Illness spreads fast when water is short. Be Ready lists hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom products among the basics. A small hygiene kit costs little and keeps your household well.
Hand washing first
The NHS advises washing hands for about 20 seconds, as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice, and especially:
- after using the toilet or changing a nappy;
- before eating or handling food;
- after touching animals or their food.
If there is no soap and water, the NHS says to use alcohol-based hand sanitiser. The FSA also suggests sanitiser for hands, and antibacterial sprays or wipes for surfaces, when the water supply is affected.
What to keep
These are the items and rough amounts OrCore Prep plans for:
- Hand sanitiser
Use when there is no water for hand washing- Budget INEOS Hand Sanitiser Gel 50ml · Asda page
- Moderate Hand sanitiser gel, 250-500 ml pump bottle · Search Asda
- Ultimate Hand sanitiser 1 L refill with a pump bottle · Search Asda
- Wet wipes (antibacterial)
- Budget Wet Ones Be Gentle 12 Antibacterial Wipes · Asda page
- Moderate Antibacterial hand and body wipes, large pack · Search Asda
- Ultimate Antibacterial wipes, multi-pack · Search Asda
- Toothpaste
About 3 g per person per day; a 100 ml tube lasts one person about 6 weeks- Budget Own-brand fluoride toothpaste 100 ml · Search Asda
- Moderate Branded fluoride toothpaste 75-100 ml · Search Asda
- Ultimate Premium sensitive or enamel toothpaste 75 ml · Search Asda
- Toothbrushes
One spare per person (child-size for young children)- Budget Own-brand manual toothbrush (multi-pack) · Search Asda
- Moderate Branded manual toothbrush · Search Asda
- Ultimate Premium manual toothbrush with travel case · Search Asda
- Toilet roll
About 1 roll per person every 3 days; 9-roll pack- Budget Own-brand toilet roll, 9 rolls · Search Asda
- Moderate Branded toilet roll, 9 rolls · Search Asda
- Ultimate Premium quilted toilet roll, 9 rolls · Search Asda
- Period products
One pack each for anyone who has periods (set the number in Household settings)- Budget Own-brand pads or tampons (pack of about 20) · Search Asda
- Moderate Branded pads or tampons (pack of about 20) · Search Asda
- Ultimate Branded pads or tampons, large pack · Search Asda
- Nappies
For children under 3: about 7 a day under 1, 5 a day aged 1-2; pack of about 40, check the size- Budget Own-brand nappies (pack of about 40) · Search Asda
- Moderate Branded nappies (pack of about 40) · Search Asda
- Ultimate Premium or eco nappies (pack of about 40) · Search Asda
- Baby wipes
For children under 4: about 8 a day; pack of about 64- Budget Own-brand baby wipes (about 64) · Search Asda
- Moderate Branded fragrance-free baby wipes (about 64) · Search Asda
- Ultimate Premium water-based baby wipes (about 60) · Search Asda
- Bin bags
Rubbish, and lining a bucket toilet if the water is off- Budget Own-brand bin bags, roll of 20 · Search Asda
- Moderate Heavy-duty bin bags, roll of 20 · Search Asda
- Ultimate Extra-strong drawstring bin bags, roll of 20 · Search Asda
- Bar soap
Lasts without water to dissolve it: about 1 bar per person per month; pack of 4- Budget Own-brand soap bars, 4 pack · Search Asda
- Moderate Branded soap bars, 4 pack · Search Asda
- Ultimate Moisturising beauty bars, 4 pack · Search Asda
A toilet when the water is off
- If the water is off, flush only now and then, with a bucket of stored or collected water (not drinking water).
- A bucket toilet is a backup: a bucket with a lid, lined with strong bin bags. Tie off and double-bag each use, and keep the bags outside away from water and food.
- Wash or sanitise your hands after every use.
- Emergency toilet
For when the water is off: line with bin bags- Moderate Bucket toilet with lid, bags and absorbent gel · Search Amazon UK (Ad)
- Ultimate Folding camping toilet with bags and gel · Search Amazon UK (Ad)
Keep it together
Pack the kit in one box or bag, near your other emergency supplies, and check it with them every six months. Be Ready suggests checking supplies every six months.
OrCore Prep scales these amounts for the people in your household, including babies and anyone who has periods.
Period products and continence
- Store a quiet reserve of the products people in your home actually use.
- OrCore Prep can estimate period-product needs from household settings.
- Bin bags and discrete disposal matter when collections slip.
Nappies
Under-fours need scaled nappies and wipes — set ages on the Household page so Targets stay realistic.
Washing with little water
- A basin, a jug and a cloth beat trying to run empty taps.
- Strip-wash face, hands, armpits and groin; change into clean layers when you can.
- Wet wipes help, then bag them; they are not flushable.
When toilets fail
See sanitation when toilets fail and water supply outage.
- Bar soap
Lasts without water to dissolve it: about 1 bar per person per month; pack of 4- Budget Own-brand soap bars, 4 pack · Search Asda
- Moderate Branded soap bars, 4 pack · Search Asda
- Ultimate Moisturising beauty bars, 4 pack · Search Asda
- Toilet roll
About 1 roll per person every 3 days; 9-roll pack- Budget Own-brand toilet roll, 9 rolls · Search Asda
- Moderate Branded toilet roll, 9 rolls · Search Asda
- Ultimate Premium quilted toilet roll, 9 rolls · Search Asda
- Wet wipes (antibacterial)
- Budget Wet Ones Be Gentle 12 Antibacterial Wipes · Asda page
- Moderate Antibacterial hand and body wipes, large pack · Search Asda
- Ultimate Antibacterial wipes, multi-pack · Search Asda