Toothpaste,laundry and mouthwash in the woods.(urine)

I was just sitting here wondering if you could gargle your urine as a mouthwash since it is sterile.
It seemed to be plausible and with a bit of searching I found this...I am not the only one who thought about it.

It turns out that the Romans used to use urine as a laundry detergent,a toothpaste and a mouthwash.

Soap was not used as a detergent until several centuries later; however, the cleaners who were tasked with doing laundry discovered urine contained a natural cleaning agent – ammonia. Turns out, urine can actually make your whites whiter and colors brighter, as a result of the natural whitening agent (ammonia). Give it to the ancient Romans to discover this that many years ago. Read more: seriousfacts.com...

seriousfacts.com...

I hate to admit it but I would be willing to try it...cleanliness is next to godliness after all right?
Normally I would use some spruce or some pine to crudely brush when needed...if you find any mint,its a great chaser.

Anyone with hygiene tips in the wilderness....throw the knowledge into this thread as all is welcome.
Any knowledge is good knowledge.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


parsley is a natural breath freshener.... not just for garnishing your dinner plate.

reply to post by 12m8keall2c


No wonder its a garnish??
Hmmmm...interesting.

Urine could be used as an anti-septic, but only if used immediately after leaving the body, as it is only sterile then.

For use as a cleaning agent, to do laundry etc. you would have to leave the urine for a few days or so, in order for it to turn into ammonia.

It's the Urea in the Urine, that undergoes a chemical change that turns it into ammonia after a while...it stinks, but we used to use it in the Army for softening up new leather boots to avoid rubbing and blisters etc. (Pee in boots, leave for a day or two, rinse thoroughly)

reply to post by DrumsRfun


I don't know about urine, but hardwood ashes mixed with water can be used as a toothpaste and cleaner, it can also be filtered and used as a detergent(or unfiltered with probably some ash residue left over).

reply to post by DrumsRfun


Look, you're out in the woods attempting to survive is a hostile environment, right? After your BOB is turned upside down for what few crumbs it may harbor, you will be turning over rotten logs looking for protein on six legs or wiggly tubes things. You love life is in pretty miserable shape at that time and gargling with urine isn't going to help much. plus, your face is going to be dirty and fuzz and you hair sorta is tangled and oily anyway. Your tooth paste you will have eaten the second day after your food ran out. And pissin' on your clothes before you throw them into the creek to beat them on a rock? Naw. You'll just jump in with them on merely to get the surface mud off. (Note for your BOB: Pack no whites.)

For long term needs.

How to make soap from ashes.

Urine mixed with animals brains can also be useful for tanning, but beware the myth that you can drink it without distilling it.

Urinating on your feet can help prevent fungal infections.

Teeth cleaning can be done with just a wad of green grass. Anything with chlorophyll will help.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


This is gross and nobody is urinating in my laundry.We won't
discuss the mouthwash at all! I will make sure that I have plenty
of real mouthwash,toothpaste and soap.

reply to post by mamabeth


I knew i would get a reply like this and thats fine.
The gross factor in survival sometimes needs to be dealt with.

If you look at the good qualities of urine (like a good athletes foot remedy as mentioned above by Blaine) there are things you can get out of something as simple as your pee.

mamabeth
reply to post by DrumsRfun

 

This is gross and nobody is urinating in my laundry.We won't
discuss the mouthwash at all! I will make sure that I have plenty
of real mouthwash,toothpaste and soap.

ALL of which are understandable 'reactions' prior to 'LIVE' event type scenario..... where stores are still open and monies are available to purchase or store such items.

BUT I think Drums is referring to When, Once there are no longer stored reserves available, ONCE you can't simply 'run to the corner store'. ONCE you're totally and Completely reliant upon your survival 'skills' to subsist.

THAT IS when ALL bets are off and you simply do what you have to to survive.

What happens when a bunch of marauders happen upon your 'homestead' and pilfer/steal ALL your stockpiles?

ATTITUDES about WHAT'S 'GROSS' WILL change rather quickly and DRAMATICALLY. IMHO



????

I had heard it can be used as an antiseptic - and can kill fungus. He closest I've gotten to doing the natural hygiene thing is using mud as a body scrub (or sand). It does a great job of cleaning and softening the skin if out in the wild. As far as toothpaste goes - what would you use as a toothbrush if you didn't have one of those? I would think brushing with even plain water and somehow flossing would be adequate.

reply to post by Blaine91555


Yep, if you pee on your feet it can slowly get rid of athlete's foot. I believe Madona brought this up in an interview way, way back and people made a big deal about it.

Having a foot infection out in the backwoods isn't any fun. Actually, having any kind of fungal infection in the wilderness isn't any fun.

reply to post by Dianec


I go for spruce or pine needles for the brush part.

Dianec
As far as toothpaste goes - what would you use as a toothbrush if you didn't have one of those? I would think brushing with even plain water and somehow flossing would be adequate.

Apples do a pretty good job of that, if you can find them. acidity, firm, fibrous texture, etc. just eating an apple stimulates the gums and whatnot.

otherwise.... any number of small twigs and the like can be chewed on to seperate the wood pulp into string,brush'like 'bristles'

baking soda is great too


even just your finger can do a fairly decent job, as well

reply to post by MystikMushroom


Feet first is my motto,nobody wants to get trench foot in any scenario.
When i get to where i am going in the woods....step one fire,step 2 get out of my boots and air my feet and let any sweat dry off.
Clean and dry feet are WAY more important than people realize.
Peeing on your feet is better than nothing.

Household goods aren't an alternative when you're in the bush, I'm sure. So baking soda, parsley, etc.. Unless you happen to go wild in Jamie Olivers house. lol

But I wish I could go back in time now.. "No mum, I didn't wet the bet. I was doing the laundry!!" ahha I'd still get the belt tho.

How do other animals retain their pearly whites? Nature provides it somehow, it's not something I've considered before. But I've never seen an ape with rotten teeth. Well I've never really seen an ape in person. Maybe it's all hollywood on the telly.

This is another thing that tells me we're not of this world. even our teeth fall out if we don't have technology to fix them, or we gotta pee in our gobs.. :/

reply to post by Blaine91555

but beware the myth that you can drink it without distilling it.

You can drink it without distilling it Blaine.

The advice is to take urine from the mid-stream, not just piss into a cup and drink (as infections like yeast, bladder parasites etc will be washed down the urethra and end up in the cup) If you wait until mid-stream, the urine is sterile and safe to drink.

Urine therapy (or drinking ones own urine) is something that is centuries old in all sorts of places around the world.

Many famous people practice it daily and swear by it as some sort of energy giving, miraculous health kick...but in a shtf situation, it will also keep you alive into the bargain.

Not tried it myself...all the time water is coming from the taps and available in bottles, i doubt i will be either...but in a shtf?

Sure i would.
 

reply to post by sn0rch

How do other animals retain their pearly whites?

They tend to avoid coffee, tea and processed sugars and won't touch red wine i'm told.

I think I'll pass on urine entirely...and it's not the yucky factor. That could be gotten past. However, like solid human waste, there is something about urine which is repulsive and objectionable on a visceral and instinctual level. I trust those little things...and I know it's too blown for Ph to be carrying much in the way of disease, it's still the very bottom of what the body considered waste even it couldn't find some use for. Given the situation one would already be in? The body would be expelling the worst, I'd think.

Hmmm... I imagine it something like the cannibals they discovered suffering a unique brain disease that came specifically from eating humans.

Blaine91555
Urinating on your feet can help prevent fungal infections.

Helps prevent trench foot