What is that under my bed besides dust? It is a Chamber pot. This is what people used in the past when they had to get up in the middle of the night to relieve themselves.
They kept the chamber pots under their beds so they did not have to go far.
In the past, when there was no running water or bathrooms or when people had large families these chamber pots were put to use.
There were different types of chamber pots. Some were very simple, some very elegant and some were set inside a wooden chair.
This type was common and slid under the bed, pulled out and used during the night. In the morning it was emptied and cleaned.
Some of you reading this post may remember using a chamber pot.
I can only show you the types of chamber pots we have.
Sometimes these pots were called slop pots but the slop pots were used for food scraps and carried out to feed pigs and chickens.
I don't know if you remember a post that I did this year where I talked about naming the era we are living and I gave it the name our "Vintarian" era. I call it this because we live a vintage and more sensible life that is somewhere between early 1900 and the 1940s. We have brought into this era some of our knowledge from today's time that can improve on some of the things lacking from the past.
So considering these chamber pots we are improving the stinky situation. We are using modern techniques of the composting toilet. One of the pots holds sawdust, pine shavings or peat moss or a mixture depending on what we have available. In the past the out house and the chamber pots could get very stinky because they did not cover it up or compost it but we now know we can actually compost human waste.
So in an emergency situation we can make the best of the situation by having a composting toilet handy.
We put a layer of sawdust in the bottom of the pot that will be used for lets use the word, "elimination" #1 and #2. Once we go we put a couple of hand fulls or scoop fulls of sawdust, peatmoss or whatever we are using to cover and then there is no smell and you don't see it. Put a lid on it and continue that process until it is filled and ready to be removed.
A five gallon bucket is more commonly used today. There are nice manufactured composting toilets that can be purchased but this is what we can afford. Once the chamber pot is full it can be put into a 5 gallon bucket until that is full and then that can remain in that five gallon bucket until it can be added in a special compost pile for this type of waste (using hay or straw on top with a wire over to secure it and can remain there for one to two years and it will simply compost down to rich dirt.
Or if this is being used in an emergency situation it could be buried later in a deep hole or put into a plastic bag and put into the garbage if there is garbage pick up. We have to remember that every day disposable "soiled" baby diapers and adult diapers are being thrown into our garbage trucks. This is no different except at least we have started a natural composting to help it compost in the landfill.
Some people use a composting toilet all the time to save on water use since there is no water use except to clean the buckets or pots.
I would really be stressed should we have a situation where we had not already worked out this solution to a water or sewer backup to where we need a sanitary solution. Now I do not have to worry about it and can put it out of mind.
An update to our bidet I found a nice small enamel pitcher that can also be used.
The bidet and bathroom cloth wipes are working out well and we have gotten our routine with this new method.
My son called me last weekend and told me about a yard sale that had an old chamber pot for $ 3.00. When I got there I was shocked at the condition and how big the holes were. I figured the lid was worth the three dollars so I purchased the chamber pot and lid and brought it home. I knew the pot was of no use due to the condition so I decided to spray paint over the rust and figure out how to patch it to make it a dry bucket.
The inside looking out after I painted it.
I decided to patch it with cloth so I took some mod podge and started making patches. I was going to figure it out as I did it.
Here starts the patching.
I ended up doing the entire outside and set it out to dry and harden.
Then I decided to sew a removable cover that could be washed..
I took white duck tape and spray paint and repaired the inside.. Actually amazing this worked..
I had some cloth remaining so I made another elastic cover for the inside that can be removed and washed.
I decided to fill it with clean bathroom toilet cloths since we have gone paperless.
I had a little plant stand and I put it together. Clean on top and used on bottom. Actually these pots are the same size the top one just looks bigger due to the camera.
I know my last several posts have been a bit touchy but I am just sharing this life with you in case something I say or do helps someone else. Grandma Donna
