Day to day, a Nature's Head comes down to four habits: keep the medium damp but not wet, keep urine out of the solids bin, empty the liquids bottle before it's full, and empty the solids when the handle gets stiff. How often depends on how many people use it and how often. This guide puts Nature's Head's own figures for full-timers and weekenders side by side, then walks through the emptying routine step by step.
Choosing a composting medium
Nature's Head's manual names three options:
- Nature's Head coco coir bag (hydrated). Ready to use with no soaking. Nature's Head describes the 9-liter bag as the correct amount for the toilet. We list the 9L bag and the 35L bag.
- Coconut coir brick (dehydrated). Compact for storage, but it needs soaking in water for up to 12 hours, then breaking apart. Brick sizes vary, so you may need more than one small brick to reach the right level.
- Sphagnum peat moss. Nature's Head calls it the most commonly used medium. It must be organic with no additives. Nature's Head says not to use Miracle-Gro peat moss, because its fertilizer can cause odor. Store peat in a sealed container to keep pests out and stop it drying.
Whichever you use, it should be damp and crumbly, never wet or soupy. Squeeze a handful: no water should drip out. If it's dry, add a little water.
How much to put in
Fill to the level of the agitator bar when the bar is horizontal, or just cover it. Nature's Head puts that at about 3 gallons in the standard toilet and about 2 gallons in the Weekender. One-gallon zip bags are its suggested cheap way to store pre-measured fills.
Don't add medium after each use. Nature's Head says extra medium fills the bin and shortens the time between emptying. The level usually doesn't rise much with use.
How often to empty: Nature's Head's figures
| Use | Standard: solids | Standard: 2.2-gal bottle | Weekender: solids | Weekender: 1.75-gal bottle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people, full-time | About every 3 weeks | Every 3–4 days | About every 1–2 weeks | Every 1–2 days |
| 2 people, weekends only | 2 months or more | Not given; empty at three-quarters full | 2 months or more | Not given; empty at three-quarters full |
| More than 2 people | Before 3 weeks | More often | Before 2 weeks | More often |
Source: Nature's Head user guides for the standard toilet and the Weekender. For a capacity figure, the standard's product page says about 60–80 solid uses per emptying, depending on the medium and conditions. A couple of days without use stretches any of these intervals.
The reliable signal: Nature's Head's FAQ says it's time to empty when the agitator handle gets hard to turn. At that point there's more waste than medium in the bin.
The daily routine
- Sit for every use. Seated use sends liquids and solids to the right places with the trap door open or closed. For a bowel movement the trap door must be open. If anyone stands to urinate, the trap door must stay closed.
- After solids, turn the agitator slowly. Two to three revolutions mixes the waste into the medium.
- Spray after each use. A 1:1 white vinegar and water mix down the urine holes at the front of the bowl stops buildup in the urine drain.
- Toilet paper: any kind works, and Nature's Head says single-ply breaks down faster. More paper in the bin means emptying sooner. Some owners bin paper instead. Wipes, diapers and tampons should not go in the solids bin.
Nature's Head's FAQ tip: if solids and urine tend to arrive together, put a coffee filter on the closed trap door first. Urine flows around it, and the filter and solids drop in when you open the door.
Emptying the liquids bottle
- Release the latches on both front sides.
- Raise the bowl to about 45°, put the cap on the bottle and lift it out.
- Empty it into a toilet or other appropriate facility.
- Rinse with water and vinegar, or water and dish soap.
Don't leave urine in the bottle for long stretches; Nature's Head says it smells worse over time and can stain the bottle. For a stubborn smell, add a few ounces of white vinegar or a few drops of dish soap. A spare 2.2-gallon liquids bottle (standard size) lets you swap and empty later. A spare cap and a bottle handle are sold separately.
Emptying the solids bin
- Remove the liquids bottle as above.
- Lift the bowl a few inches and slide it 2 inches to the left to free the slip hinge. You may need to unhook the vent hose and power cable.
- Remove the two mounting knobs at the base.
- Stretch a 13-gallon kitchen bag over the opening of the base (the bag doesn't go inside), invert the base and empty it into the bag.
- Don't scrub the inside. Leftover material restarts the composting. Add fresh medium and reassemble.
For full-timers, Nature's Head advises waiting 6 to 8 hours after the last use and wearing gloves, since the newest waste won't have broken down. An extra base with lid (also with a Foot Spider handle) lets you swap bases and set the full one aside, lid on, to keep composting.
Where it can go
Nature's Head's recommended destination is a proper compost bin. While traveling, its manual says the contents may go in a conventional dumpster. It says compost from the toilet shouldn't go on edible plants, and to check with your local municipality on disposal.
Full-timers vs weekenders
Full-time
- Expect the bottle every few days on the standard, and more often on the Weekender. That's the main reason full-timers look at the urine diverter models.
- Keep the fan running all the time. In humid conditions Nature's Head stresses continuous running, because wet compost leads to odor.
- Keep two fills of medium on board, plus a spare fuse. If the fan stops, airflow stops.
Weekends and seasonal use
- Empty the bottle at the end of each trip.
- If the toilet will sit for a week or more, unplug the fan so the medium doesn't dry hard. If the medium is dry when you return, add water and turn the handle once it's soaked in.
- Nature's Head's diverter instructions suggest pouring a cup of water (or water with vinegar or a urine digester) into the urine hole when the toilet isn't in regular use, to flush residual urine.
Cold weather
Nature's Head says the toilet keeps working in the cold, because short-term the fan and medium are drying the solids. Composting is different: it doesn't happen below about 55°F and goes dormant at freezing. If the medium freezes, don't force the handle. Empty the urine bottle before freezing weather, because frozen urine can crack it. For a toilet left in sub-zero temperatures, Nature's Head suggests emptying both and starting fresh.
Cleaning: what to use and avoid
Use: 1:1 vinegar and water, Simple Green, Dawn dish soap, and Lemi Shine for buildup in the urine drain or bottle.
Avoid: bleach or anything containing it, abrasive cleaners and pads, toilet brushes, magic erasers and toilet bowl cleaners. Nature's Head says these harm composting or the toilet's finish.
Clean the filters on each side of the base about once a year. Each is held by two Phillips screws. When you put them back, make sure the fan still blows out. See our parts guide for filters and fans.
Troubleshooting from Nature's Head's guide
- Compost too wet: Nature's Head's manual says urine getting into the solids bin is the usual cause. Check that users sit, and keep the urine holes clean. Add a little dry medium.
- A sewage smell that persists: Nature's Head's manual asks you to contact Nature's Head for a consultation.
- Too dry, handle stiff: add water and turn once it's absorbed. Nature's Head notes used coffee grounds add moisture and keep the mix loose.
- Fruit flies or gnats: not normal, but possible with any composting toilet. Nature's Head names Ortho Home Defense with Essential Oils or Wondercide.
FAQ
How long does a Nature's Head go between emptying?
For two full-time users, Nature's Head estimates about 3 weeks on the standard and 1 to 2 weeks on the Weekender, and 2 months or more for two weekend users. Empty when the handle gets hard to turn.
Coco coir or peat moss?
Both work. Nature's Head says peat must be organic sphagnum with no additives. Its hydrated coir bags need no soaking, while coir bricks need up to 12 hours in water.
How often do you empty the urine bottle?
For two full-time users, every 3 to 4 days on the standard (2.2 gallons) and every 1 to 2 days on the Weekender (1.75 gallons). Empty it at three-quarters full.
Does it smell?
Nature's Head says a correctly working toilet has a slight earthy smell. Odor usually means urine in the solids or wet compost.
Restock coir and spares in our Nature's Head collection.