Given the water crisis, can I use soapy water, eg. washing-up water, on my
garden, plants, lawn etc.

Thanks

KK

KK wrote:
Given the water crisis, can I use soapy water, eg. washing-up water, on my
garden, plants, lawn etc.

Thanks

KK

In a word the answer is "Yes". This is what is known as "grey water".
You might want to filter the water through a sieve first though to take
out any large bits of food debris to keep the garden appearance good.
If you don't mind the odd pea or bit of gristle rotting on the garden
though it can act as a bit of mulch!

J.

g'day kk,

yes you can, we use all our kitchen, laundrys and bath water on our
gardens, even ahve a wee bucket to save wasting water in the toilet.

if you make you own liquid detergent it will better than the bought
ones, we have a recipe on our remedies page. my wife as do others
swear by it for hand washing, general purpose cleaner in the laundry
where ever.

at the very least use an earth friendly detergent to wash dishes.

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

Thanks for this - but are 'earth-friendly' washing up liquids available in
Tesco?, and will 'ordinary' detergents do any harm.

I already use a wee bucket, mainly for the compost heap but it saves water
as well

I'm taking a look at your website now

KK

"gardenlen" wrote in message
...
g'day kk,

yes you can, we use all our kitchen, laundrys and bath water on our
gardens, even ahve a wee bucket to save wasting water in the toilet.

if you make you own liquid detergent it will better than the bought
ones, we have a recipe on our remedies page. my wife as do others
swear by it for hand washing, general purpose cleaner in the laundry
where ever.

at the very least use an earth friendly detergent to wash dishes.

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

"KK" wrote in message
...
Thanks for this - but are 'earth-friendly' washing up liquids available in
Tesco?, and will 'ordinary' detergents do any harm.

I already use a wee bucket, mainly for the compost heap but it saves water
as well

I'm taking a look at your website now

KK

http://go4green.sask.com/home/home/recipy1.html

rob

Yes and soapy water will make your dirt soak up the water better rather than
let it run off, by reducing the surface tension of the soil. It works on
lawns and other applications where you find water standing or running off
rather than soaking in.

Dwayne

"KK" wrote in message
...
Given the water crisis, can I use soapy water, eg. washing-up water, on my
garden, plants, lawn etc.

Thanks

KK

On 18/6/06 12:16, in article , "KK"
wrote:

Thanks for this - but are 'earth-friendly' washing up liquids available in
Tesco?, and will 'ordinary' detergents do any harm.

Yes, you can get Ecover washing up liquid - or we can down here, anyway!
It's said not to contain any "chemicals of high concern". But the amount of
washing up liquid you use shouldn't harm your plants. However, some of them
are more likely to harm you because they leave a build up on utensils over
time. That's why you should always rinse plates, cups, glasses etc. after
washing them.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/chemicalwo...219626,00.html
snip
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

In article , Sacha writes:
| On 18/6/06 12:16, in article , "KK"
| wrote:
|
| Thanks for this - but are 'earth-friendly' washing up liquids available in
| Tesco?, and will 'ordinary' detergents do any harm.
|
| Yes, you can get Ecover washing up liquid - or we can down here, anyway!
| It's said not to contain any "chemicals of high concern". But the amount of
| washing up liquid you use shouldn't harm your plants. However, some of them
| are more likely to harm you because they leave a build up on utensils over
| time. That's why you should always rinse plates, cups, glasses etc. after
| washing them.
| http://www.guardian.co.uk/chemicalwo...219626,00.html

Yeah, well, what do you expect from the Grauniad? Actually, it's good by
Gnurdian standards, in that it is mostly not actually incorrect!

Soaps and detergents are THEMSELVES surfactants, and I don't think that
there is anything other than sodium laureth sulphate that is an active
ingredient in any washing-up liquid, shampoo or similar sold for
domestic use in the UK. I believe that is fully biodegradable. ALL of
the more harmful additions are scents, colours, and things to reduce
the oil-removing effects from skin (i.e. counteract the main purpose!)

Sodium carbonate is washing soda and sodium silicate is glass; both are
seriously harmful only if inhaled in powder form. The former DOES extract
oils from the skin, but is a relatively mild alkali, and is not of great
consequence, ecologically. The latter is as near as dammit biologically
and ecologically inert (and is NOT significantly alkaline). They will be
in dishwasher powders, but NOT in washing up liquid - there is nothing
that will accumulate in the latter.

My guess is that Ecover washing up liquid is just a bog-standard washing
up liquid, with fancy marketing.

