Grey Water before they tell us to use it

[mentalmartha]

Ok it is coming to the season when they tell us to try and cut down on the hosepipe. So what can i use and when?
I have a bath most days as we dont have a shower, so when can i use it, i have to wash my hair everyday so can i put that water in,
plus can it be used on any plants, and should it be used for prelonged periods. I would hate to kill them, are get ill from eating vegetables with shampoo residue on.
So there is my long tangled question,

[kiwirach]

Hi there, from my limited knowledge(there'll be far more knowledgeable grapes coming along i'm sure!), i believe you can use the grey water on anything other than food crops....so your flowerbeds, shrubs etc.
do you have a water butt connected to your external gutterings and downpipes?.....i'd go that route for your food crops, and greywater for your other plants. and i believe, if you're clever enough, you can actually rig the bath to discharge into a waterbutt/container so you arent carrying buckets of water down the stairs!.

[Hilary B]

I can't see why greywater couldn't be used for irrigation of just about anything. If you want to take extra precautions, maybe avoid using it on root crops, but even there, if you wash them before eating (and especially if the greywater isn't the last irrigation before harvesting) I can't see a problem. If your shampoo is a 'special' one that might be a problem, but unless is is only supplied 'on prescription' it shouldn't contain anything likely to both get absorbed and be harmful.
Water from doing the washing-up is also useable. There is a possible problem there, purely a practical one, in that washing-up water usually has traces of fats or oils, which might clog watering equipment.

[helanuels]

Is there some sort of filter you can buy? I'm sure I've heard of one. It's just that then it would be less of a worry. I mean to filter out fats and shampoo and hair from washing hair and from when younger brother thinks that scraping the plates means chucking them into the bowl and hoping for the best. Hx

[IgglePiggle]

and i believe, if you're clever enough, you can actually rig the bath to discharge into a waterbutt/container so you arent carrying buckets of water down the stairs!.

Get a hosepipe push it all into the bath slowly and wait for bubbles to come out of the end your holding under water, put your finger over the end to make an air lock, then lower your end of the hose lower than the other end thats in the bath and take your finger off! Ta da running water

If you need to lower it out of a window, clog the end of the hose with some soap! Also it helps if you weigh down the end thats in the bath all the time lol

[Two_Sheds]

yes, you can use grey water on the garden, but don't attempt to store it ... it will quickly breed nasty bugs (being dirty water)