Tip Tap- The Simple Garden Handwashing Station

This past MLK Day, a National Day of Service, I had the opportunity to join my fellow FoodCorps Service Member, Caroline, in Warren County for a day of garden rejuvenation at Warren County High School. My task was to lead a group of high schoolers in building a hand washing station using all free or recycled materials. Luckily, with the aid of instructions from sendacow.org, we were able to create a working hand washing station in an area of the garden without access to water.

Now, these "tip-taps"are used by some African villages to reduce disease risk after working in gardens or with livestock, and are a convenient and easy device to construct in places where plumbing is not an option. Using bamboo, a gallon jug, some twine, a pencil, a mesh baggie, and bar soap, your garden can feature a really fantastic tool for teaching garden hygiene, and some cultural appreciation!

More complete instructions can be found on Send A Cow's website, but basically you construct a lever that tilts the jug downward, creating a steady stream of water through a small hold in the handle. The neat thing is that it is controlled by a foot pedal (small bamboo stick), leaving both of your hands free to wash with soap and water. To lessen the chance of a muddy pool of water below, dig the soil down a few inches and add gravel or stones for drainage.

Have students be creative in their design, but it may take a few tries to get the physics right!