Comments on: Compost Toilet DIY

By: Mrs.Dirty Boots

Mrs.Dirty Boots — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:56:05 +0000

Amir, you can indeed use earth instead of sawdust. We have used pine needles, soil, grass clippings and sawdust. Just remember that if you are using earth you could end up with a very heavy bucket since you will have to use enough soil each time to cover over the poo well!

There are many that I am sure would disagree, and say that only organic trees harvested ethically should be used in the sawdust toilet. We use whatever is available I’m afraid to say – and no problems so far!

I’m jealous – straw bale houses can be fantastic – so good luck with it!

By: amir

amir — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 19:49:47 +0000

hello mrs. dirty boots
thanks for your great website.
i am currently building a small strawbale house to live in, and, well obviously, compost toilets go hand in hand with these kinds of dwelling.
my question is this: can i use earth instead of sawdust? and if sawdust is used, can it come from treated-wood source (ie ordinary carpentry) or does it have to be untreated sawdust from a timbermill?

By: Mrs.Dirty Boots

Mrs.Dirty Boots — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:28:03 +0000

Someone more wise than I may disagree, but I see no reason why you cannot have a compost pile in a shady spot. Of course sunlight helps but this is because of the heat, not the light. My guess is that in Miami you will find even the shadiest spot warm enough for your compost pile to work just fine. The humanure left in the bucket will ferment rather than compost down. It would still be great for feeding plants, as with manure tea. But honestly I really wouldn't want 5 gallons of the stuff sitting around fermenting. Get a compost bin organised instead it will be quicker, safer and far easier too!

By: NiGo

NiGo — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 01:20:46 +0000

Hi and thanks for the great compost toilet tips. I’m preparing to build one and was wondering what to do if I don’t have a compost pile. We live in house in Miami and have a small garden but most of the property is shaded. A compost pile needs sun right?

My real question is about how long I can leave the humaneur in the enclosed receptacle (ie the 5ga bucket)??
I heard that if you leave it alone for a year it will compost… but what about the oxygen factor??
Thanks again…

By: Mrs.Dirty Boots

Mrs.Dirty Boots — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:15:45 +0000

I guess you could use a bidet alongside a compost loo, but our main purpose (and I suspect many others) reason for using the sawdust toilet is that you don’t have to use any water. The sawdust will be enough of a match for the pee in the loo and wouldn’t need paper in it, but you wouldn’t want a bidet attached!

By: ginjeygirl

ginjeygirl — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 08:17:53 +0000

instead of using paper, can you use a bidet with a compost toilet? would it ruin the compost if it gets too wet????

By: A Self Sufficient Life » Blog Archive » Compost Toilet - The Sawdust Toilet

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:27:17 +0000

[...] DB has already compiled a guide to Compost Toilet DIY but with summer coming and water shortages a serious threat for the future I would like to [...]

By: A Self Sufficient Life » Blog Archive » Compost Toilet Month

A Self Sufficient Life » Blog Archive » Compost Toilet Month — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:41:17 +0000

[...] or slightly less graphically Compost Toilet Month. The thing is, as happy as we are with our DIY Compost Toilet, I can’t help but wonder what else is out there in the world of the waterless [...]

By: Mrs.Dirty Boots

Mrs.Dirty Boots — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:32:00 +0000

Hi Derek, No problem with flies and there are lots of flies during the Spanish summertime. Using sawdust to cover the contents of the compost toilet provides a pretty good smell resistant seal. Burying the compost toilet contents in the middle of the compost heap is important or you would get flies for sure. We always make sure there is plenty more ‘ordinary’ garden waste to cover any new smellier additions to the heap.

People do use the ‘hole in the ground’ method, but you’d need to leave it at least a year to break down before incorporating it into your vet plot and it sounds like an awful lot of extra digging to me! Manures of all types break down much more quickly as part of a hot compost heap.

By: derek derek@mybig.com

derek derek@mybig.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:53:02 +0000

Is there a problem with flies, especially in summer, on the compost heap or in the toilet? Actually, would it be feasible to have an outhouse over a hole in the ground and have the outhouse move along whenever the hole fills up, and then plant the vegetables directly into the filled in holes?