Septic Tanks And A DIY Eco-Friendly Clothes Detergent.
Now for something slightly different. Although I won’t be talking about veggies or mentioning the T word, today’s subject matter is quite important if you want to harvest produce that’s as ecological as possible. Whether you grow your own food or not, if you care about yourself and the planet you might find today’s post interesting.
Like most people in Spain who live in rural areas or on some of the older urbanisations where there is no mains drainage, we are the proud owners of a septic tank (“fosa séptica”). It is underground and is the type made from “bloques” (the heavy grey brick things) and concrete (I think). It’s divided into two separate tanks, one for the liquid and the other for the more solid matter (sorry to get specific).
There are various different types of septic tanks so I’m told, the more modern ones being made out of plastic or fibre-glass. Supposedly, in certain towns these are now compulsory, many home owners have had to replace the older style tanks for one of the more futuristic models. In Benissa this hasn’t happened as yet (thank goodness).
We had ours emptied not too long ago by a local firm. This process is done by specialists in the field who then dispose of the waste in an appropriate manner (not my idea of the perfect job, poor guys!) We also “care” for the septic tank with Hyzyme (bought from the Corner Shop in Orba), a natural product made from certain enzymes and bacteria that help in the decomposition process. We’re hoping it will be a while before it needs emptying again. Time will tell.
Important things to remember with septic tanks are:
Try not to tip too much oil or grease down the sink; no flushing of ladies sanitary products, cotton buds or condoms down the loo (you shouldn’t do this if you’re on mains drainage either); no cigarette ends (also pretty obvious) and try not to use chemical products which can kill the good bacteria needed for the septic tank to stay “healthy”. This is where my DIY “recipe” comes in.
Our septic tank is situated in the pumpkin plant plot (the ppp), also home to a lot of our fruit trees and right next to the chicken run. Because of this and also because I want our septic tank to remain in good kilter, all of the cleaning products and cosmetics we use are ecological. Some we make ourselves, others we buy from local health shops or online.
I get headaches from most products that are artificially scented, in some cases I’d sooner be next to someone smoking than someone wearing a strong perfume, although both can make my head pound. Pep is the same. When it comes to everyday household products, what we dislike the most are non-eco-friendly washing powders and fabric softeners. I’ve found that garments or sheets that have been washed with them can hold the fragrance for over a year. Even washing them a few times with an ecological soap isn’t enough to remove the scent.
The ingredients in both of these commonly used items are pretty scary. There are claims stating some are carcinogenic. If you have eczema, dermatitis or other skin problems you probably already know that your washing powder or softener can cause problems to your condition. There is quite an informative page here explaining some of these toxic ingredients. They are also terrible for the environment. Whether you have a septic tank or are on mains it would be best to switch to natural products or make your own.
A good alternative for fabric softener is distilled white vinegar. Just add half a cup to the softener compartment when you wash your clothes, that’s all you’ll need. You can also add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to add a bit of fragrance. Here’s a very good article explaining different ways to use vinegar in laundry. And here is another page explaining all sorts of uses the acidic clear liquid has.
On occasions I use an eco washing powder or liquid that I buy from local health shops and they work fine, they also don’t leave behind an artificial fragrance for days on end. The problem is they can tend to be expensive, at least compared to non eco ones so I decided to investigate and make my own.
What I found was that, with just four inexpensive ingredients you could easily whip up a home made detergent for everyday use. Different types of sodium are used and also natural soap. I’ve discovered that using pure marseille soap (or castile soap), bicarbonate of soda, sodium percarbonate or sodium carbonate (washing soda) and ordinary salt make a great alternative to expensive shop bought eco washing powders.
Marseille soap or castile soap are good at removing grease, bicarbonate of soda removes stains, sodium percarbonate/carbonate whitens and salt softens clothes. That’s the information I have come across online at least. These products have loads of uses around the house and garden too, along with distilled white vinegar, so if you’re thinking of reducing toxic cleaners, etc, it’s worth looking into what else they can be used for.
To make the washing powder you will need 170 grams of castile soap or pure marseille soap, 1 cup (275 grams) of bicarbonate of soda, 1 cup (250 grams) of sodium percarbonate or sodium carbonate (washing soda) and 1 cup (200 grams) of salt. Firstly, add the soap to your food processor and process until it resembles breadcrumbs, more or less. Add all the other ingredients and blitz until well combined.
Et voilà!! Your own homemade, greener, non-artificially scented washing powder. Use 2 tablespoons for each load of washing, along with 1/2 a cup of distilled white vinegar for a softener if you like. I store mine in a large glass jar and leave in the laundry room along with a tablespoon, it lasts for quite a lot of washes and when I run out it only takes a few seconds to prepare another batch.
Well, I didn’t mention the T word which is quite a feat considering the amount we have. No doubt it will be impossible for me not to speak about them in my next post, possibly including another cold soup recipe to use up a few more. What better time than now, anyway, when the weather is nice and hot.
I’ll be back this Saturday on Valley FM between 1pm and 2pm. You can listen online or on 94.5FM/102.6FM if you live in the Jalón or Orba valleys.
As always, any questions or suggestions we’d love to hear from you. Thanks for reading. See you very soon. Love Georgie and Pep xxx
