Gardening and Horticulture - Could soapy water fertilize the soil?

:confused:
While browsing the “Wells, Sump Pumps, & Septic Systems” forum once, I came across a posting that said, this guy was pumping his washing machine waste water onto his garden and he was enjoying plants that grew in a very healthy and fertile soil. Is this true? Can laundry detergent and soapy water be good for plants?

Soaps are the salt of a fatty acid. Laundry detergent on the other hand is based on benezene. I would not recommend it. You dont know all the stuff that they add in there. lol, has he tried using any bleech on his whites?

Soap contains nitrates (or is it nitrites?), usually in high levels, which is why it is forbidden to release them into rivers and streams. On the other hand, it's the same stuff in fertilizers, so yes, washing machine water can be good for it.

My grandparents always had their washing machine empty on the lawn, and the grass was always thicker and grew faster in that area.

Was it the soap, or was it the regular watering?

Depending on your area though, you may not be allowed to empty gray water onto the surface. In the next county over from me, you even have to have two seperate systems, one for gray water, one for black water.