Teen

Bleach is also a corrosive. Corrodes pipes and eats the enamel off porcelains sinks. I have a septic and never use bleach in sink or laundry. I use Rid-X once a month down a different toilet each month and use non-bleach toilet cleaner. No solids down garbage disposal and thoroughly rinse dishes before placing in dishwasher. My septic guy said I have the cleanest tank he's ever seen, if you can believe that. Yuck... I have it pumped every 5 years. Good suggestions here and on Internet for proper care of septic systems. Good luck!

pokeyscorner

I use vinegar as a softener in my washer. It disinfects & softens clothes. That's white vinegar. When I first got married we visited my DH sister. She told me about it & it's also easier on the septic.

cashs_mom

I know what you mean about all the toxic chemicals in stuff. I have some health problems and sensitivities so I try to keep toxins in my home to a minimum.

I've looked up recipes for Thieves oil. There are a bunch of them and I'm never sure which ones are really good ones and comparable to Young Living's recipe (everyone seems to claim there's is the real recipe). I like Young Living's essential oils for many reasons and by the time I buy all the oils and take the time to mix them up and everything, I'm not really saving enough to make it worthwhile. Also, Young Living makes cleaners with Thieves in them that are excellent so I just buy the products already made and use them. It simplifies my life.

Needles

Don't use bleach in your laundry unless your whites are all 100% cotton. Bleach yellows anything that has polyester in it. And most whites do anymore. I don't even have bleach in the house. You can accidentally mix it with a cleaner or other compound and the fumes could kill you. That's probably why Dawn says don't mix with bleach. Many of our problems today are cause by being 'over' clean. Bodies simply do not have a chance to build up an immune system. I grew up on a farm, with an outhouse. Hot water came from a teakettle on a stove, or in the woodstove kettle for using in the washing machine. My grandmother's all lived into their mid 90's. My mother turns 95 in two weeks. Please put the bleach away. My husband uses ACV for killing weeks, he refuses to use killer Round Up. Yes, the white vinegar in a final wash water softens clothes. And I made two balls out of wool yarn for in the dryer. So we always have soft towels. The rest I dry on the line. Another thing bad for those with immune system problems, all the fragrance scents out there. And plug ins are the worst, they wax your walls and furniture. I cannot stand to be in a home that uses them, can't breathe.

selm

I agree completely with about soap and water but today's "soap" products are not the same as old fashioned soap. The new products aren't made with lye the way soap is. Body wash is not soap, although I'm not sure exactly what it is. I think the lye is what makes soap antibacterial. I don't know what is in hand sanitizers but they must have something that kills bacteria as we are warned not to use too much as you can lose your natural protection from germs.

I find it interesting to see the modern attitude toward bleach. I'm 76 and grew up with bleach being used in all white laundry and for cleaning up anything where you particularly wanted to kill germs. There are common sense precautions to using bleach and I have never heard of an incident caused by bleach(other then ruining clothes if you splash any directly on cloth). I can't imagine not using bleach to sanitize white clothes, diapers, etc.

Are the natural products you use anti-bacterial?

Chris Denno

I have to wonder where some people get these ideas....????..... I have a septic system, have had for 40 years, and I use bleach with whites, once a week or so. We have always had a garbage disposal, too, NO PROBLEMS. My parents did the same and so do my brothers, who live on this same farm, no problems. We have ours pumped out every three years, as recommended, but I know my parents did not do that.

I was told by a plumber that a garbage disposal is a GOOD thing for septic tanks because it adds bacteria to the tank, which helps it "work". Makes sense to me.

I know people who did not have a garbage disposal because they "heard" that it was bad for their septic tank. My family has a combined 100 plus years experience that says otherwise.

Mariah

In place of bleach how about Borax? It whitens the whites and I think it makes the entire laundry cleaner.
It is a natural product--when you read on the side of the box it tells what it really is. They mine it out of Death Valley and is a very old product. My Mom used it in her laundry.
You an also use in the kitchen, bathroom counters ect, ect.
I love it!
Mariah

Prism99

There are quite a few differences among septic systems. For example, different states have different building codes. These regulations have varied greatly over time, so that older systems may be quite different from newer systems. Also, regulations regarding systems can vary with the age of the system; newer systems typically have to meet much more stringent environmental codes than older systems. I know that our newer system had to be installed with a filter, whereas older systems in our area are not required to retrofit filters. Systems also vary depending on the type of land and soil in a specific area, and on size. A large tank used by a few people is going to react differently than a small tank used by the maximum number of people. Probably the best sources of information are local operators.

Here is a website with general tips about caring for a septic system:
https://www.houselogic.com/organize-...septic-system/

Septic systems also vary in terms of lifespan, depending in part on materials used for the installation, in part on maintenance, and in part on other variables. Older septic systems with concrete tanks can last much longer than newer septic systems with steel tanks. This makes it hard to generalize. Here is a website with information about septic system life expectancy:
https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_System_Life.php

sewnclog

I was told not to use bleach of one has a septic tank. It kills the good germs so that the solid waste can't break down. So I never use bleach that will go into my septic nor do I use it in my commodes (although I would like to).

Cari-in-Oly

No, it's not. Bleach does not kill mold. Bleach actually causes mold spores to explode into the air. It looks like it's gone because the bleach removes all the color but the mold is still there unless heat is involved afterward. Vinegar or borax will kill mold.

Cari