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| Hi. I joined this site because the archives revealed that there are people on here using urine in their compost piles. I have used it for several years and it works well at breaking down sawdust and speeding up the compost process by providing moisture and nitrogen. Plus, it lowers the water bill by cutting down on toilet flushes.
Collecting it in the summer, when the windows are raised and the fans are blowing, isn't a problem. In the winter, things get pretty smelly. My collection container is a plastic jug with a screw on cap. It gets rinsed after each deposit to the compost pile. It isn't completely airtight, but 99% of the odor is released when new deposits are made. P-U! I considered a sawdust/composting toilet, but even if it would work at eliminating foul odors, it isn't practical right now. Can something be put in the jug of liquid gold to deodorize it without hurting the compost pile? There is bound to be a simple, economical solution. How do you all keep it from making your home smell funky? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by borderbarb (My Page) on Sun, Oct 2, 11 at 16:27
| Either empty the container more often than you have been, or don't save it in the winter. You don't have to flush after every urination. |
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- Posted by rosiew 8 GA (rosemarywalsh@bellsouth.net) on Sun, Oct 2, 11 at 16:32
| I use a 16 oz. cup then pour it into the container. If you're a guy and pee directly into your plastic jug the force of the urine stirs up all the older urine - hence the smell. I just rinse the cup with a small amount of water and place it back under the sink. I also decant my containers, which are I think 46 oz. juice bottles into gallon jugs I store in the garage. Add those to the compost when I get 2 or 3 gallons. Scarcely notice the odor when I pour it outside. I have sprayed a couple of squirts in the bathroom jugs with Febreze. That cuts the odor. Cheap too. Glad you've come to this forum. So many great members who know a bunch. I learn a lot. HTH, Rosie |
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- Posted by belgianpup Wa/Zone 7b (My Page) on Mon, Oct 3, 11 at 1:44
| Bacteria change the nitrogen in urine to ammonia fairly quickly. Just like dirty diapers, you really don't want to keep it around very long. 'Aging' it doesn't help anything, it just increases the stink. The basic composting bucket is just a 5-gallon bucket, a clip-on seat/lid, and some sawdust. For a guy, you can skip the seat. It's no big deal, but it REALLY DOES keep the odor down. In fact, you probably won't smell it at all. If you just use the sawdust bucket as a urinal and flush the solid waste, you can just empty the wet sawdust into the compost pile. Keep it near the center. Try it, it's works better than you think. Sue |
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| Urine can smell because it's high in nitrogen. If you mix it with something that is high in carbon, such as sawdust or shredded paper, you can counter this. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Mon, Oct 3, 11 at 10:50
| Ditto on Belgianpup's suggestion - the sawdust bucket. |
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| if you pee on sawdust, aren't you just adding more volume to your pile but not doing anything to effect the piles current c:h ratio? I want the nitrogen to counter the excess carbon already in my pile (lots of chopped leaves). |
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| "if you pee on sawdust, aren't you just adding more volume to your pile but not doing anything to effect the piles current c:h ratio? I want the nitrogen to counter the excess carbon already in my pile (lots of chopped leaves)." Then pee directly on the pile. Or collect it in a bucket and pour. Your situation is very different from the one the OP has. Other than your post and this one, all the responses address the problem faced by the OP. Since your situation is so different, if you have a question about it, I would suggest creating a new thread. |
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| After years of comprehensive study I have discovered that the quantity of urine applied to my pile is directly related to the amount of beer consumed whilst watching the game on my back deck------amazing !!! ....and i prefer the direct application method...after dark !!! Robin Egg skies and 75 and sunny today ----Yeehawww Ya'll--------JB |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Wed, Oct 5, 11 at 10:27
| Same weather here but I'm sitting in an office...not working very hard either. Rather be outside watering the pile. :-D |
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- Posted by belgianpup Wa/Zone 7b (My Page) on Wed, Oct 5, 11 at 20:31
| Scotty66 said: "if you pee on sawdust, aren't you just adding more volume to your pile but not doing anything to effect the piles current c:h ratio? I want the nitrogen to counter the excess carbon already in my pile (lots of chopped leaves)." When you're adding urine to sawdust or leaves, that is exactly what you're doing: adding nitrogen to the carbon to help break it down. Plus you're adding quite a few minerals. If you don't have/want to buy sawdust for a urine bucket, you can use chopped leaves instead, with the same effect. Sue |
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- Posted by nancybeetoo wOR USDAz8 (My Page) on Mon, Nov 14, 11 at 1:22
| Add a good splash of vinegar to the jug. No more pee smell! |
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- Posted by bayoufilter 9a HouTX (My Page) on Thu, Nov 17, 11 at 16:37
| Container? What container?!? LOL "Don't worry, Pee Happy" |
Here is a link that might be useful: Catfish Is My Farmhands
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| anytime I see a post or thread about Peeing on the compost pile, I wonder if anybody got summonsed for indecent exposure :0 |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Mon, Nov 21, 11 at 17:44
| Oh no, we're very clever. To my knowledge there has not been a documented Fail of that magnitude in this group. |
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