Question

Does anyone use bath water to water their plants to save on water ?  

Answer 1

If your old enough to remember 1976 you would not ask this question  

Comments

@soapbox47 year I left school, the perfect summer  

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@cloistered indeed, every drop was saved and put on the garden, bath water the lot  

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@soapbox47 I wasn’t really aware to be honest, as a 16 year old I just remember the summer of a lifetime and the odd water pipe popping up in some streets  

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@cloistered stand pipes ever where, same year we had a white Christmas  

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@soapbox47 yes you’re right it was. It’s crazy when you think about it, we had a really bad winter a couple of years ago with snow for weeks then within a couple of months we were comparing the summer to that of 76 ‍♀️

Answer 2

Yes we have veggie plants that love the bath water we have our bath and washer water drain on the ground and the plants love it mostly my cucumbers they grow best there close by the water drain not to close though

Answer 3

I use the fishtank water  

Answer 4

I use my washing up water.  

Answer 5

It takes filling the 10L watering can 11 times to get around my garden. Fortunately, we clean the temporary koi pond water into the IBC tanks for the filtration on the new pond we are building so currently dipping the watering can in that

Answer 6

No just turn the hose on but I'm not on a meter

Answer 7

I use washing up water  

Answer 8

No never. I like plenty of bubbles in my bath. To be honest I don’t know how people use so much water. We have bath / shower every day, at least 3 loads of washing every other day, dishwasher on every night, grandkids pool filled up, jet washing patio etc, watering garden once water butts are empty and that costs me £11 a month.  

Comments

@cloistered I paid £20 a month for 2 year and it’s now gone up to £60 as apparently they don’t read the meters that often and just estimate

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@cloistered are youvon a meter ?  

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@adipose26504 yes I am

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@cloistered . seriously? We are on a meter too and it's much more than that.  

Answer 9

You live in England there is plenty of water!  

Comments

@moslem246 not really!  

Answer 10

I Remember that we'll but l can't remember how long it was but as for getting water out off bath l had. To get as much as poss

Answer 11

Only when there's a water shortage

Answer 12

I use every drop of water from my sink we just tip it in a plastic dustbin and use it as and when the plants want watering

Answer 13

Yes, I live on the ground floor. Always have, never been an issue. Kills bugs on plants too.  

Answer 14

Aquarium water for us and it makes everything grow so much better !  

Answer 15

I've often thought about about it and considering now that we've had no water for so long only put a little bubbly stuff in

Answer 16

Yes any waste water

Answer 17

Soapy water on your plants will deter a lot of plant pests

Comments

@oahu11920 won't soapy wster kill the plants?.  

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@sudatorium95 Mitchell No I actually put the chlorine water on my plants when I empty my hot tub, when it’s cold of coarse

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@oahu11920 does the chlorine not kill the plants? I’ll have to do same next time I empty mine  

Answer 18

We have to run the hot tap for a while till the water comes out warm, I put it in a bucket and save it for my plants. We are on a water meter too, as I only have a small balcony, there is enough water to water my plants, I haven't had to put the tap on just to water the plants.  

Answer 19

I just use my pond water, it drops it a 1/4 every 7 days, top up the pond, so happy healthy fish and plants thriving, id have thought the soaps would harm plants.  

Answer 20

Yes I also split tea bag put in plants and any soil makes soil soft feeds plants

Answer 21

I have the downstairs basin run into a dustbin i water plants every day in spring / summer with never a problem

Answer 22

I try to use all water and not let it go down the sink!  

Answer 23

No we are on a septic tank and need a certain amount of flow through the tank to keep it working properly with the lack of rain we gave had the last few weeks we need everything we use going through there.  

Answer 24

Yes all the time! We use washing up water and I put my fish tank water on the garden too.  

Answer 25

Yeah its always great having kids urine on your flowers.  

Comments

@elenaelenchus and very good for yrcompost heap

Answer 26

I have a water butt so use that water the dogs drink it aswell

Answer 27

Doesnt the detergent hurt the plants

Answer 28

Now that’s proper tight

Answer 29

@karimakarin56276 what are you angry about !?  

