Comments on: Eco Living on the Range: Making My Own Laundry Soap

By: Theresa Dormi

Theresa Dormi — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:17:15 +0000

Hi! Thanks for the detergent recipe! I am going to try it! We have lived with a septic tank for years and we have always been conscious of what goes down the drain! We also have heard about how important it is to maintain the leach field too. If the next house we buy has a septic tank, we will probably buy a filter for the washing machine. As a dog owner, have you ever noticed how much dog hair is mixed in with the lint from the dryer? According to our plumber, a lot of that dog hair and lint also drains into the septic tank with the washing machine water and can build up (over the years) in the leach field. It can ruin the field!
Theresa

By: AKC

AKC — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:04:22 +0000

Wow Rene, that is really cool. So glad you care enough about the local wildlife to go through this extra step. Most folks could give a shit what they flush down the septic system (pun intended) .

Here’s an Idea, on your way to see the fam you can pass through Death Valley and mine your own Borax

By: Rene

Rene — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:58:07 +0000

Hey Scott, yeah, I’m really impressed with it. A friend told me she had trouble with the powder recipe, but she used Ivory soap, not Fels, which could’ve been the problem. Do you make dishwashing soap? I have a recipe but haven’t tried it yet.

By: Rene

Rene — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:55:48 +0000

Henry, great advice as always, I didn’t know anything about “leach lines.” Thanks for teaching us, yet again!

Yeah, he did say it would be a good idea to throw some yeast down the toilet every now and then.

By: Scott Roche

Scott Roche — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:04:53 +0000

We just started using this very “recipe” and you’re right it works well. You’re also right that you’ll have to go to a smaller chain or local grocery to get the stuff in most cases. Worth it though.

By: Henry Ferguson

Henry Ferguson — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:25:10 +0000

The plumber who gave you the advise is looking for some business down the road. We are on septic and are very careful what we put into the system and have it pumped every 5 years to be safe. The big danger is having your leach lines clog up. They plug up when your tank is not digesting organic material properly because it has been killed by chemicals. It also needs to be pumped to keep non-organic materials that make their way into the tank from building up and overflowing into the leach lines.

We almost had that problem a few years ago. I asked the guy that pumped it how much it would cost to replace the leach lines and he said about $20,000 in our area.