Express Plumbing Heating & Air Blog

Many Septic tank owners have gotten used to paying attention to what goes down their drains. This is especially true for owners who have had a tank for several years. They are usually pretty conscious about not putting anything down the drain that could be harmful. Unfortunately, these are still common products we use that can still harm your system. Like fabric softeners?

Who would have thought that? As unlikely as it seems, fabric softener is not good for your tank. It can have the same effect as pouring cooking grease down your drain! In truth, the reason softener helps our clothes feel softer is that it leaves a film of chemicals on our clothing. That’s what we’re putting down our drains!

Petroleum-based products are bad for your tank. Plant-based alternatives are out there that can be less harmful. A very tank and eco-friendly alternative are distilled white vinegar. You can substitute a quarter of a cup when you would normally use fabric softener. You can also find many homemade fabric softener recipes online that are gentle on your system.

Even if something is labeled as “safe” for your system, this could be untrue for excessive usage. These products may be fine for someone’s system when they are doing one load of laundry per week. However, they could be detrimental for someone doing three or four loads. Paying attention to these details could help you save time and money when it comes to your septic system.

Express Plumbing Heating & Air includes a free inspection report with every pump. We want to help keep your tank in perfect health!

Express Plumbing Heating & Air

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