Colonic Irrigation Board

I realize that colonic irrigation is still a bit controversial, and not everyone is ready to accept information on the subject. But I personally have found it helpful, as have other people I know, so this is offered for those who have an interest. The target audience, put humorously, would be health nuts with carpentry skills. Colonic cleansing boards and kits are available commercially of course, but for those who have the skillz, DIY is an option.

First let me say that I am not a medical professional. The information offered here is not medical advice; it is provided in the hope, but without the guarantee, that it may be useful. Your mileage, as they say in the automobile commercials, may vary. You are encouraged to take responsibility for your own well-being. Do do due diligence, but beware of “doo doo”. Worthy research on the subject should turn up quite an array of beliefs, benefits, truths, half-truths, and lies (that's the doo doo). You can decide what is right for you.

As you may know, health and personal hygiene practices have been, are, and will probably continue to be subject to the vagaries of human opinion. Take bathing, for example. During the time of the Roman Empire bathing was popular, and most Romans took a daily bath. But during the Middle Ages, in Western culture at least, bathing was discouraged. The face, ears, neck might be washed, as could hands and feet, but bathing the entire body was considered rude, unnecessary, and dangerous. Quite a far cry from those health-conscious Romans! Side note: I read that Indiana still has a law prohibiting bathing during the winter. As I am writing this in February, 2011, I am pretty sure that I have some friends who broke this law, today.

Around the time of the Renaissance the pendulum of opinion started to swing back the other way. By the mid 17th century, prosperous Western people were taking a full bath once a year, whether they needed it or not. Guess what? They always did. Side note: I read that Kentucky still has a law that requires Kentuckians to take at least one bath a year, minimum. I don't know anyone who is breaking this law.

In the 1800s, germ theory became widely accepted, and people were encouraged, in the interests of health, to bathe more. By now most of us take a bath or shower more or less daily. So currently the idea of an external bath is pretty well accepted. The idea of an internal bath, though, is not so popular. In fact some folks consider an internal bath rude, unnecessary, and even dangerous. Sound familiar?

Nevertheless down through the ages, certain people have practiced, and even advocated, colon cleansing. Here are some of the better-known: Cleopatra, famed Egyptian queen; Dr. Harvey Kellogg, developer of Kellogg's Corn Flakes; film star Mae West; John Lennon; Madame Chiang Kai Shek; Princess Diana; and Janet Jackson. Madame Chiang lived to be 105, so she must have been doing a lot of things right. Regular colon cleansing was one of them.

So what follows is one version for the design, construction, and directions for use of a colonic irrigation kit. I look forward to seeing others' suggestions and improvements.

Step 1 List of Materials & Tools

Lists are in descending order of necessity and usefulness. That is, the higher an item is in its list, the more necessary it is. Roughly speaking of course. The PDF contains a full scale template for the butt blocks, plus some other diagrams.

Materials:

Wood

board or water-resistant plywood: 1 ea. ¾” x 16” x 46”
butt blocks: 1 ea. 2 x 4 x 1'
legs (optional) 2 ea. 2 x 2 x 3’
leg gusset (optional) plywood 1 ea. 3/16” x 6” x 16”

Buckets

1 ea. 5 gallon (20 liter)
1 ea. 6 quart (6 liter) plastic

Tubing

flexible plastic tubing (silicone tubing is best): 5/16” o.d. x 10’
& tubing fittings of appropriate size:

1 ea. tubing clamp
3 ea. 90° plastic elbows
1 ea. brass T-block
1 ea. barbed connector for brass T-block
1 ea. grommet for elbow entry in splash guard (optional)

Probe

Rigid plastic tubing 1/4” (0.63 cm) o.d. x 9” (23 cm) (If you want more than one probe, allow 9 inches per probe.)

