Post by belinda on Oct 14, 2005 17:26:27 GMT 10
For people in Sydney and other places where hosing is banned, here is an idea which works for us when keeping the van and cars clean.
I bought a sump pump (the sort of thing that goes in the bottom of lift wells) and put it in a big plastic crate next to the washing machine. A hose goes from the pump to a garden sprinkler. Whenever the machine empties the pump clicks on and the hose runs. I just keep moving the sprinkler to different parts of the front and back yards every day or so.
For washing the van after a trip, I chuck a load of washing straight in the machine when we arrive - with three kids there is always plenty of laundry to do. When the pump clicks in and the hose runs I hand it over to the kids who generally can get most of the van (and the car, and the cats, and the driveway) very well washed, so it's a clean van that eventually gets pushed back into the shed.
If you do this:
- get the supplier to change the pump outlet from one that takes agricultural hose to one that takes domestic hose
- create some sort of filter to keep lint out of the pump and hose. A mesh bag over the washing machine outlet is fine.
- don't put grey water on herbs, vegetables or native plants
- similarly, tell the kids that they can only wet each other by accident (and I mean accident). Don't get grey water in eyes, noses or mouths.
- find a phosphate free liquid detergent. It has to be a liquid because powders usually contain a lot of salt.
- put a sign on your fron verandah that says "sprinkler runs on grey water" so passers-by don't dob you in to the waterboard ranger.
We've done this for three years now without problem, and our family of five's water consumption is equivalent to a water-efficient family of four.
cheers
Belinda
I bought a sump pump (the sort of thing that goes in the bottom of lift wells) and put it in a big plastic crate next to the washing machine. A hose goes from the pump to a garden sprinkler. Whenever the machine empties the pump clicks on and the hose runs. I just keep moving the sprinkler to different parts of the front and back yards every day or so.
For washing the van after a trip, I chuck a load of washing straight in the machine when we arrive - with three kids there is always plenty of laundry to do. When the pump clicks in and the hose runs I hand it over to the kids who generally can get most of the van (and the car, and the cats, and the driveway) very well washed, so it's a clean van that eventually gets pushed back into the shed.
If you do this:
- get the supplier to change the pump outlet from one that takes agricultural hose to one that takes domestic hose
- create some sort of filter to keep lint out of the pump and hose. A mesh bag over the washing machine outlet is fine.
- don't put grey water on herbs, vegetables or native plants
- similarly, tell the kids that they can only wet each other by accident (and I mean accident). Don't get grey water in eyes, noses or mouths.
- find a phosphate free liquid detergent. It has to be a liquid because powders usually contain a lot of salt.
- put a sign on your fron verandah that says "sprinkler runs on grey water" so passers-by don't dob you in to the waterboard ranger.
We've done this for three years now without problem, and our family of five's water consumption is equivalent to a water-efficient family of four.
cheers
Belinda
