What items and chemicals are NOT safe to flush down the toilet and into a private septic system besides normal household cleaners and household chemicals?

This document explains how to extend the life of the septic system by being careful about what goes into it.

Effects of Other Chemicals Flushed Into a Septic Systems

These questions and answers about chemicals & substances that should never be dumped down the drain, down the toilet nor into a septic system or soakaway were posted originally

at CHEMICALS to KEEP OUT OF SEPTICS - please be sure to review that article.

On 2019-06-02 by (mod) - wax flushed down drains risks costly clogging

Wax flushed into building drains invites a drain clogged and sewage backup into the building. A very small amount of wax entering a septic tank probably is harmless as I would expect it to collect on the floating scum layer in to be removed during septic tank cleaning.

However if you're running a business and flushing large amounts of that into your system you risk are loading your septic tank and causing a blockage. Of course if the septic tank baffles are not intact you're also sending wax into the drain field and running that.

On 2019-06- by Pam - flushing wax used in batik clothing manufacture

I make batik clothing wand have moved to a home with a septic tank. I use beeswax to resist the dyes and part of my process involves washing the clothes in cold water before boiling the wax out. Will the bits of wax that come off during the wash harm my septic tank or drain field over time?

This septic system uses a pump required by the county health department.

On 2019-05-06 by Bruce Hooey

We subscribe to one of the many meal delivery programs (GoodFood) and their freezer packs contain sodium polyacrylate (as I think do most meal delivery plans). They say you can flush the content of the freezer pack down your toilet but I am concerned what the impact might be on our septic. Can we put the contents of the freezer pack with sodium polyacrylate in our septic?

On 2019-03-21 by (mod) -

Nan

Not to be glib about it, the dose makes the poison. Small quantities or a few ounces of an acid won't have a measurable effect on a septic tank but larger quantities could be quite harmful or even dangerous.

On 2019-03-21 by Nan

WEB cleaner contains phosphoric acid. Is it safe for septic tanks?

On 2019-02-18 by (mod) -

Patty in general household cleaners, used at normal levels, are so dilute in the septic tank as to be harmless.

Affresh, a Whirlpool product:
Whirlpool Corporation
2000 N. M-63
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
1-800-643-0961 (USA)
1-888-253-2668 (CANADA)

is comprised of (by its MSDS)
Chemical Name CAS-No. Concentration (%)
Sodium Carbonate Peroxyhydrate 15630-89-4 >= 50 - < 70
boric acid 10043-35-3 >= 20 - < 30
sodium carbonate 497-19-8 >= 20 - < 30
tetrasodium edta 64-02-8 >= 1 - < 5
poly[oxy(methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)], a-hydro-whydroxy25322-69-4 >= 1 - < >

See this BORIC ACID MSDS (Fisher Scientific 2014)

On 2019-02-18 by Patty

Is the Affresh washing machine cleaner safe for my septic tank? It says it is, but I don't trust these companies to always be truthful. Thank you.

On 2019-02-16 0 by (mod) -

At normal household usage levels, yes.

On 2019-02-15 20:02:34.563621 by Eleonora

Can I use Zep commercial Professional strength to remove calcium and rust deposits from toilet and shower without harming my septic tank

On 2018-12-19 03:25:00.614529 by Mark

Thanks, Dan. That's good to hear. I just moved into a new house with a septic tank, and I've been stressing on potentially clogging up the leach fields with the oil based pomades and hair tonics I use.

On 2018-12-18 00:16:34.310189 by (mod) -

Mark,

Thank you for an interesting question. I don't think that use of Pomade or any hair products will be home. Acetic system at normal usage levels. Not only is a quantity small but the saponification effects of soap help to break down those petroleum products or Oils in the course of shampooing or washing them from your hair or body.

On 2018-12-15 19:20:15.719159 by Mark

Will using petroleum and wax based pomades harm the septic tank when showering? I use the old school pomades for my hair like Murray's Superior, Royal Crown and Brylcreem. The ingredients are Petrolatum, lanolin, wax, mineral oil, coconut oil and oil olive. These are small amounts though. I use a dime sized glob of pomade to style my hair in the morning. I'm not pouring gallons down the drain. Just going for the Rodney Dangerfield look for my hair.

