners might make your home smell better, but they just mask the smoke smell. They won't actually get rid of it.[21]
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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