septic systems and soaping

[Stacey]

As I was cleaning up after this last batch of soap...I wondered about soaping and septic systems. :?:

I was making confetti soap and just dumped in a bunch of curls and small chunks so I accidently over shot what my molds could hold. There were some left over raw soap in the bottom of the pot. I didn't have another small mold prepared...and besides the amount was really too small to dump in another mold. I was thinking it was "soap" so I just washed the left overs down the drain.

But it's not REALLy soap...yet...right? It has to saponify in order to REALLY be soap. So what I washed down was oils and lye.

The lye I'm not so worried about...but all the oils. That could be a problem. Especially since I have already made a bunch of batches...and will be making a bunch more. Everytime you make soap and clean up, some oils are going down the drain. Not much but some. Over time it could add up.

Anyone ever have a problem with your septic systems or plumbing due to soaping?

What about you city-folk? Any problems with your plumbing?

Or should I be wiping out the pot with toweling or something and tossing it in the garbage instead of washing it down the drain? Thus effectively ending any question about it. Or is it really a non-issue in the first place?

 

[PrairieCraft]

I also have a septic system and don't want to wash anything down the sink. I bought a bunch of really cheap washcloths and a couple silicone ice cube trays and a silicone spatula. What doesn't fit in the mold I scrape out with a spatula into the ice cube trays (these make great little guest size soaps or extras for you to give away) I scrape the bowl out to the point where it's almost dry and then wipe it down really well with a washcloth. Let the washcloth sit until the next day before putting it in the laundry. My first few batches I wiped the excess out with paper towels and trashed it but that is SO wasteful...of the excess soap you could have and the paper towels. If you don't have/can't get the silicone ice cube trays scrape it out into a blob on a piece of wax paper. That's my two cents. :wink:

 

[pixybratt]

I use the little silicon ice cube trays too, but after I put the bottom end of my stick blender and anything else in a plastic bag and tie it closed until the next day, when I use the soap to wash the dishes

 

[PrairieCraft]

Totally forgot about the stick blender. I haven't used mine since discovering the water discount and am very happy not to have to clean it, whatta PITA. :roll: That's a good idea though, I haven't tried soap on the dishes but it works great on soap scum in the shower and tub. Wish I would have known all these years that it was unnecessary to use harsh cleansers.

 

[tespring]

A while back, our sink clogged up and so we had to go get some drain cleaner, turns out the drain cleaner was lye, so I do not think that washing soap down your drain would be harmful if it has not saponified because that would mean the lye was active.

BUT, I have often wondered if the soap scum that the soap causes could be the cause of the clogging that we had. What we did was dump some of the drain cleaner down the sink and it unclogged, from now on, I will just mix my own lye/water mixture up and use that. It was like 10 bucks for a small bottle. This makes me wonder if it would be advisable to just dump some vinegar down the drain every once in a while and maybe that would help or maybe even baking soda.

 

[PrairieCraft]

Last time we needed to undo a clog (that my soap and I were blamed for) we thought of just using the lye but hadn't ever done it. How much do you use and what ratio of lye to water. Probably should have just googled it but it's so much more fun to get info on the SMF.

 

[carebear]

A while back, our sink clogged up and so we had to go get some drain cleaner, turns out the drain cleaner was lye, so I do not think that washing soap down your drain would be harmful if it has not saponified because that would mean the lye was active.

the lye is active but it may not have time to work before the oils clog your drain. raw soap and drains are not a good combo.

 

[c.a.p.]

What I've learned from the forums.......wait until the next day to clean my bucket. I then scrape whatever is left and save those scraps for either a confetti bar or for laundry soap. Easy-peasy.

 

[Stacey]

All right then. The voices of experience have spoken. I guess I won't be dumping it down the drain anymore.

As much as I love the idea letting my soaping stuff sit for a day before cleaning up, I usually can't.
1. It would drive me crazy to leave my mess without cleaning it up!

2. I only have one set of soaping stuff and usually do more than one batch at a time.

I'll have to work up a way to "dry" clean some of the stuff in between the batches. I think the method PrairieCraft mentioned sounds like the route to take!

Thanks everyone for answering.