Consumables

Paint (gloss latex, or oil enamel, or lacquer, or shellac, or spray enamel, or basically any paint that is waterproof after it dries)
Glue: epoxy for probe tips
Caulk (for fixed splash guard, if chosen)
Wood filler
Automotive body putty, & catalyst
Super glue, 2 drops
Paper (optional, for tracing curves)
Cardboard (optional, for layout)

Fasteners

Screws (optional, if you choose the fixed splash guard & butt blocks)
1 pair lag studs, washers, nuts, and wing nuts (optional, if you choose removable splash guard and butt blocks)

Miscellaneous Bits

1 pair rubber bumper pads (optional, for toilet bowl standoffs on underside of board)
1 pair folding-leg hardware (for optional folding legs)
1 pair rubber leg tips (for optional folding legs)
1 ea. foam pad (optional; a couple kids’ room floor tiles work well.)

Tools:

Power tools

Drill & bits
Jig saw (formerly called saber saw)
Circular saw
Angle grinder (optional)
Sander (optional)

Hand tools

Measuring tape
Pencil
Fine felt-tip marker
Squeegee
Hammer
Center punch
Chisel
Utility knife
Paint brush and/or roller (unless you use spray paint only)
Pipe cleaner (to remove swarf from probe)
Scissors
Screw driver (required if using screws)
Carpenter's square
Tin snips (maybe)
Chalk or ink line (optional)
Compass (optional)
Flexible curve (optional, for layout)
Calipers (optional, for measuring splash bucket)
Wood rasp(s) (maybe)

Comments

[ZackBlack]

I'm not a "nay sayer" and am a firm believer in alternative healing but:

"Now for the probe(s). In my opinion, the probe should be clean and dry between uses, but sterilization is unnecessary."

sent shivers down my spine!

IF you want to re-use your probes and you want to avoid infection you should mix a sanitizing solution (bleach and water) and sanitize your probe after every use.

Proper cleaning should be: soap and water, clean water rinse, soak in sanitizing solution, clean water rinse then hung up to dry.

Your best bet is to make up a bunch of probes and dispose of each one after every use like the professional clinics do.

Oh and PS: NEVER use a probe that has been used by somebody else (cleaned or not)!

[milesfromneihu]

Hi, Zackback,

Thanks for your comment.

My opinion is of course based on my own experience. Except for occasional travel, I have always lived in developed countries and enjoyed only limited and non-lethal exposure to parasites or infections. My level of probe practice (too relaxed by your standards) might not be appropriate everywhere, but for the dozens of colonics I have been party to, I have seen only good effects.

I do not know your circumstances; your level of aseptic practice (which looks like overkill to me) may be a perfect fit. But even if you are overzealous, I would much rather that you be over- than under-. Better to err in the direction of too clean.

You have made me think, Zackback. If problems ever do arise in our use of colonics, I will certainly hasten to make amends!

[kjvzinger]

This is the first time I saw this, great. I built my own, a little different but it works. I will probably use some of your ideas as I modify mine.

[milesfromneihu]

Thanks for your comment.

Hope the ideas are of use to you.

[shocker187]

I think its great that you put this instructable up....there is so little alternative info on the actual business end of this subject, it all seems to be " pay us a lot of money and we will take care of it". Obviously one would need to do a bunch of research and get advice from a health professional on personal needs but ( couldnt avoid using the word,sorry!) this area of body maintainance would be a lot more commonly practiced if people were able to do it in the comfort and privacy of their home.
So....thanks for the post !

[milesfromneihu]

Thanks for your comment!

A few decades back on my wife's birthday, I paid for professional colonics for her and me at a clinic in Indiana. Some years later, a friend of a friend had a colonic board that he wanted to sell, and I bought it.

With the exception of the clinic experience, all my instruction and advice on the subject has come from reading. Which gives access to a treasure trove of expertise, if one has the gumption to put it to use.

[milesfromneihu]

I thought this instructable was going to collect a lot of comments, flames, trolling etc., cause I know there are people who disagree with colonics. But no. All quiet on the comment front.

Current log says the instructable has been viewed 290 times. There's gotta be a few who are actually building and using these things, right? Quietly?

Hope so. I've made several, for family and friends, and we have all found them to be a big help. The human body is designed for a) more, and more varied, exercise than most of us get, and b) more fiber intake than most of us get.

We find that colonics help make up for some of the shortcomings of the modern lifestyle.