On 2018-11-18 18:48:04.775124 by (mod) -

No, Nancy. At normal household usage levels bath oil won't harm the septic system. That small amount of oil will simply join the floating grease and scum layer where it will be removed at the next septic tank pumpout.

On 2018-11-17 01:33:07.570795 by Nancy

is bath oil harmful to septic lines

On 2018-11-18 by (mod) - bath oil is ok

No, Nancy. At normal household usage levels bath oil won't harm the septic system. That small amount of oil will simply join the floating grease and scum layer where it will be removed at the next septic tank pumpout.

On 2018-11-17 by Nancy

is bath oil harmful to septic lines

On 2018-10-29 by (mod) - HCL hydrochloric acid should not go down drains

In quantity, yes

In trivial incidental use as part of a sink or toilet cleaner, probably it's so dilute in the septic tank as to be harmless.

On 2018-10-29 by Jeff

Does Hydrochloric acid hurt a septic system?

On 2018-06-29 by Cleaning toilet tank

thinking about cleaning toilet tank with ascorbic acid

On 2018-06-12 1 by (mod) - Slime ingredients in the septic tank

Greg

In Trivial or infrequent usage the Slime ingredients are not likely to harm the septic tank. I might be concerned if semi-solids of being flushed down drains that you may clog a drain.

On 2018-06-11 by Greg O'Connor

My grandchildren make the popular "slime" out of glue, liquid starch and contact lens solution. When done, they wash up, and the dishes are washed. What affect does this have on my septic system?

On 2018-05-17 by (mod) - flushing Oven Monster, Drano, Lye into a septic system?

Tom

The product you ask about, Oven Monster, contains sodium hydroxide, or caustic soda or commonly called "lye" - as its active ingredient.

So the basic question is How Much Caustic Soda Will Harm a Septic Tank or Septic System?

From the Cornell Cooperative Extension we have this recommended limit on the use of bleach or caustics or drain cleaners in septic systems:

Maximum daily dosage of selected household Chemicals for a 1,000-gallon septic tank (Gross, 1987) cited in CHEMICALS to KEEP OUT OF SEPTICS

Product Amount

Liquid hypochlorite bleach 1.3 gallons

Pine cleaner 2.5 gallons

Crystal drain cleaner 0.65 ounces

Source:

Schwartz, John HJ., Ann t. Lemley, Kalpana Pratrap, Household Chemicals and your septic system [PDF] (2004), Water Treatment Notes, Cornell Cooperative Extension, produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, retrieved 2018/05/17, original source: http://waterquality.cce.cornell.edu/publications/CCEWQ-16-HouseholdChemicalsSeptic.pdf
in turn derived from
Gross, Mark A. "Assessment of the effects of household chemicals upon individual septic tank performances." (1987).

A copy is also available at InspecctApedia.com at

https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Household-Chemicals-Septic-Limits-CCE-2004.pdf


Background and a rough calculation:

Caustic soda or lye at high levels in a septic tank risks killing the bacteria needed to break down sewage pathogens both in the tank itself and also in the soil into which the septic tank effluent is discharged.

Occasional use, perhaps once a month, of a 15% caustic soda solution in amounts of a gallon or less, is not likely to harm the septic system, based on this calculation using Powell's online caustic soda dilution calculator at https://www.powellfab.com/

0.3 gallons of 15wt diluted sodium hydroxide + 0.8 gallons of water produces what the industry considers "dilute sodium hydroxide solution" such as might be used for grill cleaning.

If, then, one gallon of dilute sodium hydroxide enters a 1000 gallon septic tank (for example, as you don't give your septic tank size) the sodium hydroxide is further diluted by the 1000 gallons of sewage in the tank.

If we figure that an in-use septic tank contains solid sludge, floating scum, and a remaining liquid volume, we can figure that your cleaning product is being initially diluted into about 750 gallons of wastewater.

If we figure that your septic tank is receiving no less than another 250 gallons of wastewater each day, at the end of day 1 your cleaning solution has been diluted at a rate of 1000:1 with wastewater - that's quite dilute.

Over the next four days that dilution is doubled. Over two weeks that dilution is multiplied by roughly 7-10 times.

Watch out: HOWEVER if larger amounts of concentrated or diluted sodiuim hydroxide or NaOH or Lye is entering a septic system it may indeed kill bacteria and contaminate the surrounding environment.

