joblessinmi

Question Regarding Reusing "Gray" Water

Posted on 09/06/09, 07:52 pm

I think I had read somewhere in this forum that one could use their used dish washing water to water their plants. Can I use the dirty dishwater used to wash the dishes or just the rinse water? Can I use it on my indoor plants or just the outdoor plants? What about the food particles that are still in the water? Will they attract bugs/animals? Thanks for your help.

• Reply #1 09/07/09  10:40am
  
  mechellebelle
  Well as a green thumb with a husband with a horticulture background, I will just give my opinion, not backed by anything in particular.
  
  I would not give the plants the soapy water. I would only give them cooled rinse water. (lukewarm is OK too). Too many food particles will create a stinky plant. For example, any dairy left in the soapy water will sour, etc. I would think the rinse water would be just fine though. Anything left in there (soap or food) would be so diluted it wouldn't hurt. I don't think there would be enough of anything there in the rinse water to attract anything.
  
  I used to read that milk given to african violets would help them. I tried it once years ago and all I got was a sour plant LOL. There are better ways to give plants calcium like with products sold just for that purpose that are easily absorbed by the plants.
• Reply #2 09/11/09  4:39am
  
  katiebelle1091
  I collect rainwater for my plants etc but then again live in Ireland where the one thing we have lots of is rain :-) . My grandmother used to collect it to wash our hair when we were younger. Funny thing was as soon as we got home my mother would immediately re wash our hair in the shower LOL
• Reply #3 09/14/09  10:33am
  
  mechellebelle
  I like the idea of using rainwater for things like that. did you see that there's a rainwater ad to the right of this page LOL??????
  
  how funny. but I think its a nice idea. if you really wanted to be thrifty you could use the rainwater to flush toilets or for things that you prewash (like soaking stained clothes and such).

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