So you bought your fancy composting toilet, installed it in your tiny home/bus/RV, and now you’re visited by lady nature…..aunt flow…..you get what I mean. I decided to write this for all my tiny dwelling families/ladies because it was/is something my best friend and I struggled with. I even asked her for a quote and she said, “Hahahaha, omg why?? I’m kind of nauseous thinking about it hahaha.” Then she said, “I’m serious I’m scared. It’s giving me anxiety. I don’t know what to say.” So truly this is not for the squeamish or those who get weird about talking about PERIODS. This is a fact of life I didn’t expect or even think about and one my best friend didn’t sign up for. (She didn’t plan on living in the bus while we were in Durango. So when she did she got all the lovely surprises of the composting toilet life!)
So let’s get down to the nitty gritty and break it down. It’s messy, it’s gross, and yes it is much harder to handle than the normal tinkle. Because lady time can be so unpredictable its hard to take precautions to deal with it and the composting toilet. I see many people write about the poo and the pee but this is a whole different element that even I feel weird talking about. People always ask me the big question, “What’s it like having a composting toilet?” Generally I use the basic answer of “It’s honestly not bad” or “I don’t really mind it” but when it is family considering tiny living, a female, or someone I am more comfortable with; I tell them it’s great until you run into lady time. See you’re not dealing with a clear liquid that you can just vinegar/water spray into oblivion. You’re dealing with liquids, solids, and the unknown that are hard to spray away or even almost stain! No matter how careful or cleanly you try to be…it still will one day become a problem. This isn’t to scar anyone but to inform others of this key difference in the Natures Head vs. a regular flushing toilet. So when you make your choice on potties you are at least more aware of this and open the window of communication between us ladies!
So how do I find the best way to deal with it? Try to be as careful as possible, seek alternative potty spots, use vinegar spray heavily, and keep a spray cleaner/paper towels near. Luckily the natures head is wonderful the other 3 weeks of the month. Happy travels and tiny living everyone!
-Paige a.k.a Zoe Bus.
Zoe bus 