Details:

According to the MSDS for Oven Monster, produced by Intercon Chemical Company, www.interconchemical.com/products/sds/784-OvenMonster-iccb.pdf

the principal active ingredient is NaOH or Sodium Hydroxide at a 15% concentration

described by the company as

This powerful oven and grill cleaner contains strong alkali, detergent builders and surfactants to penetrate, emulsify and saponify soil, food, grease and carbon deposits.

Concentrated for strength and economy, this product is effective in removing light to very heavy accumulations of oils, grease, food and dirt that may be found in all food serving and processing areas.

Directions

GRIDDLES AND OVENS: Remove excess grease with scraper. Apply product to warm surface. Soak, scour and scrape to drain trough. Wipe and rinse with
potable water.

FRYERS: Drain pot and wipe up excess. Refill fryer with solution of 2-6 oz. of this product per gallon of water. Drain and wipe out residue. Rinse with
potable water.

Safety Information

KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN

DANGER: Causes burns to eyes and skin. Harmful if swallowed. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. In case of contact with skin, flush area with plenty of water and seek medical attention if irritation persists. In case of contact with eyes, flush with plenty of water and seek medical attention. If swallowed,

DO NOT induce vomiting. Call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

Gross (1987) cited at CHEMICALS to KEEP OUT OF SEPTICS says this in the paper's abstract:

A laboratory study and a field study were performed to determine the amounts of specific household chemicals required to destroy bacteria populations in individual domestic septic tanks. The particular chemicals evaluated include liquid chlorine bleach, High Test Hypochlorite (HTH), Lysol disinfectant and Drano crystal.

The laboratory study was performed to determine the approximate chemical concentrations to destroy the bacteria in the septic tank, and the field study showed the actual effect of the chemicals upon the bacteria in terms of reduction of the number of bacteria in the septic tank as well as the time required for the bacterial population to recover.

A liquid bleach concentration of 1.85 ml/l destroyed the bacteria in the septic tanks.

This corresponds to 7 liters (1.85 gallons) of liquid bleach in a 3780 liter (1000 gallon) septic tank. After addition of chlorine bleach, and within approximately 30 hours of normal septic system usage, the bacterial population had recovered to its original concentration.

A Lysol concentration of 5.0 ml/l destroyed the bacteria in the domestic tanks. This corresponds to 19 liters (5.0 gallons) of Lysol in a 3780 (1000 gallon) septic tank. Following the addition of Lysol, the bacteria population recovered to its original concentration within approximately 60 hours (2.5 days).

A Drano concentration of 3.0 mg/l destroys the bacteria in a septic tank. This corresponds to 11.3 grams (0.4 ounces) in a 3780 liter (1000 gallon) septic tank. The bacterial population recovers to its original concentration within 48 hours following the addition of the Drano.

On 2018-05-14 by Tom

We use oven monster at work for stainless steel such as cleaning blackened stainless steel from the grill is this safe for our specit system

On 2017-12-21 16:46:33.884681 by Dorothy

Can Phosphoric acid based cleaner be used in a residential septic system?

On 2017-11-19 02:04:50.250849 by Anonymous

Can I pour Kleen-out into my septic system

On 2017-08-27 03:28:17.964126 by Robert

I meant to say - Can I pour nespresso descaling solution down the septic system after cleaning the coffee machine?
It contains phosphonates and citric acid
Thanks

On 2017-08-27 03:26:53.638972 by Anonymous

Can I pour nespresso des along solution down the septic system after I clean the machine? It contains phosphonates and citric acid

On 2017-06-21 15:48:30.922528 by (mod) -

Seems unlikely, but can you define the quantity?

On 2017-06-20 11:30:53.489903 by Jim

Do small quantities of WD 40 harm a household septic system?

On 2017-06-10 22:23:17.921081 by (mod) -

JW to have space and provide links I repeat your question and give a detailed answer in the bottom of the article above. Take a look and let me know what you think. You may need to purge your browser cache and it may take 24 hours for the updated page to appear in your server.

On 2017-06-09 15:54:18.601505 by JWS

Hello - I'm considering hiring "Miracle Method" to refinish our tub. Do know if their chemicals would cause irreparable harm to our septic system? What's the best way to manage this process? Thank you.

