Add a Shower to Your Toilet

Have I got your attention? It's not what you're thinking - and if you have kids in diapers you may wonder why you didn't do this sooner!

Disposable diapers are very hard on the environment. That's why my wife and I use cloth diapers. Instead of sending pounds and pounds of soiled diapers to the dump every week, we simply wash the diapers in the washing machine. However, you can't just dump the dirty diaper directly into the machine! That would be... truly nasty. You have to clean off the majority of the solid waste before it goes into the laundry. Sure, you could use paper towels or wipes or something to get the chunks off, but that's a waste of resources and it takes too long and it's smelly and gross.

So why not spray it off -- directly into the toilet? Commercial units that do the same thing cost $40-$60, but you can make one for $30 or less if you have the parts lying around.

EDIT: Instructables member Catflavor has alterted me to the fact that some sort of backflow prevention would be a Really Good Idea for this installation. In fact, it may be a legal requirement where you live. In Canada, either a vacuum breaker or an RPZ (Reverse Pressure Zone) valve may be used, and the sprayer will then be completely up to code. Unfortunately, these are somewhat expensive and complicated to install. I'm looking into my options and will report back. In the meantime, if you use this sprayer, I suggest shutting off the water at the valve before releasing the sprayer trigger *just in case.*

AND A PLEA: Please vote for me in the Epilog Contest! Why? Because if I win, I will be donating the laser cutter to the fledgling Maker group starting up in my city. It would go a long way towards our goal of a Maker/Hacker space in Waterloo!

Step 1: Parts and Tools

Wow! If you've made it to the first step you must be a parent, or plan to be.

For those who have never had to change a baby poop, it ranges in texture from a thin paste to a solid lump. Green guacamole poops are the worst. They're all nasty to clean up. What we're going to do is splice a hand-held kitchen sprayer into the water line that feeds the toilet.

The sprayer can be used to wash the larger chunks of poop into the toilet, where they can be flushed away. The diaper can then be put into the wash.

Here are the parts and tools you'll need:

1 T-junction with one male 3/8" compression joint and two female 3/8" compression joints
1 valve with 3/8" compression joints (optional)
1 3/8" compression to 1/4" threaded pipe joint adapter
1 kitchen sprayer wand with a 1/4" connector
1 2" long piece of 3/8" OD plastic tubing
1 stick-on hook (optional)
*** 1 vacuum breaker or RPZ valve
plumber's tape
an adjustable wrench
rags

*** this item was suggested by another Instructables member as a recommended heath & safety device. I am currently attempting to source something that is compatible with this setup.

Step 2: Assembly - Part 1

I had a heck of a time trying to find an adapter than converted a compression fitting to a regular threaded pipe. In the end I had to settle with using a short piece of tubing. If you can rig up the splice using less parts, then do so!

The first few pieces can be put together "on the bench." Take the T junction and remove the nut from both the long and short ends. Set them aside for later. Compression fittings don't need plumber's tape, so screw the valve directly on to the short end of the T junction. Tighten it with a wrench. Make sure that the valve lever is pointing up, as shown.

Take one of the nuts and slide it onto the end of the short piece of tubing. Tighten the nut onto the output of the valve using a wrench.

Remove the nut from the compression fitting to 1/4" adapter, and slide it onto the free end of the tube. Then tighten the nut onto the adapter. You may need to use two wrenches, turned in opposite directions, to properly tighten the nut.

Now it's time to use the plumber's tape. Wrap a few layers onto the free end of the adapter, and screw on the kitchen sprayer hose. My hose actually had another adapter - seal this junction with plumber's tape as well, if there is one.

Finally, screw the sprayer head onto the other end of the sprayer hose.

Step 3: Assembly - Part 2

It's time to move things to the bathroom.

Locate the short piece of flexible hose that carries water from the valve to the toilet. Turn off the valve (turn it fully clockwise), then flush the toilet. This will drain the water in the tank.

With a rag under the valve, unscrew the hose from the valve and allow any remaining water in the hose to drain out.

Grab the splice you created in the previous step, and screw it onto the output of the valve. Make sure it's good and tight. Since this is a compression fitting, you won't need to use plumber's tape. Now screw the hose from the toilet onto the top of the T junction.

That's it! You'll probably want to add a hook somewhere for the sprayer. It help make everything a bit neater, and you won't trip over the hose when you stumble half asleep into the bathroom in the morning.

Step 4: Using the Toilet Sprayer

With everything hooked up, turn on the main valve that comes out of the wall. Check to make sure there aren't any leaks. Now, turn on the valve for the sprayer and again check for leaks. Obviously, if there are any leaks you should track them down and fix them - usually by tightening things up a bit more.

Using the sprayer is pretty straight-forward. Simply hold the poopy diaper inside the toilet bowl and spray it off. Always aim downward, and work from the top to the bottom. You may want to wear gloves, but I don't. I just wash my hands after I'm finished.

When the diaper is rinsed off, plop it in a bucket with all the other rinsed diapers. Flush the poops down the toilet, and rinse off the sprayer head in the sink. Close the valve* for the sprayer each time you're finished using it.

