Cleaners and septic tank care

Disinfectant overkill?

You may not have heard of quats, but you’ve definitely come into contact with them.

Quats are registered as pesticides with the Environmental Protection Agency yet are incredibly common and found in household cleaning products such as disinfectants, dishwashing liquids, antibacterial soap, disinfectant sprays and wipes, toilet bowl cleaners, window cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, floor products, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, automatic dishwashing detergents, baby care products, air fresheners, even shampoo: anything that advertises antimicrobial activity or is designed to kill germs.

Quats are the stuff that allows a product to claim to be antibacterial.

Quats do effectively kill many kinds of microbes like E. Coli and Staph. Aureus, but many claim they are total overkill for your everyday cleaning needs and that there are serious potential side effects that come with that killing power.

The use of quats should be avoided, for a number of reasons: the widespread overuse of quats is creating superbugs, bacteria, and fungi with the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them, and antibacterials can contribute to asthma, breathing problems, skin irritation and rashes.

Potential harm for septic systems

We’re going to focus on the negative impact quats can on your septic system. Too many harsh chemicals kill the microbes that are essential to the separation of waste in our septic systems, and also end up in the surrounding ecosystems and poison nearby waterways.

Septic tank function 101

Millions of natural bacteria are present in a septic tank system to degrade solid waste. Enzymes are like handy little helpers created and released by those bacteria to help break down organic matter to simpler nutrients, making it easier for the bacteria to eat the waste and thereby speeding up the process. Extensive use of chemicals, however, affects the function of bacteria and enzymes: the beneficial ‘good’ microbes are killed off, solid waste is left untreated and your septic tank overflows causing you trouble, hassle and quite a stink.

What is a quat?

A ‘quat’ is a quaternary ammonium compound. Despite the similarity in naming, quats do not contain ammonia, and unlike bleach, they are odourless and colourless.

Septic systems can handle small amounts of disinfectants, but disinfectants or sanitizers in high concentrations can be damaging and because the chemical bonds are difficult to break, they have a long biocidal effect: the keep on kiling.

Cleaning products that should not go into a septic tank

If customers are concerned about the impact of their cleaning products on their septic system, as well they should be, they can easily avoid quats by using cleaning products that do not advertise themselves as being ‘antibacterial’, or by checking labels and avoiding products with complex and lengthy chemical names like:

• Benzalkonium chloride
• Benzethonium chloride
• Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides (C12-16)
• Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (C14 60%, C16 30%, C12 5%, C18 5%)
• Alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (C12-14)
• Alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides (C12-18)
• Didecyldimethylammonium chloride
• Dioctyldimethylammonium chloride

A better way to clean and disinfect

The bottom line is you don’t need quats or other toxic chemicals lurking in cleaning products to effectively disinfect and clean your home. Nor do you have to spend ages reading the teeny tiny print on labels. Simply choose to use an enzymatic cleaner.

Enzymatic cleaners contain enzymes that break down the biological components in messes, stains, and odours.

Bio-zyme products are septic tank preferable

A user-friendly cleaner, degreaser, sanitiser and deodoriser, Bio-Zyme Cleaner is the safer and healthier alternative to toxic cleaners and bleaches.

Bio-Zyme Cleaner can be used on any washable surface, floors, toilets, carpets and drains. Bio-enzymatic cleaners are cleaning products that use non-pathogenic, “good” bacteria to digest wastes, soils, stains and horrible smells.

From a small office to a restaurant, our clients have many different requirements. Not sure which is the right commercial cleaning product for you? If you would like advice on what to use at your business or place or work, call 0508 467 462.

Buy on-line or open an account and we will deliver direct to your door anywhere in New Zealand. We offer cost effective, competitive pricing and we are bound to have something for you.