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Do laundry, cleaning and hygiene on low water

Washing is often the biggest daily water and energy use after the kitchen. Choose products and habits that suit your greywater and composting systems.

How

1. Run the washing machine only with full loads, on sunny middays, using a cold or low-temperature cycle where suitable.
2. Line-dry clothes outside, or on indoor racks in wet seasons, instead of using an electric tumble dryer.
3. If your laundry or shower water feeds a greywater system, use only cleaning products the sanitation module's greywater design allows. Product limits depend on the system and your soil, so check that module before buying.
4. Greywater basics from NMSU Extension: sodium, chlorine bleach and borax in greywater can damage plants; do not reuse laundry water containing liquid fabric softener (use dryer sheets or skip softener), dishwasher water or nappy (diaper) wash water; and alternate greywater with fresh water so salts do not build up.
5. Avoid pouring bleach, solvents, paints or oils down any drain that feeds greywater or a septic system; take them to hazardous waste as the waste module describes.
6. Keep handwashing frequent and easy: soap and water at every sink, and by the composting toilet, to protect health.
7. Clean with a bucket and cloth rather than running taps, and collect warm-up water from showers for plants or toilets where your design allows.

Do these first

• sanitation-1

Sources

1. Determine Water Needs. Ready.gov (US FEMA), accessed 2026-11
2. Guide to designing off-grid and hybrid solar systems. Clean Energy Reviews, accessed 2026-11
3. Safe Use of Household Greywater (Guide M-106). New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension, accessed 2026-11

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