Question
I am saving the rinse water from the washing machine to water the potted plants. What effect will that have on the outdoor potted plants?
John
Bay Area
Answer
Dear John,
The rinse water from the washer is fine for potted plants as long as you are using a biodegradable detergent. Liquid detergents are better than powders. Avoid any that contain chlorine bleach, boron/borax, and any ingredient with the word sodium in its name. Also, if your water is softened, it contains salt.
The one concern with greywater is that you can get a build up of harmful salts if you use it on the same plants or the same area repeatedly. We recommend saving and using the rinse water, versus the wash water, because it will contain more dilute amounts of soap.
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