Everything You Should Know About Bath Bombs and Your Septic System

Sometimes a hot bath is the best way to relax after a long day. One way to elevate your bath is with a bath bomb. The calming essential oils and delightful fragrances in bath bombs help melt your cares away. Plus, the salts found in some products can soothe sore muscles.

But before you plop a bath bomb in your tub, consider the toll it can take on your septic system. This post will cover the basics behind bath bombs and septic systems.

Are bath bombs bad for your septic tank?

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but septic systems and bath bombs usually don’t mix. Here are the reasons why bath bombs are bad for your septic tank:

• Oils and fats: Shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil and essential oils are common ingredients in bath bombs. Those ingredients (along with perfumes and other fragrances) combine to form a layer of fat that causes blockages in the leach field. These blockages cause a variety of septic problems and are expensive to fix.
• Decorative solids: Many bath bombs contain decorative flowers and glitter that look nice in the water. While they’re pretty to look at, they cause some not-so-pretty issues once the bathwater goes down the drain. Again, these solids float to the top of your septic tank and can clog up the pipes in your leach field.
• Salts: Epsom salt or sea salt are other common ingredients in bath bombs. They’re beneficial in soothing sore muscles in joints, but they often don’t dissolve completely. When salts don’t dissolve, they can cause clogs in your home’s plumbing or in the tank itself. In high concentrations, they can even harm the bacteria in your septic system.

Can bath bombs be septic friendly?

We certainly don’t recommend using bath bombs, but if you can’t stop, try following these tips:

• Reduce frequency: Treating yourself to a bath bomb once in a while isn’t the end of the world. Once or twice a month is probably fine, but if you start noticing any plumbing issues, stop using them and call a septic repair company ASAP.
• Keep potency low: The more the merrier might be true with having friends over for a dinner party, but that’s far from the case with bath bombs. Large quantities can lead to large septic system complications. Read the product label, and use the right bath-bomb-to-water ratio to avoid complications.
• Make sure salts dissolve: If your bath bomb contains Epsom salt or sea salt, make sure they completely dissolve before draining your tub. As we mentioned, leftover salts are a leading cause of clogs and can kill the helpful bacteria in your tank.

Hire our team if you notice any issues

When your septic system acts up, hire our pros at Countryside Construction Inc. to make repairs. With over 40 years of industry experience, you can trust that your system is in good hands when we’re on the job. Call today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about bath bombs and septic systems.

Categorised in: Septic Services, Septic System Maintenance, Septic Tank Maintenance

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