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Liquid drain cleaners like Liquid-Plumer are generally safer to use than chemical-based drain cleaners, but they’re not failsafe. Using Liquid-Plumber once in a while won’t damage your septic tank, but you shouldn’t use it frequently either.
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What Cleaning Products Are Safe to Use with Septic Systems?
Septic systems are a cheaper alternative to centralized sewage systems, and they’ve grown more common over the past decade. Today, about 20% of all houses in the United States use a septic system for sewage disposal.
If you’re moving to a house that uses a septic system, you should prepare to worry about one more thing: using septic safe products.
A septic system relies heavily on the natural decomposing action of bacteria to break down the waste, enabling them to percolate easily through the layers of soil that complete the septic system.
But some certain cleaning products contain toxins that are capable of killing most of these bacteria easily.
Using these cleaning products will have a negative effect on the septic system, as there will be a buildup of solid waste that will block the septic system, leading to many other problems.
Apparently, the solution to this problem is the use of septic-safe cleaning products. And if you’ve never used a septic system, you can use some recommendations for cleaning products that work with septic systems.
Here are some recommendations for cleaning products that are safe to use with septic systems without dealing significant damage to useful bacteria.
Water-based cleaners
When choosing cleaners for your new home with a septic system, water-based cleaners are generally recommended.
While they may contain trace amounts of chemicals, the chemicals are usually diluted by the water, making the impact on the bacteria insignificant.
There are many water-based cleaners on the market, and you can easily tell by the sheer percentage of water present in them.
Phosphate-free cleaners
In addition to water-based cleaners, you can also use phosphate-free cleaning products if you have a septic system. Most phosphate-free cleaning products will also come with other fancy tags like biodegradable, non-toxic, etc.
These phosphate-free, biodegradable cleaners are completely safe for septic systems, as they contain none of the toxic chemicals that can be damaging to your septic system. They are also designed to be decomposable by bacteria, making them the perfect match for your bacteria-driven septic system.
Cleaning products marked “septic-safe”
Sometimes, you don’t have to look for cleaning products with excessive water or no phosphate content. Manufacturers usually try to make your search easier by labeling some products as safe for septic systems.
If possible, you should try shopping exclusively for products that are marked as safe for septic systems. This way, you don’t have to check for phosphate or water, making your shopping a lot easier.
If you love DIY projects, you may attempt making your septic-safe cleaning products to be certain that you’re using the correct products.
Fortunately, the steps for making a septic-safe cleaning product are easy, and I’ll detail it in the next section.
You should also note that you shouldn’t avoid all forms of chemical products just because you use a septic system.
Some natural products like bathing soap are not damaging to a septic system unless they’re overused.
Most chemicals that kill bacteria are alkaline. Since you also flush out some acidic waste, the acids neutralize the alkaline, making the chemicals safe at the end.
Overusing alkaline products to the point where it’s almost impossible to balance them out is what can damage your septic system.
How to Make DIY Products that are Safe to Use with Septic Systems
Finding cleaning products that work perfectly with septic systems can be much of a hassle. Why give out your money to buy a product that’s borderline safe when you can make yours that’s completely safe?
If you don’t frown at DIY projects, here is how to make cleaning products that you can safely use with your septic system at home.
Getting the ingredients.
The ingredients you’ll need to prepare for this task depending on what kind of cleaning product you’re looking to make. The ingredients you’ll need for a drain cleaner will differ from those for laundry detergents.
However, some products are somewhat common across most products; baking soda for example.
While the quantity of baking soda you’ll need depends on what you’re creating, you’ll almost certainly need some every time.
In addition to baking soda, you may also need vinegar, essential oils, lemon, and washing soda, depending on what you’re creating.
A simple Google search will be handy to help you determine what you should add to your organic cleaning product.
Mix the ingredients, and boil if necessary
Most cleaning products will only need mixing, but you can also boil it mildly or add some boiling water if you deem it necessary.
This should give you a cleaning product that’s safe to use with your septic system without any worries about it clogging your tank.
Is Liquid Plumber Safe for Septic Systems?
If you use a septic system, you should worry about the safety of the everyday products you use for home cleaning. One of such products is Liquid Plumr, a product that most people use to unclog their drains.
If information from the manufacturer is anything to go by, Liquid Plumr should be perfectly safe for use at home, as it degrades quickly without doing any damage to the bacteria in your septic tank.
While the company (and many happy users) claim that liquid drain cleaners like Liquid-Plumr don’t do any significant damage to their septic systems, you should also try using them sparingly.
For most drain clogs, pouring in some boiling water will unclog it as well as any drain cleaner. Remember, liquid cleaners are only safer than chemical-based cleaners; they’re not failsafe!
Is Drain Cleaner Bad for Septic Systems?
If you read blogs about septic systems, you should already know how much people frown upon them.
Also, you must have seen a warning or two against using a drain cleaner with a septic system.
However, should you stay away from a drain cleaner at all costs simply because you have a septic system?
As you might have already guessed, most of what you heard online about drain cleaners is true.
While they will clean your drain if you’re brave enough to use them, they’ll also introduce a similar scale of damage.
Most drain cleaners on the market are based on harsh chemicals that can potentially kill most of the bacteria responsible for breaking down your sewage.
However, not all drain cleaners are terrible for a septic system. There are specific drain cleaners designed to be biodegradable and nearly harmless to the useful bacteria in your septic tank.
Unfortunately, telling the ‘good’ drain cleaners apart from the bad ones can be quite a handful.
The most effective way to do this is by going through the ingredients used in the product to see if it contains anything unwanted.
Generally, you should avoid drain cleaners that contain bleach, sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, and all related chemicals proven to be harsh to septic systems.
If you’d rather not worry about the contents of your drain cleaner, you can look out for drain cleaners that are marked as safe for septic systems. With the rising popularity of septic systems, these drain cleaners will only continue to grow more popular.