• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Bisexual urinal?

 
pollinator
Posts: 4020
Location: Kansas Zone 6a
284
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Any ideas for something pretty? Something you can leave out and not get embarrassed when guests ask to use the bathroom. We have used bottles, small buckets, and 5 gallon buckets with camping toilet lids. I have seen a few for guys but no great options for women. Can’t retrofit a diverted into the existing toilet.
 
pollinator
Posts: 3842
Location: Kent, UK - Zone 8
696
books composting toilet bee rocket stoves wood heat homestead
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
You don't give any context about your existing toilet.

Have you read the Humanure Handbook? In that system the urine and poop stay together, and the whole lot gets covered with sawdust. The urine is actually an advantage, because the added water and nitrogen make the compost get up to temperature much faster. In practice it is just a normal toilet seat, over a plastic bucket. No need for anything complex, and works for both genders.

 
R Scott
pollinator
Posts: 4020
Location: Kansas Zone 6a
284
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Current house is a standard flush toilet, off grid house I am building will have a humanure system based on Joe’s book and possibly an experimental vermicompost system.  I have done a humanure system in the past.

I find that putting all the urine into the system can be too much liquid, but mainly we like to use it as a direct fertilizer on occasion.  
 
steward & author
Posts: 38376
Location: Left Coast Canada
13632
8
books chicken cooking fiber arts sheep writing
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
When I visited Japan, half the toilets were 'western' (aka, had a seat and a lid like I see in Canada) and half the toilets looked like urinals that had been installed on their back.  

There are variations of the squat toilet around the world so maybe something like that might be a good source of inspiration?  
 
Michael Cox
pollinator
Posts: 3842
Location: Kent, UK - Zone 8
696
books composting toilet bee rocket stoves wood heat homestead
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

R Scott wrote:

I find that putting all the urine into the system can be too much liquid, but mainly we like to use it as a direct fertilizer on occasion.  



The only time I found we had “too much liquid” was when we were running low on sawdust and the family started skimping on how much they added. Provided you add a decent amount each time you go, and the sawdust is appropriately absorbent, it works fine.

So overly wet/sloppy buckets is probably a form of user error. Use more sawdust. Empty more frequently. Buckets will be lighter and easier to work with as well.
 
pollinator
Posts: 1455
Location: BC Interior, Zone 6-7
511
forest garden tiny house books
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
There are women's urinals made commercially. Men can use them fine. With some practise, most women can use a men's urinal, too.  If it's just your family using it anyway, maybe they can practise in the shower and see if it works for them. Then you can plumb the urinal to whatever hidden container you want.  Or they could use those SheWee or alternate brand devices to pee into something discreet.

I'm with Michael on the Jenkins style bucket, though. I drink three to eight litres of water a day, so I pee a lot. Often I pee right in the garden, but when only using a bucket I just add more sawdust and empty more often.
 
pollinator
Posts: 1518
Location: Southern Oregon
463
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Wow, my mind went to a totally different place. I was like why do bisexuals need their own urinals.
 
pollinator
Posts: 5347
Location: Bendigo , Australia
477
plumbing earthworks bee building homestead greening the desert
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I am with you Stacey, I was lost for words and wondered how mad had the world gone?
But seriously, how much of it is really a problem?
If the uniqueness of your home is explained, are there any issues?
 
R Scott
pollinator
Posts: 4020
Location: Kansas Zone 6a
284
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Well I guess the title was a little clickbait ish.

And to be completely honest the overwhelming driver is “happy wife, happy life”  She wants to save urine for fertilizer but we will be in a small, borderline tiny, home and don’t want something that we’ll trip over. Not worth having to clean up that mess.  Been there done that

 
gardener
Posts: 3132
2095
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Stacy Witscher wrote:Wow, my mind went to a totally different place. I was like why do bisexuals need their own urinals.



My first thought was, "I've never heard of a urinal having a sexual preference, but I fully support your urinal's lifestyle choice whatever it is." Hah!
 
If you believe you can tell me what to think, I believe I can tell you where to go. Go read this tiny ad!
permaculture and gardener gifts (stocking stuffers?)
https://permies.com/wiki/permaculture-gifts-stocking-stuffers
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic