When it comes to the safety of our lawns it’s important to consider the effects of cleaning products.
As such an important question to answer is: Will laundry detergent kill grass?
The short answer is: it depends.
Let’s take a closer look at the potential risks that using laundry detergent can have on our lawns.
The Potential Dangers of Laundry Detergent
When speaking of laundry detergent’s potential to damage grass the first danger to consider is its pH balance.
Many liquid laundry detergents have a high alkalinity meaning they are more likely to damage grass than other cleaning solutions.
Furthermore the ingredients in laundry detergent can potentially be toxic to grass.
Some of the most common ingredients in laundry detergent are surfactants enzymes dyes and fragrances all of which could be potentially toxic to grass if used in excess.
Finally the environmental repercussions of using laundry detergent on grass should not be overlooked.
If not disposed of properly the suds from laundry detergent can pollute waterways and harm wildlife.
The Benefits of Laundry Detergent
On the other hand laundry detergent also has many benefits when used in small quantities on a lawn.
The first benefit is that laundry detergent can act as a natural weed killer.
By using a small amount of laundry detergent on a lawn you can help to prevent the growth of unwanted weeds and other pests.
Additionally laundry detergent can also act as a fertilizer for your lawn.
The suds from laundry detergent help to loosen soil allowing for more oxygen water and nutrients to reach the roots of your grass and other plants.
Finally laundry detergent can help to fight against lawn diseases.
The alkaline base of laundry detergent can help prevent the growth of fungi and other lawn diseases that can harm the health of your grass.
Safety Tips When Using Laundry Detergent
When it comes to using laundry detergent on a lawn it’s important to exercise caution.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Use only a small amount of laundry detergent.
Too much can be toxic to grass and other plants. - Spray the detergent on a small section of the lawn at a time and wait to see the results before treating the rest of the lawn.
- Rinse the detergent off the grass after a few days if you don’t see any results.
Conclusion
Overall laundry detergent is not necessarily bad for your lawn.
If used in small amounts and with caution it can actually be beneficial to your lawn.
However if used in excess or if not disposed of properly laundry detergent can be potentially damaging to your grass.
Therefore it’s important to exercise caution when using laundry detergent on a lawn.