As promised, here is an update on what it was like to do our first cleaning of our Nature’s Head upstairs compost toilet.

We were surprised and pleased. It was easy, clean, odorless, and entirely as promised.  It took about five minutes.

We cleaned both the urine container and the bowel waste tub; this was the third cleaning of the urine container and the first of the second container, the tub.

The urine was simple. A urine container pulls out quickly, and we have some appliance cleanser and vinegar to clean it out and let it sit for 10 minutes. There were no molds or odors.

First, we prepared the coco-compressed brick for absorption into a bucket and put five cups of water into it. We also fluffed it up a couple of times. The bucket soaked for 12 hours and was then firm and ready for the toilet.

Secondly, we lifted two latches from the sides of the toilet, pulled the top off, and laid it alongside the bathroom.  If there were ever to be an odor, it would be then. But again, no odor. And there is no need to clean the waste container.

Two latches opened the solid waste container, making it simple to pull out and off. It was simple and without a problem, or smell. We’ve never had to call the company to answer a single question. We carefully read the brochure (Maria did.)

We opened a heavy-duty garbage bag. I held the back over the container, and Maria picked it up to pour the containers into the bag. It took about five seconds.

The waste matter slid and quickly – no mess, no smell. We took some toilet paper and cleaned the top, just to be anal, although there was no waste to clean.

I was expecting a smelly and messy procedure. It was neither; as I said, there was no odor, waste, water, or spill. The waste slid easily out of the tub and into the bag, which I sealed in seconds. We are not supposed to wash the waste container so that bacteria can grow.

The toilet is attached to a plastic ventilation tube, which feeds into the outside of the house. You can’t see or hear it.

No part of this was heavy or complicated.  It took less than a minute to take the container and tub out and less than a minute to put them back. No screwing or hammering is necessary.

I was startled to see that the coco-coir had absorbed all of the waste but a couple of small pieces of toilet paper ( we use the thinnest kind, as recommended). I bought it on Amazon.) We put the top back on – it took a second – and replaced the urine and solid waste buckets.

When the urine bucket is two-thirds high, we emptied, cleaned, and replaced it. I was wary of it the first few times, not at all now.

We put some clean fish tank pebbles into the urine container and shook them with some cleanser to ensure no mold grows. We only need to replace the waste bucket in April. We brought the garbage to the compost tower in the backyard.

The contents slid out cleanly and again, without odor. The garbage bag, waste bag, and urine container were the only two things we had to bring downstairs to clean or take outside.

The waste is, as advertised, totally absorbed except for small pieces of toilet paper.

I timed this procedure. We do our homework and read the instructions to refresh ourselves, and the process takes about seven to ten minutes—two more minutes to take it outside and dump it.

The toilet was clean when we started and clean when we finished. There was no hard part. For someone like me, this is amazing. It’s a Steve Jobs thing; the company thought of the user, not just their profit. I told Maria it was simpler than running a dishwasher.

I am thoroughly pleased with this toilet; I consider it better and easier to use than our standard house toilet, which is way better for the environment. We no longer have to go down the stairs to get to the bathroom at night or in the middle of the night.

This is also big news for people who don’t want to risk falling down the stairs at night or make their kids or aging parents do it.