Wondering how to properly dispose of laundry products like detergent or fabric softener? Don't worry – these products are designed to be added to water and rinsed safely down the drain, so there's no harm in pouring out any liquid products you no longer wish to use along with plenty of running water.
Fabric softeners and stain removers must be thrown in the trash while detergents, bleaches, water softeners, and other water-soluble laundry products can be poured down the drain along with water. Personal Care Products. These are best disposed of down the drain.
Before you call the plumber, try this trick to unclog a blocked drain. Pour 1/4 cup of liquid laundry detergent down your sink, then slowly pour a gallon of boiling water down the drain. The hot water and slippery detergent work together to flush the clog right out.
Sometimes, hazardous materials hide in plain sight. Laundry detergent and certain types of household cleaning solutions are considered hazardous materials.
Homemade drain cleaner can break up even the toughest clogs in your sink. Baking soda, vinegar and Dawn dish soap along with boiling water can safely unclog a drain. Baking soda, vinegar and Dawn dish soap along with boiling water can safely unclog a drain.
Surfactants (which are the cleaning agents) in detergent are biodegradable. Through the natural process of chemistry and aided by the wastewater treatment process, they are broken down into carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O).
The ECOS Laundry Detergent is our top pick because it's biodegradable and safe to use in a variety of home water systems. We also love the light smell and effective cleaning power of its eco-friendly formula.
After the “best before” period elapses, the manufacturer cannot guarantee that the product will start breaking down or the ingredients will separate. You may still use the product after the expiry date, but they'll clump on the bottle. Therefore, you have to shake the bottle well each time before using the detergent.
Salt & hot water
While hot water can help loosen up debris, coarse salt actually scours the inside of your pipes, removing more material than hot water alone. After removing standing water from the sink, pour about half a cup of table salt down the drain before you pour in the hot water.
Fill the tub about half-full with cool to warm water. Add only one to two teaspoons of liquid laundry detergent, and swish your hands through the water to disperse the detergent.
Use liquid detergent instead of powder or bar soap to reduce the risk of clogging. Always measure detergents to ensure you are using the correct amount of detergent every time you run the washing machine or dishwasher.
For example, if you have extra laundry detergent or liquid disinfectant, it is generally safe to pour it down the drain with running water.
Liquid waste
This typically includes dirty water, organic liquids, wash water, waste detergents and even rainwater.
However, if you want to dilute concentrated laundry detergent, then add 1 part water to 1 part detergent. Or, put half of the detergent into a same-size old bottle and fill the other half with water. Remember, once you have diluted it, you should add more than a capful to your laundry; now, twice as much.
Dry dryer sheets do not ever expire or go bad. Pre-moistened dryer sheets can mildew or dry out. If they are mildewed, dispose of them. Dried out sheets can be reactivated by adding a few tablespoons of water to the container.
Toothpaste typically has an expiration date that is approximately two years from the manufacture date. The next time you run out of toothpaste and find an old tube that has been in one of your travel cases for years, make sure you look for its expiry date.
But before you buy that extra-large container of Tide next time you head to the store, you may want to be aware of a little-known fact: Your laundry detergent can expire. If you're buying liquid laundry detergent, it has quite a long shelf life of about 18 months.
Johanes Godoy, laundry and cleaning expert at Liox Clean agrees: 'I suggest adding liquid laundry detergent directly to the washing machine drum instead of the detergent drawer. This approach ensures the detergent dissolves properly and spreads evenly throughout the wash.
Use the Cleaning Power of Baking Soda
Simply pour several tablespoons of baking soda down a blocked or smelly drain, then follow it up with several tablespoons of plain white vinegar. Then quickly block the drain tightly and wait a few seconds.
You wouldn't think soap is capable of clogging your drains, but it definitely will. Bar soap has a habit of re-solidifying in your drains, leading to clumps of it forming into a large, goopy mass over time that will eventually cause a blockage.
If you have a septic system, it's best to avoid using laundry detergent pods. This is because they contain high levels of chemicals and surfactants that can build up in the septic tank over time, potentially causing issues. Also, their small size increases the likelihood of causing clogs in pipes or filters.