Would dishwater kill plants?

Question

We use Dawn..

Answer 1

My only concern would be the oils and fats that would remain in the dishwater. Still, it should be ok for gardens, but maybe not so much for houseplants.

Answer 2

Well, it would depend on the dish-soap you are using !! I just checked on MY soap "Sun Light - Lemon" by Johnson Diversey , and it wouldn't kill plants.

When I was a teen growing up in Northern California during our droughts, we had several years of water-rationing:

My Dad took a 42-gallon steel drum and rigged it so the laundry machine and showers (grey-water) dumped into the drum. There was then a submersible pump that ran to the lawn. Our lawn was the ONLY green lawn in the neighborhood, and in fact the diluted phosphates actually helped the lawn !!

Answer 3

My Dad always used Ivory dish-washing liquid to kill bugs in his garden and on his fruit trees. Don't exaggerate with the soap. I believe he used a teaspoon to 1 or 2 quarts of water.

Answer 4

ahh.. no. it won't. Assuming a normal amount of dishsoap was used, it's just water with a surfactant in it.

I wouldn't use dishwater to water my houseplants, but for outside use, it's perfectly OK.

Jerry Baker even recommends dishsoap in a hose end sprayer as a means to kill bugs and clean off plants and to help open up soil to absorb water better.....

so- no.. it won't hurt them..

Answer 5

not necessarily it helps kill the bugs..
But you are not drenching the plants in it. then your
plants will be ok

Answer 6

Of course.

Answer 7

from what i have heard it is good for them so I would have to say no it will not kill them . it kills spider mite and aphids .

Answer 8

i think it might depend on the type/brand of soap... and how much of it...

Answer 9

short answer - yes!!!

Answer 10

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