Salt Soap Question

[lovinglife]

I made one batch of salt soap and I LOVE it, my question is for people on septic systems, do you worry about putting all that salt into the environment via septic systems, and how does the salt affect a system. I know to kill weeds we use vinegar and salt, most plants don't do well in a salty environment. Thoughts?

Thanks!
Michele

 

[shunt2011]

I don't have a septic system but my parents do and my mom uses my salt bars and has for years with no issues. It's so diluted it really shouldn't affect anything.

 

[DeeAnna]

If a bar of soap lasts, say, 2-4 weeks, and each bar weighs about 5 ounces, and half of the bar is salt by weight, then that means you are putting 2.5 to 5 ounces of salt into your septic system every 4 weeks.

If you have a home water softener, you might use 50 pounds (800 oz) of salt every 8 weeks or so -- possibly more depending on hardness. That's about 400 oz of salt going into your septic system every 4 weeks.

I don't worry about using my home water softener. So I wouldn't worry about using salt bars with my septic system.

The concern about salt in the soil is more about whether or not the salt is well diluted and whether or not the salt is washed away by rainfall. Salt if used to kill weeds is a concentrated application to foliage and the surface soil where roots grow. Salt in a septic system is highly diluted and is put into the below-ground soil. In an arid climate (one with little rainfall), accumulation of salt can cause problems over time. In a climate with a lot of rainfall, it's pretty much not an issue.

 

[lsg]

We have a septic system and my soap making has never caused a problem in twelve years of soaping. I don't think that regular use of a salt bar would harm the septic system. As DeeAnn says, the salt in a bar of soap will be so diluted that it shouldn't cause any harm to the system or environment. If one were to flush large amounts of salt into the system at one time, it might kill the essential bacteria in the tank, but I am assuming that you are not going to do that.

 

[lovinglife]

Oh good! We don't have a water softener so our salt contribution shouldn't be an issue. Glad I don't have to give up my salt bars. Thanks everyone!