This summer we set up our washing machine to run the waste water to our garden. I use homemade laundry soap so there are no additional additives or detergents in the water. We have had a dry summer here, but this has been one of the best gardens we have had in years. I attribute this to setting up our washing machine like this. I would like to eventually retrofit our pipes from our sinks to be able to do this. We also have mulched our garden with our lawn clippings and I believe that has helped also.
Does anyone have any other tips or suggestions for using waste products to help with the environment?
Thanks,
Tracy
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1
Using waste water from washing machine
Started by trmeyer, Sep 25 2011 06:58 PM
13 replies to this topic
#2
Posted 27 September 2011 - 03:34 PM
This sounds like a pretty cool idea. My first thought would be that the soap would be bad for plants, but since you make your own natural soap that solves that problem. Do you have a plan to be able to make the pipes go to storing water instead of a septic tank or wherever it usually goes? I don't know much about plumbing, so I wouldn't know if it's possible to mod the pipes most houses currently have to do this.
#3
Posted 28 September 2011 - 02:09 AM
I think this is a really great idea. I don't have a garden (tried once, it wasn't a pretty adventure), but I'm guessing I could do this for watering my lawn somehow? I'll have to ask my husband to check into it more and see if it is something he thinks he could do.
Where I live has been so hot and dry this summer, that most the lawns in our neighborhood are just pitiful. We water it enough to keep it alive, but that's about it.
Any suggestions for a good homemade laundry soap?
Where I live has been so hot and dry this summer, that most the lawns in our neighborhood are just pitiful. We water it enough to keep it alive, but that's about it.
Any suggestions for a good homemade laundry soap?
#4
Posted 28 September 2011 - 05:20 AM
We used waste water from washing machine to wash rags or door mats. We also use it to flush/clean the toilets and clean the area outside. I am not using a natural soap and therefore it will not be safe to be use to water plants. It is really nice to reuse water from washing clothes since it could be in a big volume and will be just a big waste if not to be reused.
#5
Posted 28 September 2011 - 05:22 AM
Well i can see that it can be done, but it depends whats in the water really depends if you can use it, If you can purify it back into the water then i would say yea should be no problem with you re-using it for the garden etc
#6
Posted 09 October 2011 - 09:47 AM
I never thought of doing that, but that's a really good idea. I can imagine it would be especially useful if you were in a dry climate or desert area where water is scarce. What other uses could you have for recycled waste water from a washing machine?
#7
Posted 10 October 2011 - 06:14 PM
This is a great idea. I am going to look into it straight away. I am also gong to build a water purifier based on Hundertwasser designs using moss grass and rocks. ANybody that hasn't heard of Hundertwasser should look him up. He was a very early environmental campaigner. His city skyscraper tree boxes could revolutionise the modern world if only people would listen and follow his advice...
#8
Posted 29 October 2011 - 09:26 AM
This is a great idea, which is why it is banned in many communities who offer municipal water and don't want you to reuse water! As a poster noted, you can also use grassy areas and mosses and margin plants to help filter your water before it hits the garden. Anything natural that helps slow down the flow of water from one place to the next will help purify it. I too, make my own natural detergent and recycle the water into the ground outside my garden, then into my garden.
You can also save the rinse water from your laundry and use it as the next wash water. My mother used to do that all the time.
You can also save the rinse water from your laundry and use it as the next wash water. My mother used to do that all the time.
#9
Posted 29 October 2011 - 06:14 PM
I never thought to reuse my wash water. Right now, I can not do this, because I live at the top of a duplex. I would like to know how you make your own laundry soap. I could always use new tips on living greener. Do you think your homemade laundry detergent, deterred bugs from your garden?
#10
Posted 30 October 2011 - 03:06 PM
Green Olive, on 29 October 2011 - 06:14 PM, said:
I never thought to reuse my wash water. Right now, I can not do this, because I live at the top of a duplex. I would like to know how you make your own laundry soap. I could always use new tips on living greener. Do you think your homemade laundry detergent, deterred bugs from your garden?
This is my recipe for laundry detergent, although I know other folks use other recipes. My daughter makes a detergent that you can use dry.
I usually add a few drops of some soap-making fragrance, too, which you can pick up at most hobby and craft stores.
Break a bar of Fels Naptha or Ivory soap into thirds, and grate 1/3 of it into a large pot. Add 6 cups of warm water to the soap and set it over low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon til the soap melts. Add 1/2 cup each washing soda and powdered borax to the liquid and continue stirring until the powder is dissolved.
Pour the soap mixture into a large bucket with a top. Add 2 gallons of water and stir. Add fragrance if desired. The mixture may thicken and form a gel-like appearance as it sits, which is natural.
I love this. It doesn't froth but works exceedingly well! It saves me literally hundreds of dollars a years, not to mention what it's not putting into the environment. I don't know if it helps bug control in my garden, as I have chickens who make short work of most bugs!
#11
Posted 09 November 2011 - 03:58 AM
Wonderful concept, after you think about it a bit. I love the idea that you make your own chemically free soap, how smart. With our water supplies gradually decreasing, this is a very efficient plan to put into effect. Thanks for the information.
#12
Posted 09 November 2011 - 04:18 AM
I would love a recipe for making soap that is free from chemicals. I love the idea of recycling water from washing machines. Reading all these suggestions has been a great inspiration, and I just hope it continues to inspire people to save the planet. And saving money is no small thing either.
#13
Posted 12 November 2011 - 05:11 AM
carol4, on 09 November 2011 - 04:18 AM, said:
I would love a recipe for making soap that is free from chemicals. I love the idea of recycling water from washing machines. Reading all these suggestions has been a great inspiration, and I just hope it continues to inspire people to save the planet. And saving money is no small thing either.
I usually make my detergent in big batches, then pour it into old detergent and (washed) bleach containers. Once it becomes just another routine chore, it's your new normal
I depend on my environment for a lot of my food; not just my garden, but what my chickens eat and drink, I eventually do, too! Maybe folks don't do this kind of thing because they've gotten away from that circleof life?
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