Septic tanks store waste products and dirty water produced in your home underground while bacteria and enzymes break them down. Septic systems are commonly used on properties too far from a municipal area for sewer service and return clean water to the water table of the property. A few detergents and cleaning products should not be flushed into the septic system. Does this Spark an idea?
Powdered Laundry Detergent
Liquid laundry detergents free of phosphates do little damage to a septic tank because they are so diluted in the wash water. However, this is not true of powdered laundry detergents. Powdered detergents don't fully dissolve because they contain plastic or clay based additives that rinse away with the wash water. When these materials build up in the system and don't degrade, they create clogs in both the pipes and the septic tank itself.
Septic Tank Cleaners
Products designed to clean or clear your septic tank actually end up damaging them in most cases, advises the University of Maryland Extension website. These products often contain solvents that disrupt the natural settling of solid sludge at the bottom of the tank. This interrupts the breakdown process and causes the sludge to clog the holes that allow water to drain out of the tank, leading to a backup of waste into the home.
Phosphates
All detergents, including those used in washing machines and dishwashers, require surfactants to break up grease and dirt. One common surfactant that can damage the healthy functioning of a septic tank is phosphate. Phosphates won't degrade or stay in the drain field and will enter local water sources. When present in streams or lakes, phosphates cause algae growth that kills other life forms, like fish and even birds. Many detergents, even inexpensive ones, are now phosphate free.
Antibacterial Products
Your septic system's drain field contains millions of colonies of good bacteria that break down waste and neutralize any health risks associated with it. When you use antibacterial products to clean and flush them into the septic system, they will kill these beneficial bacteria. Many toilet bowl cleaners that are designed to clean with each flush contain antibacterial agents that keep your toilet bowl clean but may damage your septic system.
Tags: septic system, septic tank, because they, designed clean, drain field, into septic
