Will Laundry Detergent Kill Plants?

Laundry detergent is something found in most households. It’s essential for cleaning our clothes and linens. But what happens when laundry detergent makes its way into our gardens and comes into contact with our plants? Will it damage or kill them? Let’s take a closer look.

How Laundry Detergent Works

Before we discuss how laundry detergent impacts plants, let’s understand what’s in it and how it works. Laundry detergent contains surfactants, enzymes, binders, fragrances, brighteners, bleach, and more.

Surfactants are cleaning agents that break down oils and grease. They’re what makes laundry detergent effective at cutting through dirt. Enzymes break down protein-based stains. Bleach helps brighten clothes and remove stains by oxidizing dye pigments. Brighteners make colors appear more vibrant. Fragrances leave clothes smelling fresh and clean.

When you wash clothes, these ingredients work together to penetrate, dissolve, and lift dirt and stains from the fabric. The rinse cycle removes any remaining detergent and dirt from clothes.

Potential Impact on Plants

Now what happens when leftover laundry detergent on clothes or linens makes its way outside? That detergent can then come into contact with your garden plants if you’re not careful.

Many laundry detergent ingredients like surfactants and bleach can potentially damage or kill plants when absorbed through the leaves, stems, or roots. The high pH of detergents can burn plant tissues.

Surfactants can dissolve the fragile cell membranes of plants. Bleach oxidizes plant cells leading to injury or death. Excess detergents may build up and persist in the soil for weeks if not adequately rinsed off. This leaves plants vulnerable to continued damage.

Ways Laundry Detergent Can Transfer to Plants

There are a few ways that laundry detergent residue can transfer from your clothes, linens, and laundry room to the garden. Being aware of these will help you take steps to prevent issues.

Laundry water drainage: If your washing machine drainage pipe empties near plants, leftover detergent and bleach from the rinse cycles can flow directly to your garden. This sudsy, chemical-laden water pooling around plants often leads to rapid damage.

Shaking out linens outdoors: When shaking out sheets, towels, or clothes before hanging them to dry outside, you may inadvertently be shaking off stubborn detergent residue directly onto nearby plants. Any breeze can carry these residues onto plant surfaces.

Spills from laundry loading/unloading: Accidental spills do happen! If you load and unload your washing machine in a laundry room or mudroom that opens directly outdoors, a spilled bottle of detergent could make its way to garden plants during heavy rains.

Transfer from clothes: Laundry detergent residues can cling to clothes and linens even after the rinse cycle. As you work in the garden, bend, or brush up against plants, you may be inadvertently transferring residues onto plant surfaces and soil.

Signs of Laundry Detergent Damage

The unfortunate reality is that sometimes laundry detergent ends up where it shouldn’t – on our plants!

So how do you spot the signs of detergent damage? Look for these common symptoms:

• Leaf scorch or burn
• Leaf curling, wilting, or drying
• Discolored dead patches or lesions
• Defoliation
• Lackluster, yellowing color (chlorosis)
• Stunted growth
• Root damage
• Plant death

The appearance can mimic drought stress, disease, or pest damage. But on closer inspection, you may notice the affected plants are only those growing closest to the laundry drainage, entryways, or drying areas. This offers a clue that detergent exposure is the culprit.

Preventing Laundry Detergent Damage

The good news is that with proactive measures you can avoid laundry detergent turning into an unwelcome garden guest! Here are some handy tips:

Rinse cycle: Make sure you run an extra rinse cycle when washing to remove the most residue possible. HE (high-efficiency) detergents are specially formulated to rinse cleaner too.

Ventilation: Allow ample time for wet laundry to dry completely so leftover detergents don’t stay damp in fabrics.

Keep drain pipes away from planting beds: When installing new plumbing or doing laundry room renovations, make sure to situate drainage pipes far away from garden areas. This also applies to maintaining distance between dryer vent exhausts and plants.

Collect and reuse wash water: Safely collect washing machine runoff and use it to water ornamental trees and shrubs, but not edibles. Just avoid pouring it at plant bases.

Check for and repair leaks: Fix any leaky pipes, joints, or valves that could leak detergent-laden water.

Wash with care: Use only HE detergents as directed, pretreat only extremely soiled items, and never allow detergent containers close to outdoor planting areas.

With some minor adjustments to laundry day, you can keep your garden safe from damage due to detergents. The reward will be vibrant plants thriving happily in your yard!

The Bottom Line

It is possible for laundry detergent residues to damage or kill plants due to the chemical ingredients. But detergents don’t have to spell doom. By taking precautions to prevent transfer from your laundry to your garden, you can have the best of both worlds – clean clothes and a thriving landscape!

References

University of Minnesota Extension. Plant Damage Due to Laundry Detergents. https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/plant-damage-due-laundry-detergents

The Spruce. How Laundry Detergent Can Damage Your Garden Plants. https://www.thespruce.com/will-laundry-detergent-hurt-plants-2539848

Gardening Know How. Information About Laundry Detergent Damage To Plants. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/laundry-detergent-damage.htm