Comments

@interaction84852 thinking about what a bath water contains ?  

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@karimakarin56276 and that made you angry ?  

Answer 30

Alot of people on water meters don't throw old dish out leave outside then there is water for plants

Answer 31

We have a water butt from down pipe x

Answer 32

I don't have a bath

Answer 33

No as never have a bath only a shower. Do harvest rainwater in a water butt though using a rainwater divertor kit.  

Answer 34

Our shower is run from the central heating boiler and it takes about a 20 litre run off before it gets hot so we always catch that in a flexi bucket to water the garden  

Answer 35

I heard that grey water is bad for plants. The soap and chemicals damaged the soil and plants.  

Answer 36

Yes I do

Answer 37

You could use the water after washing vegetables/rice or lentils as it contains protein/starch which we normally throw away

Answer 38

No we pay a flat monthly rate for our water unlimited usage

Answer 39

I dont have a bath, but i do use the swimming pool water everytime i empty it out

Answer 40

Any water that’s closer to me ‍♀️

Answer 41

Is this a thing? To be fair dont get many baths and aint gonna even try saving the shower water

Comments

Put you plug in while showering, then water the garden with the water saved  

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@dermatoglyphics Riley my shower cubicle would flood.  

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Oh right  

Answer 42

Grey water is fine.  

Answer 43

You can use your bath water for your garden it does no harm but don't use washing powder as that would harm your garden

Comments

@hildebrand just read that it also kills aphids

Answer 44

Yes it is a thing and yes its fine to use.  

Answer 45

No, I dont think my plants would appreciate my lush bath bombs and bubbles. Have used the pool water though ‍♀️ But we have not long started the garden so this is the first year of having to water anything apart from the pear trees  

Comments

I use my paddling pool water too, have done for years  

Answer 46

No but I do use the water from the condenser tumble dryer bottle.  

Answer 47

Yes! And washing up bowl water. Its known as grey water & doesn't harm plants/flowers, its a good way of saving water, by not running fresh water all the time  

Answer 48

I quite often use washing up water , and it's never done any harm

Answer 49

I use mine to swill the flagged area in back garden

Answer 50

After washing the pots my nanna used to empty the bowl on her rose bushes. said helped prevent disease.  

Comments

@pronate26 the washing up liquid gets rid of green fly ect.  

Answer 51

No because it usually has Epsom salts and body wash etc in

Answer 52

Does water cost anything lol

Comments

Crikey. Yes! Usually about £20 a month, depending on how many in the household & whether on a meter or not

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I have five rainwater butts and one of them catches water from the bath/shower/washbasin. This means I very rarely use tap water to water the plants. It keeps the water rates down to £13 p. m. Instead of almost £70. If I had room I'd get a tank to catch even more rainwater

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Of course it does, about £300 a year for 2 of us on a meter. 10 years ago we were paying £800 a year before the meter was fitted.  

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@cruck Thornthwaite Yes of course it does

Answer 53

It falls out of the sky here

Comments

@rectitude and then you pay for it!  

Answer 54

It depends what you use for bathing if these are natural cosmetics like gray soap maybe it would do the trick

Answer 55

Yes if aphids. Mine are doing well. Use the sprinkle feeder and bought last year. Do half half watering with tap water and bath water and flowers are thriving.  

Answer 56

I dont use bath water but i use the 2 tumble dryers tanks and i use the fish tanks water when i empty them

Answer 57

I never have a bath

Answer 58

Dead plants

Answer 59

Building off the grid in Baja. 90% of waste water will be converted to grey water for outdoor water use.  

Answer 60

Rain water love  we get enough of it

Answer 61

We live in the country. Here you are allowed to have 'brown water' which means that the kitchen sink, bathroom sink and the washing machine all drain out into the yard. I have built a garden over the washing machine drainage area where I now have a large mint garden.  

Comments

@sudatory50 what about winter, i take it you close it off, does water drain into a field, or is it run in wee streams, to distribute, oic would help, its doing my nut in, im gonny come see when this is over, im fascunated by this

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@sudatory50  maybe not, im in SCOTLAND, maybe on hols some day.  

