Laundry Detergent and Gardening
Subject: laundry detergent and gardening
Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2001
From: Art Ludwig
Jane writes regarding using greywater for her ornamental
garden in Los Angeles, Calif.:
> I am planning to recycle the water from a garage washing
> machine to an ornamental shade garden about 20 feet away.
> There will be no other greywater involved. Do I need to
> take special steps to filter out the detergent and other
> gunk in the water? I have stopped using biodegradable
> detergent because I find it doesn't clean as well, but I
> am open to any product info as well. Thanks for your
> wonderful site, I've learned a lot in just an hour.
Jane,
There is some tradeoff between cleaning power and
plant/soil biocompatibility. There isn't any practical
way to get the detergent out. You might try Oasis or Bio
Pac detergent, used in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide
bleach.
Yours,
Art
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