Soap prevents more illness than most gadgets. Store it as deliberately as you store beans.
Soap, not scent
Bars of soap last, work in cold water, and do not rely on a pump. Keep a stock for hands, bodies, and dishes. Hand sanitiser is a backup when water is scarce, not a replacement for washing when hands are dirty. Log soap and sanitiser under Hygiene with a yearly look-over; bottles leak and bars wander.
Toothpaste, brushes, and a spare pair of glasses are morale and health together. Feminine supplies, nappies, and incontinence products are not optional extras. Buy what that person uses, in the quantity a month of disruption would need, and rotate them into normal life so they do not perish unused.
Washing without the mains
A bucket, a jug, and a cloth will wash a person and a plate. Heat a kettle of treated water if you can. Wash hands before food and after the toilet even when it feels theatrical. Designate one cloth for dishes and one for the floor.
Bleach (plain, unscented) has a shelf life of months, not decades. It disinfects surfaces and, used exactly as official guidance says, can treat water. Keep it away from children, labelled, and separate from food. Do not mix it with anything else.
Rubbish and smell
Bin liners, a lidded bucket, and a plan for where full bags go matter as soon as collections stop. Tie food waste tightly. Flies are a health problem, not a nuisance. Store liners with the sanitation kit and count them; a “few rolls” is not a number.
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