Natural water provides soil with the nutrients it needs to produce healthy and sustainable plant growth. But if you add standard laundry detergent to plants, it will disturb the soil structure and deprive plants of the vital nutrients they need to grow.
Laundry detergents are surfactants formulated to reduce water surface tension. This makes it easier to remove oils and dirt from clothing fabric. But when surfactants get added to soil, its alkalinity level will rise. That will damage the soil and cause the plants to grow incorrectly. And if your laundry detergent contains bleach, it will end up killing the good bacteria that plants also need to grow and thrive.
Plant growth relies on healthy soil with the proper chemistry of salinity and pH. Standard detergents cause a chemical imbalance in the soil and make it impossible for plants to grow to maturity from it. For this reason, you must pay attention to the ingredients in your laundry detergents.
Of course, all laundry detergents are different. Many of the standard laundry detergents in supermarkets contain toxic ingredients like phosphates, nitrogen, and sodium salts. The sodium salts are typically used to make clothing fabric feel softer after it is washed. The problem is that sodium salts can destroy the chemistry of soil and kill plants.
The Solution
If you wash your clothes by hand, the laundry detergent still ends up on the ground outside or down the drain in your bathtub or sink. Either way, plants will be affected by it in the long run.
Choosing a green-friendly laundry detergent with natural plant-based ingredients is the best way to protect the soil and the plants in them. Find a detergent with fewer chemical-based ingredients like phosphates, artificial colors, and parabens. Instead, look for biodegradable and hypoallergenic ingredients like cypress and lavender.
Plant-based ingredients won’t negatively impact plant growth. In fact, the soil could absorb the ingredients as a fertilizer under the right conditions. However, there may still be other unnatural ingredients mixed in with the laundry detergent solution. It is rare to find a completely plant-based laundry detergent, so keep that in mind.
Last Words
Yes, laundry detergents affect plant growth. When you add detergent to the clothes in your washing machine or sink, it will eventually find its way to one of the local water bodies in your town or city. This could affect plant growth in and out of the water and not in a good way. All you can do is be conscious of the laundry detergents you use by purchasing only the highest quality detergents from a reliable brand that you trust.