Septic tanks are widely used in rural areas that are not connected to a sewerage system. They are filled with special anaerobic bacteria that decompose organic waste discharged into the tank. One of the biggest disadvantages of septic systems is that they are sensitive to most household cleaners, since strong chemicals kill bacteria in septic systems. This is why it is important to use septic safe household cleaning products.
If your house is connected to a centralised sewerage system, wastewater is collected and treated by your local water service company. However, people living in remote areas usually don’t have access to a centralised sewerage system; because of this, they have to rely on individual sewage disposal systems, of which there are many kinds, one of the most popular being septic systems.
A septic tank is a simple on-site sewage facility for primary wastewater treatment. It consists of a concrete, plastic or fibreglass underground chamber with an anaerobic bacterial environment through which domestic wastewater flows. The bacteria decompose or mineralise the waste, resulting in partially treated sludge called septage, which needs to be periodically removed from the septic tank with a vacuum truck.
Proper maintenance of a septic system is crucial to keep it running effectively and efficiently. For example, using the toilet for disposal of food waste and non-biodegradable waste items can cause the septic tank to clog and/or overload. In addition, certain chemicals contained in household cleaning products may kill the bacteria responsible for decomposing the waste and contribute to the septic system failure.
For example, phosphates, chlorine, phenols, borates, EDTA, alcohol, synthetic anionic surfactants, petrochemicals, and some other ingredients that can be found in many household cleaning products are considered harmful to septic systems. They’re not that bad in small quantities, but if you constantly use laundry detergent with phosphates or household cleaners with bleach, they will eventually affect your septic tank.
To keep the septic system healthy, you need to use septic safe laundry detergents and cleaning products. Today, many household brands offer products that are free of aggressive chemicals, but just as effective as their regular counterparts. Please, keep in mind that such products aren’t necessarily labelled as “septic safe”; try looking for labels such as “eco-friendly”, “green”, etc.
Make sure that the formulas of the cleaning products you use are biodegradable and include safe and natural ingredients. Septic safe cleaning agents include, for example, citric acid, ash, baking soda, vinegar, laundry soap, and plant-based surfactants. In addition, plant extracts and essential oils are also considered safe for septic systems; they have antibacterial properties, but are not aggressive enough to pose a threat to the bacteria in the septic tank.
As a rule, safe and natural household cleaning products are certified eco-friendly and biodegradable by various organisations, depending on their country of origin. For example, eco-friendly household cleaners produced in Ukraine are ISO 14024 certified and can be identified by the green crane icon on the packaging. Popular Ukrainian brands of biodegradable household products include Cocos, Eco Control, nO% green home, Organics, and others.
Laundry detergents, dish soaps, and household cleaners produced by these brands consist of natural ingredients that are effective and at the same time safe for septic tanks and the environment. In our online shop Organic Store, you can buy such products at a reasonable price. We offer convenient payment methods, quick order processing, and international delivery to most parts of the world.