 

[NancyRogers]

I soap in plastic buckets that I get from a local restaurant supply store. They have lids so when I'm done, I fit what I can in the bucked, put on the lid and leave it outside for a couple of days. After that, I hose it all off. The couple of things that don't fit, I'll wipe off with paper towels and wash. Easy peasy.

 

[jennikate]

I wait for day or so so it saponifies and than not only do i wash my soaping stuff finish any fresh dishes there might be.

 

[pixybratt]

I soap in plastic buckets that I get from a local restaurant supply store. They have lids so when I'm done, I fit what I can in the bucked, put on the lid and leave it outside for a couple of days. After that, I hose it all off. The couple of things that don't fit, I'll wipe off with paper towels and wash. Easy peasy.

I bought paint buckets at the hardware store too, depending on the size it's under $5 each.

 

[Bayougirl]

I had to have the house water pipes snaked in Sept. The plumbing was backing up into the tub, what a mess. I've been trying to not put any raw soap down the sink, but have only done a couple of batches since then. We're in the process of turning an outbuilding into a "Soap House", so I'm going to start leaving the buckets and stuff to clean up the day after soaping. $322.00 for pipe snaking isn't something I want to repeat any time soon.

 

[ilove2soap]

After soaping I would wash my equipment in the laundry room sink after wiping with paper towels or dish towels. I had the same opinion that you did about just small amounts of fat and lye going down the pipe (what could that possibly hurt?). Well, the laundry room sink started clogging up and I tried to blame it on hubby, but when we used the pipe snake, huge chunks of bubbly soap came up out of the pipe. Somehow the unsoponified oils and lye found each other in my drain pipes and clogged it up something awful. I now use the Nancy Rogers method of cleaning up in a bucket which I dump outside. Hope you have better luck than I did!

 

[Jerry S]

I as well have a septic tank. I never put any soaping cleanup down the drain. After I finish soaping I use the pot I mixed in and put hot water in it then place all my utensils in it including my SB bottom. The next day all the soap residue has melted off so I dump the bucket either on the grass in the front yard or in a flower bed that has heavy bushes. I am lucky enough to have a field where I can discard dirty water as well, but only rinse out my lye water container out there.

I have a portable drain system pipe from my cloths washing machine as well that drains into my yard under some fruit trees...been doing that for 10 years....the fruit trees love it
I don't put garbage down the kitchen disposal either but compost it. :wink:
js

 

[photoshadows]

I use the towel wipe down method too. It's so much easier for me to just clean up right after soaping. Otherwise it'd sit around cluttering the kitchen until I wanted to soap again. I DO use paper towels since my rags keep disappearing It IS wasteful, but saves the pipes. I just scape out as much soap as possible from the pot, wipe everything that touched the soap batter with the paper towels, add a splash of vinegar to my water and wash. Then I follow up with some soapy water to cut any remaining grease. It always surpises me how quick and easy it is. Hope this helps!

 

[carebear]

I wipe out with old newspaper or with rags (I get tons of rags from work). Paper towels are too expensive, so I only use one for a final wipe if necessary.

 

[FloridaSoaper]

Really interesting because I've been rinsing all soapmaking stuff off in the sink with raw soap on it and really never thought about the pipes. Haven't been making soap for too long...so if I save everything in a bucket for 24hrs. later or the day after, and then hose off outside...what does the soapy water do to your yard? We have a relatively small yard, and while I can designate a "soapy" spot on the side of the house...just wondered if this would hurt the grass over time? Or flowers/bushes/trees, whatever? Thanks! Glad I stumbled upon this thread...

 

[AZ Soaper]

I lived in a house with septic for 20 years, about 8 of those I soaped. I filled my soap pot with water and a good grease cutting dish washing liquid usually Dawn. Cleaned all my utensils in that pot and then poured it down the sink. Never had a problem. I also added Rid-X every month also. The only problem we had wash when we powdered laundry detergent and powdered dishwasher detergent. had to switch to liquid on both. The undissolved powder floated to the top of the tanks and we had a hard crusty powder st the top of the tank.YUCK and Expensive!

 

[SudsyKat]

Wow - I haven't really thought about this very much. I guess I'd better be more careful how I clean up - I certainly don't want that big plumber's bill!