A big family moving into a rural home for the first time may need to change the way they’ve been handling the laundry. Experienced septic system in Aberdeen, WA, can only manage a certain amount of wastewater flowing into the system, so doing the entire week’s wash in one day is inadvisable. Those responsible for the laundry must figure out a way to spread the task over several days.
Minimizing the Number of Loads
Ideally, only one load of laundry would be washed each day, especially since members of the household are assuredly showering or taking baths as well, and also using the toilet. Doing only one washload per day may not always be possible with numerous people living in the home, but minimizing the number is important.
The Numbers
A typical washload uses 30 to 50 gallons of water, so doing several loads consecutively pumps hundreds of gallons into the tank. In addition, the average 10-minute shower uses about 18 gallons and each toilet flush about 3 to 4 gallons. A septic system in Aberdeen, WA, requires time to safely move liquid into the drain field. When overloaded, solid materials may travel to that field as well and contaminate it.
Limiting Use of Bleach
Another tip for protecting this private sewage treatment system is to limit the use of bleach in the laundry. A small amount on occasion does not cause problems, but the routine addition of this harsh chemical to washloads is harmful to the tank’s friendly bacteria. Those bacteria are crucial for breaking down waste.
