Sink And Shower Soaps

[Andrewcook]

As to using Washing up Liquid and Shower Soap from  well known Brands can theses Two Harm the Broads Water?

[JennyMorgan]

Apparently both do. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Just dont wash or do the washing  up.

[ZimbiIV]

Not as much as using fossil fuels.

Basically being human apparently damages the world.

Extinction for this race must be enforced to prevent the death of the poor abused covid 19 virus!

That is if you need to protect every species on earth homosapiens, will only have a few examples kept in zoos.

OOops zoos are not allowed.

Yours truly,

A cynic.

paul

[CambridgeCabby]

Use Ecover or Waitrose eco range , they are designed to not damage the environment.

[ChrisB]

The overboard disharge of "Grey" waste is becoming tighter worldwide, especially in enclosed waters such as the Med, Baltic and inland.

You can witness the unpleasant side of non-collection at calm places like Gays Staithe in a morning after the crews of seven or eight boats have showered, cleaned their teeth, washed up and slopped out the tea and coffee things, leaving a nasty scum over the water.

The problem is however difficult to rectify as combined black/grey tanks require complicated valve arrangements for hygene and grey tanks need additional space,  pump-outs and much larger capacity if crews are having multiple showers.

 

[grendel]

I generally use ecover washing up liquid if I can get it (they dont sell it at lathams from what i remember), and bar soap generally or sometimes a lush (brand) shower gel, which is made from all natural products (though it must incorporate ground up bank notes or gold particles by the price).

[CambridgeCabby]

Lush soap products still contain sodium laureth sulphites to various degrees these break down into chemicals that can be harmful to marine life , basically if the soap bar gives a good foam it is highly lightly that SLS in some form is present 

[grendel]

reading about the toxicity to aquatic life - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651417/ it states the toxic level of sodium laureth sulphites to be 1-12mg per litre, i am thinking that you would need to pump an awfully large amount into the broads to achieve this.

in fact if you check the ecover washing up liquid previously mentioned, this contains a similar chemical sodium lauryl sulfate with a toxicity rated at 1-13.9mg/litre.

the main point is that both of these chemical biodegrade easily, and the quantity that you would be putting into the broads is negligible in terms of mg/litre. other detergent based products are probably far more toxic comparatively.

that said we should be working towards all new boats having grey waste tanks, but i feel there is no need to get to the point of trying to retro fit grey tanks into old boats just yet, after all there are still a few boats allowed to discharge black waste into the broads to sort out first.

I do however try to make full use of shoreside facilities where possible, which minimises the impact on the environment, consider also that water rail has no shower (or even hot water system) this sort of also minimises the impact i personally have.

Actually this has spurred me to further research and it appears that sodium laureth sulphites are one of the active ingredients in fairy liquid, at a level up to 30%, so one does have to wonder if there are any 'safe' washing up liquids or soaps out there for use on a boat. i know you just go with what seems safe, you get an eco brand and assume thats better, because it says eco on it.

reading the COSHH data sheet on ecover washing up liquid it does rate the aquatic toxicity as 'not considered harmful to aquatic organisms. so where does that leave us.

[MauriceMynah]

Interesting views here but some people seem to have forgotten that liquid soaps (as opposed to bar soaps) are more often than not potassium hydroxide based (as opposed to sodium hydroxide based) Potassium hydroxide will oxidize and form potassium potash (fertilizer).

Ok, that's not the whole story, not even the tip of it, and nor is it totally accurate but it is a fair fag packet explanation. Ray (Regulo) may be delighted to know that it is in this field that the word "Transesterification" is involved.

If you put enough chocolate in the broads, you will pollute the broads. If you put enough red wine in the broads, you will pollute the broads. If you put 1 ml of cyanide in the middle of Hickling broad, it will not pollute the broads. (nor would it harm our Gracie, who would be busy swimming in the wine and chocolate filled Salhouse Broad.)

So, in direct answer to Andrew Cooks question,  It matters not whether the brands are well known, detergents will pollute if enough goes into the broads to do so. Liquid soap will also pollute the broads, though would take a greater amount  would take more to  do so. Potassium Cyanide will pollute the broads, and to be fair it wouldn't take nearly as much to do so. Finally I would add that Cambridgecabby, Jayfire, Norfolknog and myself are doing our best to stop beer becoming a risk with Gracie as our role model showing how successfully the danger of chocolate and red wine becoming a risk can be averted.  

[floydraser]

 

Just to repeat: when I bought my first caravan I was advised that liquid soap is better where ribbed plumbing pipes are used as bar soap has a tendancy to clog in the ribs.