Unscented Baby Shampoo is the best shampoo for your lawn. It contains mild surfactants that help to soften hard soil and allows water to get deeper penetration into the soil, to aid grass root growth. This also promotes a much greener lawn.
You can make your own wetting agent using the same soap you use on your sponge, your hands and dishes. It doesn't matter whether it's Lux, Ajax, Dove or Palmolive (your lawn is soaking in it); you can use it as a wetting agent.
Most of the shampoos discussed in this chapter contain 'wetting agents,' also known as surfactants, which have hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions on each molecule.
Baby shampoo still contains surfactants in them, but the concentrations are lower and they are usually milder surfactants. That doesn't mean that they will not clean, but they are just not very strong. For instance, if you use heavy oils in your hair, you might not feel satisfied using a baby shampoo.
Dish detergents disrupt the cell membrane of these soft, small insects and smother them to death. Grubs drown in dish soap and are suffocated by the fluid coating them. Dish soap has been shown to kill other lawn insects as well, and even dries out and kills fungus in lawns.
Dawn dish detergent is a powerful surfactant.
A wetting agent is like a detergent or surfactant that attracts water to the soil's surface. Applying a wetting agent will help the water soak into the soil, making the water available to your lawn's roots.
The most common wetting agents used are Propylene Glycol USP (PCCA #30-1055) and Glycerin USP (PCCA #30-2865).
Soaps allows grass to absorb the nutrients. It is important not to utilize an antibacterial soap, as this will destroy the bacteria that helps your lawn to thrive. We know, after this recent pandemic, our homes have focused on antibacterial hand and dish soaps.
Unlike fertilisers that can cause toxicity if applied too frequently or in too large an amount, wetting agents present no such risk. While they won't cause in problems, applying them too frequently is a waste of money – once they have done their job there is nothing more that can be achieved.
Mulch and Organic Soil Amendments in your Landscaping.
Mulch will hold in moisture longer and moderate the soil temperatures, keeping your plant's roots cooler in the summer. A good layer of mulch will help keep your plants from stressing out in the hot Texas summer sun.
Dog spots can be “cured” by sprinkling the affected area with baking soda, gypsum, dishwashing detergent, etc. to neutralize the urine.
Since the formulation is extremely mild, it may not cleanse the hair as thoroughly as an adult shampoo.
"Kids are unpredictable, often wiggling and moving," Folsom says. "When the lawn mower is moving and turning, kids can lose their balance and fall off. Parents need to keep their child off of and away from the lawn mower at all times to ensure everyone's safety."
Jerry Coleby-Williams from Gardening Australia suggests making your own wetting agent from agar agar which is a seaweed product. Buy powdered kelp from a health food shop and slowly incorporate boiling water until you have a thick paste. Add 250ml of this paste to 4.5 litres of water and water this onto beds.*
It's also possible to use diluted dishwashing liquid or dishwater/laundry water as a soil wetter because the surfactants in the detergent break surface tension in water like wetting agents do. However, be cautious when using detergents in your garden and choose environmentally friendly/biodegradable options.
If grass clippings or leaf litter clog on your lawn, they can prevent the soil from absorbing water as it would under normal conditions. Soils. Hard, compact soils and heavy, sticky clay soils are also less absorbent and prevent surface water from seeping into the ground.
How long does the wetting agent treatment last? Granular wetting agent treatment can last for up to five months in domestic lawns providing it is applied in the spring when conditions are wet or when it is thoroughly watered in.
Wetting agents come in both granular and liquid forms. Granular wetting agents are best for garden beds and pre-lawn installation, as they can be mixed into the soil. Liquid wetting agents can also be used on garden beds and existing lawns.
Baby shampoo tends to use milder foaming agents and by using less harsh chemicals and cleansers they avoid irritating sensitive skin and eyes. Baby shampoos shy away from sulfate based cleansers or surfactants and instead rely on amphoteric surfactants that can clean, while also preventing irritation.
It's the fact that the Platinum product is concentrated, and delivers more of the key grease-fighting, colorless ingredients called “surfactants."
Baby shampoo still contains surfactants in them, but the concentrations are lower and they are usually milder surfactants.