Can anyone tell me if using greywater from the washer, containing fabric softner would be harmful to edible plants? Is there a particular type of detergent that is safer to use than others? Thinking of using it to water some of the plantings, if not the edibles, then some of our trees, etc. Our washer is located in the center of the house though, and no easy way to plumb it to the outside. Assuming we can work out that problem, I wondered of it would be safe to use the water with softner in it? Thanks for any input you can provide. Jan

-- Jan Bullock (Janice12@aol.com), February 08, 2000

Answers

Hi Jan, the drought we experienced this summer forced me to use the 'greywater' to keep the trees and flowers alive. With no adverse affects. I diverted the washing machine drain, from the drywell, into a 50 gal. plastic trash can, and watered the plants by hand out of the can. The can often overflowed, and the bleach and softener were so diluted it didn't seem to matter. I didn't use this water on edibles. Try it.

-- Kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), February 08, 2000.

Have you ever considered the laundry discs? I finally purchased a couple last October and now would never use detergent again. I paid $40.00 and they are supposed to last 500 loads. The more I use them the softer the clothes get...no need for fabric softener. You can use borax (borateem) or chlorox on real dirty clothes but even our yucky barn clothes come out clean. I think Lehmans sells them or Seventh Generation or contact me via e-mail for a friend who sells them. I believe there is an older posting on this forum on laundry discs.

-- Kate Henderson (sheeplady@catskill.net), February 08, 2000.

All of our graywater goes to the fruit trees. I have never seen any detrimental effects from it.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), February 09, 2000.

Hmmm. Thanks for the input. I had seen the ads for the laundry disks, and then saw (I think in Consumer Reports) a report that they didn't work, so I filed it away as a non possiblity. Now folks who actually use them are saying they DO work, so I just might get some. Will have to get the husband person to do some re-plumbing in order to be able to use the water, as there is no room in the laundry area to put a can/container to catch the water, and I sure don't want to lug it from the basement. Thought about putting a faucet on a 55 gallon barrel and hooking a hose up to it to water some of the nearer trees, if I can get the plumbing part worked out. Thanks for your input, I will definitely go ahead and use the water one way or another. Jan

-- Jan Bullock (Janice12@aol.com), February 10, 2000.