And there you have it! No wiping, no scrubbing and no garbage bins filled with guacamole poop. Once the diapers are washed in the laundry machine, hang them outside to dry on a clothes line. The UV light from the sun helps disinfect them further, and the fresh air makes them smell fresher.

When your kids have outgrown diapers, simply remove the sprayer and donate it to a friend!

UPDATE: My wife has informed me that the sprayer is also great for cleaning out the catch bowl from our daughter's training potty, and for rinsing out the sink after it's been washed.

UPDATE 2: The sprayer came in handy today for rinsing all the little hairs out of the sink after shaving my face. Sweet!

*The valve is technically optional, though I do recommend it. If you have a toddler, they will almost definitely find the hose and try to use it. The valve will hopefully prevent them from filling the bathroom with a foot of water.

Comments

[Thaikarl]

very nice. as others have said, this is what you use in SE Asia - if there is paper, you use it to dry behind after. i also went to the home depot, trying to find a way to get from 3/8 compression toilet tank fittings to the sink sprayer fittings. doesn't exist. which is like odd. i though of just taking the 12$ sink hose to one of those hose fittings companies and have them swedge on the proper fitting on the hose to fit the end of the valve. having a secondary valve on the sprayer is a good thing... not only to prevent someone hosing the room, but if you use it for butt washing, you can reduce the pressure to a comfortable level.

if the plumbing police come to my house and arrest me, i'll just have to pay the fine i guess.

[kittywitty]

you can buy bidet sprayer diaper sprayer with shut off valve on amazon and other retailers, I am actually buying a bidet sprayer to use as a kitchen sprayer. Better quality sprayer (kitchen are all plastic including the hose).

[Spaceman Spiff]

I did this ible and thought I'd post my pics. The setup is a little different, but the concept is the same. I bought all my parts from home depot for $26.00. I have to say this little animal is crucial if you have kiddos in cloth diapers.

[winwin62]

Would you please send us the detail of the parts you used? I couldn't find out from the pictures. Thank you.

[jeff-o]

Nice work! It looks like you found a more efficient way of connecting the hoses together.

[Vladan]

What is the point of adding a COLD shower to the toilet? Most toilets are close enough to the shower/bathtub, so why not just replace the shower head with the hose (for some reason this is a default setup almost anywhere except North America)?

[jeff-o]

It's for washing poop off a cloth diaper, not from your bum. It's more sanitary to wash it into the toilet than into the shower drain (eww!)

[Rich99]

well, i use it for my bum, too, when my roids flare up... feels kinda good and gives me the cleanest a**hole in the state. (no more skid marks.)

[Vladan]

Ahaaa (slap face)! It's a good idea then.

[jeff-o]

Heh, thanks. :)

[Lumpybat]

I did essentially the same set up as you've shown and it works great. I did have a problem with the compression fittings and the tubing. After about a nine months of using it to wash off poops and moving the sprayer all about, one of the compression fittings failed and water came shooting out. Luckily I was right there and could turn off the toilet valve. However, it got me spooked about putting on a fresh length of tubing and new compression fittings. So, instead I made this double female nipple (if I remember right the thread is 3/8-24) which gives me much more piece of mind.

[amiroo0oo]

Hi, Would you please give me some more details about the parts which you used, specifically where did you get the double female nipple, and what are the parts between the nipple and hose.

Thanks

[Lumpybat]

I was able to find everything except for the double female nipple in the plumbing aisle at home depot. Unfortunately the double female nipple was a custom piece I made in our engineering shop. That was 2 years ago, so you might have better luck nowadays. If HD doesn't have it check McMaster or Grainger.

[jeff-o]

Very nice! Your result is much cleaner-looking than mine. If/when I have to redo mine, I'll see if I can find that piece you used.

[Lumpybat]

Thanks, I looked all over the Home Depot plumbing aisle and couldn't find it. Perhaps it could be found online at McMaster, or the like. I ended up making it out of some 3/4 hex stock I found in our engineering lab at work... drilled a through hole and tapped both ends.

[jeff-o]

That might explain why I couldn't find it as I searched the bins for an hour!

[shazni]

I live in Asia...and over here every toilet has a hand shower...well 80% has...the rest who can't afford it have a tap and a bucket in the toilet. We consider using only tissues unclean. Also over here only the left hand is used for such purpose. it's taboo to use the right hand...which is used for eating.

Also to avoid the stains in nappy we fill a bucket of water with detergent add a drop of viniger and let the nappy soak over night (after removing the poop of course). In the morning everything goes to the washing machine....the nappy stays nice and clean.

[rabb72994]

In response to fecal contamination, simply instal a one way valve to eliminate back flow.

[dave.egerton]

Not sure if this has already been mentioned, but I would typically just hold the poopy diaper insert in the toilet water and flush, keeping my hands out of the water, obviously. Zero modification, and it works great!

[jeff-o]

Yep, that could work, though our toilet doesn't really have enough "oomph" to get the really sticky poops off a diaper.