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@heterogamy67 LOL - You would be welcome, my 85 yr old mom likes a man in a kilt! Actually we are on top of a hill (what goes for a mountain in the local area) so it never makes it to the stream, and actually it rarely makes it outside the bounds of the garden.  

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@sudatory50 . partial to the kilt, good wishes to mum. im 67, still wear it for special ocasions, Hamilton tartan, full dress regalia.  

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@heterogamy67 - Mom says "A younger man in a kilt! "

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@sudatory50  what a wummin. take care, all of you. x

Answer 62

Great idea, I will start doing this, my little one has natural products due to he allergies so great to use x

Answer 63

Yes, why waste it, especially if you’re on a water meter.  

Answer 64

Not with soap in it.  

Answer 65

Will the soap and shampoo not kill your plants? Xx

Answer 66

Soap and shampoo in it? will do more harm than good

Answer 67

Soapy water , will kill the bugs on your rose bushes, ( greenfly etc ).  

Answer 68

Bryony Clare Mather top tip for you

Answer 69

Yes but after a while the kids were too big and moaned about sharing a bath with my begonias.  

Answer 70

Ewwwwwww no fish tank water yes they love the nitrates. But you can get bad illnesses from human's. Like mad cow. Cow's can't eat cow's they go mad.  

Comments

Cows got BSE from being fed the remains of sheep with scrapie. You wouldn't get it from watering your garden with your own bath water.  

Answer 71

If you use the toilet water too you'll get lots of nice tomato and sweetcorn plants x

Answer 72

What’s a bath ? most of us shower nowadays . or use a Spa

Comments

@sogdian468 shower in the morning bath in the evening of course .  

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@paquito I just Spa , I don’t have a bath but put the Spa to bath mode , the shower is for my husband as he has health issues , getting out of it for a start

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@sogdian468 I still love a nice warm bath, despite having a shower. And I can't afford a spa

Answer 73

I don't use bath water , but I use plenty of water from my fish tanks when doing waterchanges .  

Answer 74

I have done but it is hard work and can only empty so much with a bucket. Used to use washing up water too.  

Answer 75

I undo the bath waste pipe off the soil vent pipe, run it into a gorilla tub and use a watering can to spread it on the garden. Mrs thinks I’m mental but, like everyone says, it’s a little bit of recycling

Answer 76

We use bath water pond water veg water  

Answer 77

My parents used to siphon the bathwater onto the garden with a hosepipe when there were shortages and always tipped the washing up water on the garden,  

Answer 78

I have 2 water butts but I'm on a meter so I would if I didn't have them x

Answer 79

I use my bathwater to wash all my underwear and clothes that I've been wearing until I put washer on

Answer 80

Yes soapy water won't do any harm, in fact, water companies recommend using bath/dish water to water plants during the summer to reduce water consumption.  

Answer 81

I use the water I’ve peeled my veg in, obviously i take the veg peelings out 1st

Answer 82

1976 (U. K. ) I remember my dad running a hose pipe up to the bathroom, hanging it out of the window, sucking on the pipe till the water came and standing there just spraying the garden. I use my tumble dryer water for my potted bamboo.  

Answer 83

I use paddling pool water, to water plants and grass.  

Answer 84

We use the water from the dryer, once it’s cooled and when we empty the hot tub we leave it a few days for all the chlorine to disappear then I use that water  

Answer 85

I use the water from my tumble dryer to water my indoor plants, they seem to love it!  

Answer 86

God no, after coming in off the farm, I wouldn’t inflict that on my plants!  

Comments

Liquid fertiliser  

Answer 87

Plants like dish water.  

Answer 88

I used to use the pond water after a half empty

Answer 89

No it has soap etc in it it will kill them

Answer 90

Yes, I have a bucket I put in with me in the shower and water the garden with it afterwards

Comments

@dejected5 do you stand IN the bucket?  

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@guanaco1741 no  I first started doing it when we had a very hot summer and I was surprised at how much water is collected and how clear it was even after I’d washed my hair etc. I did a bit of research and it’s absolutely fine to use on your garden as long as you use it the same day and don’t let it stand something to do with the detergent in it