If you plan on using a greywater system instead of sewer, you need to be mindful of the products you are putting into the earth. Every product you use, and even those you put on your body, will get washed down your drains and head straight to whatever system you've put in place. I did a lot of research on “greywater safe” products, and realized it is harder than it seems to find products that are 100% biodegradable. Just because something says it is eco-friendly, it does not mean that it is safe to use in a grey water system.

Here are some my favorite products that I've found. 

Bath and body Products

• Avalon Organics. Easily found online and in store at Target and Costco. Great option, especially in bulk, but the shampoo is somewhat drying in my experience.

• Puracy. Great options for Shampoo, Conditioner, and hand soaps. They offer these in refill pouches on a monthly subscription service. This is my pick for shampoo and conditioner!

• Jason. These are easy to find in store, so in a pinch I’d go with this brand.

• JR Watkins Hand Soap. You can find these at Target, however they are often out of stock. I buy the big refill sizes, and just fill up a glass container at home.

• Bamboo Toilet Paper. Any 100% bamboo toilet paper will do, but this one is nice because it ships plastic free.

Laundry

• Ecos Detergent. You can find this at Whole Foods or online. You can get a huge 100ml bottle for $10, lasting over 100 loads.

• Dropps Detergent Pods. These ship plastic free, which is awesome, but I couldn't use these because of my washer dryer combo. Combo units use much less water, and therefore use much less soap. Because these are pods, the detergent amount is predetermined. Dropps does offer mini pods, which are half the amount of the normal ones, however I read a few reviews saying the pods do not always dissolve completely in cold water and in machines that don't use a lot of water. Pods can be tough in combo units because of this. I really wanted to use these but it just wouldn't have worked with my unit.

• Oasis. Not only is it biodegradable, but it is biocompatible, meaning that they actually break down into nutrients for your plants.

• Puracy Laundry Detergent. Super concentrated so the bottle is MUCH smaller for the same amount of loads than the Ecos bottle, so you use less plastic and they are easier to store in your tiny home. You can subscribe to a refill service for convenience.

kitchen

• Ecos Dish Soap. The price is great, but they do not offer any larger refills.

• Mrs. Meyers Dish Soap. The classic. Smells great, biodegradable, and readily available in store and online.

• Oasis Dishwash/All purpose cleaner. Use this in a 1:1 ratio with water to use as dish soap (not for use in dishwasher). Similar to Dr. Bronners, there are a variety of other things you can use this for (hand soap, shampoo, body wash) depending on your dilution level.

• Ecos Dishwasher Gel. They also come in pods, but they are hard to find in store.

• Make your own dish soap with Dr. Bronners Castile Soap. My recipe is 1 part soap to 10 parts water + 1-2 tbsps of baking soda. This is a much more economical route, and you will use far less plastic since you can buy the soap in bulk. You can find Dr. Bronners online, at Costco, Whole Foods, Target, and probably a ton of other places too :)

Cleaning products

• Method. They have a variety of different cleaners, all great, all 100% biodegradable. These are readily available at most stores. Worth noting: they are cruelty free, but their parent company, SC Johnson is not.

• Mrs. Meyers. Slightly more expensive than Method, but awesome products all around.

• ECOS earth enzymes drain cleaner. Good to use in tandem with vinegar for drain maintenance.

• Make your own all purpose cleaner (glass, countertops, safe for paint and wood): 1:1 water/vinegar + 25 drops lemon oil + lemongrass + eucalyptus.

Bonus Cleaning Tips!

• When looking for greywater safe products, the main things to watch for are phosphates and sodium and anything that changes the pH level.

• Do not mix vinegar and baking soda. When combined, they have the potential to cancel each other out depending on your ratio. Most often, it leaves you with only a mildly acidic solution that won’t do much help in cleaning tough jobs.

• Drain Maintenance: Pour one cup of vinegar down your drains once a month or so and let it sit for about an hour before rinsing with hot water. This will help break up any food build up and help prevent problems before they happen.

• If you have a composting toilet with a drain for liquids (like the Separett), you can “flush” by pouring a cup of water down the drain after each use. This will help prevent calcium deposits from forming and again hopefully prevent major buildup longterm.

As a general aside, even if you are connected to sewer, please consider using eco friendly items even though you don’t have to. Be sure to use reusable items wherever you can, such as these snack baggies or produce bags, and of course reusable water bottles and coffee cups. My favorites are made by MiiR. Be sure to check out The Wild Minimalist for more great zero waste products (and shipped via zero waste packaging)!

What are some of your favorite cleaning/eco conscious tips and tricks?