Well the Blue-Loo works great. It hides any smell there may be, keeps the water a nice colour and helps to clean the loo.
The only worry I have is the chemicals in it. The packaging doesn’t give much away, but it says it contains Greater than 30% Anionic Surfactants and some Chlorophene and Limonene. Haven’t got a clue what these are, or if they are harmful to the environment, but I will find out.
Ok, I gave a great deal of thought to creating a liquid only toilet as described in my previous post. In the end I decided against it, not because it would not work or save water, and therefore money. The reason I decided against it was I couldn’t find a way around the problem of some using it for solids. This could easily happen, and would be embarrasing if it happened to a visitor. How would you feel if if you used some else’s toilet and left something in there that wouldn’t flush away?
However, I still thought the idea of a liquid only loo was worth merit so came up with this method which seems to get round the drawbacks of the previous method.
I put a two litre and a 1 litre bottle full of sand into the cistern, thus reducing the amount of water by 3 litres. Then, as I will only be using the water for “liquid deposits” I decided not to flush it each time I used it.
OK, not everyone will like that idea, but I live alone and don’t mind it. I think that reducing the water in the cistern by 3 litres and reducing the amount of times I flush the loo will save a lot of water.
This method also has the benefit of having enough water in the cistern to flush a “solid deposit” should the occasion arise.
I did think that not flushing the toilet each time I used it would make it smell, but mine doesn’t. I do have one of those things that hang down the side of the bowl and dispense cleaner and a pleasant smell when the toilet is flushed. So maybe that helps to mask any smell, although I doubt it as the smell only lasts for a few minutes after flushing.
The only other problem I can see is the water in the bowl gets darker each time you use it. I can see me rushing to flush the loo before I open the door to visitors!
I have an idea about that and tomorrow I will buy one of those blu-loo things you put in the cistern that turns the water blue, maybe that will help with the colour. I will have to check that out carefully as I am also on a crusade to reduce the number of chemicals I use too. And reducing the water I use only to increase the chemicals I flush away is not a good idea to me.
I’m sure I will be doing another post on this subject once I have tested it for a good length of time.
I am all for reusing things, it is much better to get a second use of of something than it is to throw it ways.
As a gardener I reuse old yogurt pots, Margarine/Butter/Ice Cream tubs etc. as plant pots and seedling trays. I use a small nail heated up on the gas to poke holes in them near the bottom for drainage. You need to hold the nail with a cloth or pliers as they get hot. The containers a great for raising seedlings and can be used many times before they break.
Another good tip is to use the cardboard tubes from toilet roles. I cut them in half and fill them with compost to plant seeds. You have to keep them on a flat surface otherwise the compost can fall out the bottom. The seeds germinate and grow very well in them and they are very easy to plat out when the time comes. You just make the hole and put the cardboard tube in the hole with the young plant. This means the plant is not disturbed and it doesn’t suffer a setback. When you water them in the cardboard goes soggy and the plant roots can grow straight though it.
The cardboard is bio-degradable and as it’s made from wood it helps the soiltoo. So you get to save the cost of a plant pot or plastic seedling tray, get to reuse something you were going to put in the bin and you help the soil. It’s a win, win, win situation.
Oh dear, my first post and I’m
talking about toilets! Don’t worry; they won’t all be about toilets.
became law that all new houses have to have a downstairs loo the people who have them are not using them for “solid deposits”, as it can stink the whole downstairs. It is also considered polite to not do “solid deposits” in other people’s houses, so you always ask for the upstairs loo if the occasion arises. If a visitor asks for the loo you always point them in the direction of the upstairs loo too.
Well yes, it could work as the less liquid you have in the toilet bowl the less you need in the cistern to flush it away.