My Weird Toilet Experiment: Using Cat Litter
Okay, so let me tell you about this time things got a bit desperate with the plumbing. The toilet decided to completely give up on me one weekend. Water shut off, couldn’t flush, nothing. And guess what? Couldn’t get a plumber out right away. Panic mode started setting in, you know?
I was sitting there, thinking, what absorbs liquid and deals with bad smells? And then it hit me – cat litter! We had this big bag of the clumping kind for the cat, obviously. Seemed like a crazy idea, but hey, desperate times.
Setting Up My Makeshift Loo
First thing, I made sure the toilet bowl was as empty and dry as possible. Didn’t want to make some weird clay sludge in there. Then, I grabbed a couple of sturdy trash bags. I decided to double-bag a small waste bin, the kind you might have in a bathroom.
I carefully placed this double-bagged bin right inside the toilet bowl. It fit okay, kind of wedged in there. Then, I poured a decent layer of the clumping cat litter into the bag-lined bin. Maybe like, 3-4 inches deep? Enough to cover the bottom well.
The Actual Use and Results
Alright, using it was… strange. Definitely felt weird aiming for a bag in the toilet bowl instead of, well, the usual. But honestly? It worked way better than I expected.
- Liquids: The litter clumped up right away, just like it’s supposed to. Easy peasy.
- Solids: This was the real test. I just tried to make sure it landed on the litter. Then I’d scoop a bit more fresh litter on top immediately to cover it up.
- Odor Control: This was the big win. The cat litter did a surprisingly good job of keeping the smells down. Not perfect, but way better than an open bucket or something awful like that.
I basically treated it like a cat’s litter box. After each use, especially for solids, I’d add a little more litter on top.
Cleanup Time
Dealing with the aftermath was key. I didn’t let the bag get too full or heavy. Maybe once or twice a day, depending on use, I’d carefully lift the inner bag out, tie it up super tight, and then tie up the outer bag too. Super important: This went straight into the main outdoor trash bin. Absolutely, positively DO NOT FLUSH cat litter, especially the clumping kind. You’ll wreck your pipes even worse!
Final Thoughts
Look, was it ideal? Heck no. Was it glamorous? Absolutely not. But as a temporary, emergency fix when the toilet was completely out of action? It actually saved the day. It kept things contained and managed the smell until the plumber finally showed up.
So, yeah. I used cat litter as a temporary toilet. It was a weird weekend project I didn’t ask for, but it worked in a pinch. Definitely wouldn’t recommend it for fun, but if you’re ever truly stuck, it’s an option to keep in the back of your mind. Just remember the bags and absolutely no flushing!
