More than 21
million
residential properties across the country rely on septic systems to
process both solid and liquid household waste. Septic systems have the ability
to safely filter and process waste as effectively as a municipal sewer system,
but only when regular you conduct regular maintenance on the septic system.
One of the most important things that you can do to preserve
the integrity of your home's septic system is to watch what you put down your
drains.
You probably know that coffee grounds, baby wipes, oil, and
grease have the potential to clog your septic system, but did you know that
your daily skincare routine could be jeopardizing the performance of your
septic system?
Certain skincare products contain microbeads or
micro-exfoliants that polish away dead skin cells and give you a healthy glow.
Unfortunately, using products with microbeads and micro-exfoliants consistently
could spell disaster for your septic system.
How Your Septic System Processes Waste
To understand the negative impact microbeads and
micro-exfoliants can have on your septic system, you must first understand how
your septic system processes waste.
When you flush something down the drains in your home, the
contents enter your septic tank. This waste settles into three natural layers
while inside the tank. Solid waste settles to the bottom of the tank, oils and
grease float to the top, and the middle layer becomes a relatively clear type
of waste known as effluent.
Effluent moves out of the septic tank and into a drainfield
for additional filtration and processing. The problem with microbeads and
micro-exfoliants is that they become suspended within the effluent layer.
Why are Suspended Solids So Bad?
Microbeads and micro-exfoliants are small enough that they
don't sink to the bottom of your septic tank, but they aren't light enough to
float to the surface of the tank either. Instead, they remain suspended in the
effluent and travel into the drainfield along with the effluent water.
Modern drainfields are made up of a series of perforated
pipes. These pipes release effluent into the surrounding soil, where the
surrounding soil filters it. Any microbeads or micro-exfoliants that remain in
the effluent can clog up the perforations in your drainfield pipes.
If the suspended solids are small enough to pass through
pipe perforations, they can still clog up the pores in the soil that plays a
critical role in the filtration process.
Soil clogs caused by microbeads and micro-exfoliants can
permanently prevent the soil from effectively treating effluent, requiring that
you install a costly new drainfield.
Is There a Septic-Safe Alternative?
Exfoliation plays an important role in many skincare
routines. Maintaining a youthful healthy glow is almost impossible without
regular exfoliation. You don't have to sacrifice the benefits that exfoliation
can offer if you have a septic system, you just need to ensure you are using a
septic-safe alternative.
Steer clear of products that contain microbeads or
micro-exfoliants made from plastic or other inorganic materials. Even organic
exfoliants like coffee beans, walnut shells, oats, and volcanic rock have the
potential to clog your drainfield because they don't degrade fast enough inside
your septic tank.
The best exfoliating products for homeowners with a septic
system are sugar or salt scrubs.
A sugar or salt scrub typically doesn't contain any oils or
lanolin that can harm your septic system. Both types of exfoliants dissolve
quickly in water, and will not have a negative impact on the helpful bacteria
found within your septic tank.
Don't let your skincare routine compromise the function of
your septic system.
Contact The
Nibbler Company
for help maintaining your septic system more efficiently in
the future.
