Do you use washing up or bath water to water garden?

[Sunshineandrainbow]

If so please give me your tips...

No, because of the soaps etc. I have no idea if they are harmful but it never seems like a great idea.

However, I will reuse cleaner water. e.g. when I refresh the dog bowl I chuck the old water out into the garden. Or if I have to run the tap, e.g. when washing veg, I run it into a bowl and check that out.

I do eye up the leak in front of my house that Anglian water haven't fixed for 3 months now and wonder how I could divert all that wasted water onto my parched front garden...

@bazzels But for those of us under a hosepipe ban, clearly we can't use a hose. And I suspect restrictions will get tighter if there is little rain in August so I'm trying to reuse/recycle.

I use unperfumed organic soap made from goats milk, so have no issue watering the veggies with shower water. The plants are thriving so they don't seem to have an issue either😊

You guys need to start using washing up liquid that isn't toxic don't you think?

Can you recommend any?

Yes I do - I just keep a bucket by the sink to tip water off into and then empty that into the garden. Agree though, that if the water is really skanky - like with fat or yoghurt bits in it (don't judge - I pre-wash dishes, then wash things to be recycled in the end of that water!), I don't empty it. It's not great that all that shit goes down the drain, but I think I do that just because I don't want to attract vermin with smells.

There are loads of environment-friendly detergents by the way. And anyway, spraying some plants with washing up liquid is a recommended solution for some pests!

I get that soap/washing up liquid is used on foliage for pest etc. But I always worry about it being used regularly to water plants because it doesn't seem like a good thing to keep soaking the soil with - for the roots and for everything that lives in the soil (bacteria, worms etc).

Maybe I've been worrying about nothing?

Very diluted washing up liquid - not washing up liquid.

In terms of pests, it is for aphids whereby a tiny amount of washing up liquid reduces the surface tension on the surface and stops them being able to breathe.

About a decade and a half ago, I used Google to find different environmentally friendly detergents. I now live in France and did the same when I got here. This isn't brand new information!

Yes. And I've been taking a large toy storage tub into the shower with me to collect some water.

Thanks for sharing

No, we are extremely fortunate to have a borehole with our own water supply (although it cost us £11k so not exactly cheap, but there was no water supply here when we purchased), so aren't affected by hosepipe bans. We do have several water butts dotted about the garden too, which - being in Wales - are usually full!

I wouldn't use water which has had chemicals/detergent in it to water plants. We did this once a couple of years ago during a dry spell and used it on our potted box plants. One survived intact the leaves of the other turned brown and dropped off! It did recover eventually but I won't do it again.

We use Ecover washing up liquid and faith in nature bar handsoaps - biodegradeable and non-toxic. I am also trying to use less so they are more dilute and also dilute the water in a bucket with rinse water or pasta water.

I absolutely wouldn’t use any antibacterial products as it will mess up the soil bacteria which is critical!

yes, for anything that needs water, buckets
we use ecover washing up liquid & I'm a soap minimiser at best of times

Ive been reading up about this and I decided against it

We have a dishwasher so no sink bowl and I dont have baths I have showers, so wondered about a grey water system thing but then thought about all the salt from the dishwasher and also the bleach and limescale cleaners for the upstairs sink, bath and shower and then the downstairs, plus all the normal shampoos and conditioners, it would be awful for the plants and kill them I think

i put a bucket in the shower today,
and also the water from my boiled egg/pasta/some washing up.

the bucket in the shower particularly to catch the water before it turns hot enough

Make sure you're using environmentally friendly soaps/washing up liquids. Some of the standard stuff can be quite toxic for wildlife

Leigh Johnstone from Southampton, who shares his gardening tips on TikTok, said plants were hardier than most people think.
More damage can be done from overwatering plants and "if you are clever about it" there are lots of ways to save water, he said.
Mr Johnstone - known on social media as the Beardy Gardener - suggests using a water butt to collect rain water, and to put "grey water" from baths and cooking pots on the garden.
However, he says, soapy water should not be used on plants you are growing to eat.
Mr Johnstone says mulch should be used to keep moisture in the soil. Mulch is material such as wood chippings that you put on top of the soil.
And he suggests planting drought-resistant plants such as lavender, Euphorbia and wildflowers.

from the BBC website

Yes, dish water, hand washing water (collected in washing up bowl), a bucket in the shower to collect splashes

no but then I live on West coast of Scotland we are now a whole 72 hours since rain

Yes I put all kitchen water on the garden and take a builders bucket into the shower to catch water in.

I think it's a bit mad and squeamish how often we are told we can't use washing up water on edibles. Salad leaves and herbs I'd agree ought to get clean water but it's bonkers to worry about trees or tomato plants.

I use ecover washing up liquid and ordinary bar soap soap, both of which are fine to use on the garden - have done so for years. Also use mulch and this week I've experimented with covering plants with garden fleece during the hottest part of the day to prevent scorching.

Don't use soapy water on ericaceous plants as it will be too alkaline for them. Don't use antibacterial washing up liquid (just switch to a different kind. Antibac is unnecessary unless someone in the house is immunocompromised.) and don't use anything with bleach or salt in it.

Hen running the tap to get warm water to wash up in, I save that water.
three water butts, May get a 4th for next year.

*When