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My clothes dryer produces a few liters of water a week and rather than throwing it down the drain, I thought it might be put to better use by watering the plants with it.

I think it should almost equate to distilled water, however there might be some residues in it, such as soap or maybe mold.

Is water from a clothes dryer known to be safe for plants? Should I take any precautions with it, such as cleaning out the tank first to ensure there are no risks?

When it comes to storing the extra water that I won't be using directly, are there steps necessary to avoid contamination due to the water standing for long periods of time?

kettlepot
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3 Answers3

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It's not advisable to use this water on potted plants because of the risk of contaminants from detergent and fabric conditioners being present, but many people do spread it round the garden for plants in open soil. Its useful in a steam iron because it contains no lime - also useful for lime hating plants, again in the garden, not in pots. Regarding storing it, maybe for 24 hours, but after a week, not a good idea, though you could keep some in a container for a few days as an experiment to see what grows in it and how it smells.

Bamboo
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If you have a condenser dryer, then these machines dry clothes by forcing hot air through them and condensing the moisture laden air. It's not really a distillation process where water is boiled and condensed. If your clothes are clean by the time they're dried one shouldn't really see much in the way of detergents etc redissolving in the water, and some manufacturers do recommend using the water for watering plants. If some detergents do make it into the condensate, then this can improve the watering process since this it can negate the hydrophobic nature of dry mixes on account of the surfactants.

Graham Chiu
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Instead of watering plants, why not empty it into the washing machine just before doing a load of washing? I do this because it's very convenient given the shape of the output tank and the layout of our utility room.

We tend to only use the tumble dryer in winter, when there's no shortage of rain and we're heating the house anyway. I would in principle use it for the houseplants but we also have a dehumidifier which produces more than enough.

Chris H
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