Comal ISD superintendent Andrew Kim and his leadership team issued a district-wide challenge Friday to collect donations for flood buckets to be distributed to those affected by flooding from Hurricane Harvey.

Kim credited Smithson Valley High School teacher Peggy Blair and Bill Brown Elementary teacher Jenny Marshall with proposing the idea.

“The idea is to collect cleaning supplies and assemble them in a bucket to be distributed to families who will need them as they start the recovery process,” Kim wrote in an email to Comal ISD staff. “The buckets can also go to volunteers who are assisting with cleanup in the damaged areas.  I think this would be an immediate help and support.”

Smithson Valley High School will collect donations in the library starting Tuesday. Below is a list of items that are needed for the buckets. Sizes and items are specific because they must fit inside a resealable bucket for shipment.

Flood Bucket/Cleaning Kit Materials

• 5-gallon bucket with resealable lid
  • Buckets from fast-food restaurants or bakeries can be used if washed and cleaned
  • Do not use buckets that have stored chemicals such as paint or pool cleaner
  • Advertisements on the outside are acceptable
• Liquid laundry detergent
  • One 50-oz. or two 25-oz. bottle(s) only
• Liquid household cleaner
  • 12‐16 oz. liquid cleaner that can be mixed with water
  • No spray cleaners
• Dish soap
  • 16‐28 oz. bottle any brand
• 1 can air freshener
  • Aerosol or pump
• 1 insect repellant spray
  • 6‐14 oz. aerosol or spray pump with protective cover
• 1 scrub brush
  • Plastic or wooden handle
• 18 cleaning wipes
  • Handi Wipes or reusable wipes
  • No terry cleaning towels
  • Remove from packaging
• 7 sponges
  • No cellulose sponges due to mold issues
  • Remove from wrapper
• 5 scouring pads
  • Remove from wrapper
  • No stainless steel, Brillo pads, or SOS pads (nothing with soap built in)
• 50 clothespins
• Clothesline
  • One 100-ft. or two 50-ft. lines
  • Cotton or plastic
• 24-roll heavy-duty trash bags
  • 33‐ to 45-gallon sizes
  • Remove from the box
• 5 dust masks
• 2 pairs kitchen dishwashing gloves
  • Should be durable enough for multiple uses
  • Remove from packaging
• 1 pair work gloves
  • Cotton with leather palm or all leather

Assembly Directions

Place all liquid items in the bucket first. Place remaining items in the bucket, fitting them around and between the liquid items. Sponges, scouring pads, clothespins, and trash bags can be separated in order to fit all of the items in the bucket. Ensure the lid is closed securely.

Important Notes

• All items must be new except for the actual bucket and lid.
• All cleaning agents must be liquid and in plastic containers. No powders, please.
• If you cannot find the requested size of a liquid item, use a smaller size. Including larger sizes of any item will prevent the lid from sealing.
• If all of the items on the list are not included, please put a label on the bucket indicating what has been omitted.
• Cleaning kits are only used within the United States. They are not opened to verify the contents unless there is indication that some items have been omitted.

(List from United Methodist Committee on Relief)