A house can become unsafe quickly if toilets cannot be flushed, trash piles up, or people cannot wash their hands. After floods and long outages, stomach illness and infected wounds are common and mostly preventable with bags, wipes, soap, and the right use of unscented bleach.
Do not drink surface-cleaning bleach mixes, and do not use the EPA drinking-water table as a recipe for floors or counters. They are different strengths.
If the water is off but the sewer still works
You can often flush a toilet by pouring a bucket of water into the bowl. Do not use your drinking reserve for this if you can help it. Do not flush if officials have said the sewer is backed up or if the house is flooding.
Wash hands with stored water and soap when you can. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a backup when water is scarce, but soap and water are better after using the toilet or handling food, and sanitizer does not work well on visibly dirty hands.
If the toilet will not work
Set up a temporary toilet before you need one. A sturdy 5-gallon bucket with a tight lid, heavy-duty bags, and a way to sit safely is the usual household method. Line the bucket, use it as a toilet, add a small amount of unscented household disinfectant or a thin layer of cat litter if that is the system you have chosen, then seal the bag and store it in a second lidded container away from food and living areas until collection is possible. Follow local public-health directions if they issue any after a disaster — they take priority.
Keep a dedicated supply, sized for a family of four for at least 3 days and preferably 14 days:
- Toilet paper and moist wipes
- Extra heavy-duty garbage bags and ties
- A bucket with a tight lid, and a second container for sealed waste
- Soap, hand sanitizer, and paper towels
- Unscented household bleach (5–9% sodium hypochlorite), clearly labeled and away from children — used only as directed below or on the water page, never mixed
- Menstrual supplies, diapers, and incontinence supplies well beyond a 3-day estimate
- Personal toiletries
Ready.gov lists moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties as part of a basic kit for this reason.
Cleaning and sanitizing after floodwater (CDC)
Wash dirt off first with soap and warm, clean water, then sanitize. The mixes below are from CDC, How to Safely Clean and Sanitize with Bleach (page dated 26 August 2026). Use regular unscented household bleach with 5% to 9% sodium hypochlorite. Never mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleaner. Wear non-porous gloves and eye protection, and ventilate the area.
| What you are cleaning | Bleach | Clean water | Notes from CDC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food-contact surfaces (counters, plates) that may have touched floodwater | 1 tablespoon (about 15 mL) | 1 gallon | Wash with soap and hot, clean water. Rinse. Sanitize in this solution. Air dry. |
| Undamaged food cans (not bulging, open, or damaged) | 1 cup (240 mL) | 5 gallons | Remove labels. Wash with soap and warm, clean water. Dip in the mix. Air dry. Relabel. |
| Non-food hard surfaces that do not soak up water (floors, sinks, some toys and tools) | 1 cup (240 mL) | 5 gallons | Wash, rinse, sanitize, air dry. |
| Mold growth on hard surfaces | 1 cup (240 mL) | 1 gallon | Wash with the mix (scrub rough surfaces). Rinse with clean water. Air dry. |
These solutions are not for drinking. For drinking-water disinfection, use only the EPA table on the water page.
Take trash out of the living space daily if you can. After a flood, assume silt and standing water are contaminated. Wear gloves and boots, and see official cleanup guidance before you try to dry out the house. After a storm, follow your county’s debris-separation and set-out rules when they are issued — they are not the same in every county, and they can change. Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester details are on the local resources page.
Insect repellent and sunscreen belong with hygiene supplies in this climate.
Hygiene in a go-bag
Each person’s bag should have a small soap or sanitizer, wipes, a toothbrush, any menstrual or incontinence items, and a compact towel.
Sources & further reading
- CDC: How to Safely Clean and Sanitize with Bleach
- EPA: Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water
- Ready.gov: Build a Kit
- Ready.gov: Water
- Ready.gov: Floods
- American Red Cross: Survival Kit Supplies
- Charleston County Emergency Management: Emergency Supplies Kit
- Berkeley County Hurricane Guide (PDF) (debris separation)
- Dorchester County: Hurricanes and Tropical Storms