On 2017-05-03 21:18:11.235248 by (mod) -

Great question, Stacey.

In a separate article https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Washing_Machine_Impact_on_Septic.php we discuss the impact of soaps and detegents on septic systems, starting with washing machines and dishwasher soaps; generally usage of bath products at normal household levels should not affect the septic system. On occasion I find heavy usage of powdered products can clog drain lines.

On 2017-05-03 15:51:00.805542 by stacyraewalker

I run a soap making and bath products business from my home. I am VERY careful not to let uncured soaps down the drain and into my septic system. Recently a lot of my customers have been requesting bath bombs. Are they safe for the septic system? They are made of citric acid, sodium bicarb, and some oils to hold it all together. I wont sell anything to my customers I cant test on myself first.

On 2017-02-11 21:39:53.123048 by (mod) -

At normal household usage levels I would doubt it.

On 2017-02-10 13:53:24.836760 by Jacqueline Long

Citric acid does it have bad affects on the septic tank?

On 2016-06-01 10:15:59.607653 by (mod) -

I would not dump any granular debris into any drain, as you risk clogging.

On 2016-05-31 17:42:17.581939 by Richard

Is it safe to dispose of damp rid in a toilet which is on a septic system?

Question: lawn mower oil went into the septic system

(Aug 6, 2011) Charles said:
I cleaned my lawn mower sponge air filter with soap and water that went down the drain and into our septic. Is there enough oil on such a filter to hurt a septic?

Reply:

Charles don't feel bad, lots of us have lost things down the drain and then worried about the result. My grandson's underpants went down the drain; I've found a toy truck in the drain, and god knows what else.

A typical lawn mower air filter sponge is just a few inches across. IF IF IF the sponge made it all the way into the septic tank (and is not clogging a pipe somewhere) your system will be ok. Baffles in the tank (hope they're intact) will keep the floating sponge in the tank where it'll be sucked out at the next septic tank cleanout job.

The volume of remaining soap and oil in the filter won't be enough to be measurable in a typical home septic tank volume.

Next time clean the sponge over a bucket outdoors, OK?

Question: citric acid bath products and essential oils for bathing: effect on septic tank

2015/11/03 Anonymous said:
Are citric acid based( bath bombs) for the toilet harmful to septic?

how about essential oil/ citric acid based toilet bomb? Are they harmful to septic?

Reply:

Anon:

I'm not sure of the meaning of "bath bomb" but if you refer to stuff put into a bath tub for bathing in order to give scent or oil or herbs, at normal household usage levels there's no likely harm to the septic system.

Question: impact of lime sulfur veterinary solution on a septic tank

2015/12/03 Rob said:

Does sulfurated lime dip affect septic systems?

Reply:

Rob (and for other readers)

Lime sulfur dip is a sulfurated lime solution used for animals including pets to kill mites and other parasites, and according to typical sulfurated lime dip vendors the dip also works against fungi and bacteria. It smells like rotten eggs - that's the sulfur content.

Sold for pet use the typical container volume is 16 oz. typically in a 97.8% solution (for veterinary use). You should consult a vet before using this treatment on your animals.

Because the solution is a type of biocide it's appropriate to ask if it's harmful to the necessary biota in a septic tank.

In typical preparation of the solution I describe above you dilute 4 ounces of the solution into one gallon of water and apply that solution topically to the animal.

Used in that volume and concentration and considering that a typical residential septic tank volume is 1000 gallons or more, you are diluting the dip from 97.8% lime-sulfur concentration twice: 4 0z in 128 oz (that dilutes to 2.31%) and then that diluted solution is further disposed-of into 128,000 ounces in the septic tank.

That dilutes to a 0.00002 % solution - before further wastewater enters the tank to dilute that solution further.

At that dilution I am doubtful you'd be able to detect the solution in the septic tank.

...

Continue reading  at CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• SEPTIC TREATMENTS & CHEMICALS
• CHEMICALS to KEEP OUT OF SEPTICS
• SEPTIC DRAINFIELD RESTORERS?
• ROOT KILLERS in SEWER LINES or SEPTIC PIPES
• SEPTIC DRAINFIELD RESTORERS?
• TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST

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