And, yes, using the less flavoured shampoos, washing up liquids and even
carpet cleaners interchangeably is perfectly OK.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 13:43:54 +0100, Sacha wrote:

Yes, you can get Ecover washing up liquid - or we can down here, anyway!
It's said not to contain any "chemicals of high concern". But the amount of
washing up liquid you use shouldn't harm your plants. However, some of them
are more likely to harm you because they leave a build up on utensils over
time. That's why you should always rinse plates, cups, glasses etc. after
washing them.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/chemicalwo...219626,00.html

Thanks for that Sacha.Very interesting. I feel less guilty about
washing up under running water. The water goes on the garden anyway.
verything is so very dryhere, but luckily no water shortage YET in the
Bristol area.


Pam in Bristol

g'day kk,

not suer what you would have over there, but at a guess i would say
there would be a manufacturer of an earth friendly detergent.

if you use the detergent sparingly (often too much is used when less
would do, and spread itaround don't use it onthe same spot all the
time then i can't see you getting any problems we never have. we found
that you could wash clothes with about 1/3 the powder that is
recommended by the makers, that's a for example. we use the homemade
one now.

use your urine around your veges and food trees.



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article , Sacha
writes:
| On 18/6/06 12:16, in article , "KK"
| wrote:
|
| Thanks for this - but are 'earth-friendly' washing up liquids
available in
| Tesco?, and will 'ordinary' detergents do any harm.
|
| Yes, you can get Ecover washing up liquid - or we can down here,
anyway!
| It's said not to contain any "chemicals of high concern". But the
amount of
| washing up liquid you use shouldn't harm your plants. However, some of
them
| are more likely to harm you because they leave a build up on utensils
over
| time. That's why you should always rinse plates, cups, glasses etc.
after
| washing them.
| http://www.guardian.co.uk/chemicalwo...219626,00.html

Yeah, well, what do you expect from the Grauniad? Actually, it's good by
Gnurdian standards, in that it is mostly not actually incorrect!

Soaps and detergents are THEMSELVES surfactants, and I don't think that
there is anything other than sodium laureth sulphate that is an active
ingredient in any washing-up liquid, shampoo or similar sold for
domestic use in the UK. I believe that is fully biodegradable. ALL of
the more harmful additions are scents, colours, and things to reduce
the oil-removing effects from skin (i.e. counteract the main purpose!)

Sodium carbonate is washing soda and sodium silicate is glass; both are
seriously harmful only if inhaled in powder form. The former DOES extract
oils from the skin, but is a relatively mild alkali, and is not of great
consequence, ecologically. The latter is as near as dammit biologically
and ecologically inert (and is NOT significantly alkaline). They will be
in dishwasher powders, but NOT in washing up liquid - there is nothing
that will accumulate in the latter.

My guess is that Ecover washing up liquid is just a bog-standard washing
up liquid, with fancy marketing.

And, yes, using the less flavoured shampoos, washing up liquids and even
carpet cleaners interchangeably is perfectly OK.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

My guess is that the surfactant in Ecover is probably a soap and not sodium
lauryl sulphate, a detergent, but I too think the whole thing is a
Con.
Incidentally the local GUM clinic suggests using non perfumed and reduced
additive shower gels and bath liquids to counteract the incidence of thrush.
So now you know why..........:-)

On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:30:43 +0100, "Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)"
wrote:

Incidentally the local GUM clinic suggests using non perfumed and reduced
additive shower gels and bath liquids to counteract the incidence of thrush.
So now you know why..........:-)

Maybe thgat's what's killing all the sparrows?
--
Tim C.

"Tim C." wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:30:43 +0100, "Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)"
wrote:

Incidentally the local GUM clinic suggests using non perfumed and reduced
additive shower gels and bath liquids to counteract the incidence of
thrush.
So now you know why..........:-)

Maybe thgat's what's killing all the sparrows?
--
Tim C.

Dunno -but in my case it's a sore point.

In article ,
"Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)" writes:
|
| Incidentally the local GUM clinic suggests using non perfumed and reduced
| additive shower gels and bath liquids to counteract the incidence of thrush.

Hang on, comrade, your cover is slipping. GUM doesn't have a branch
in the UK.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)" writes:
|
| Incidentally the local GUM clinic suggests using non perfumed and
reduced
| additive shower gels and bath liquids to counteract the incidence of
thrush.

Hang on, comrade, your cover is slipping. GUM doesn't have a branch
in the UK.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

OK OK- I will give you a Clap for that before we move on to discuss Standard
Input Format.