#1
Does the use of tallow - based soaps cause clogging of septic lines similar to grease?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
#2
In of itself it will not. If you have hard water then any natural soap, tallow or vegan, will produce soap scum in varying degrees. I could see this scum contributing to a clogged drain. Though that would be a pretty long time I would think.

Periodic cleaning of pipes with anti soap scum cleaner should keep the chances down to near zero.
#3
When tallow is incorporated into a recipe for soap it goes through the saponification process, which is the reaction between fatty acids and an alkali, lye (sodium hydroxide and/or potassium hydroxide). The technical name for tallow after saponification becomes sodium tollowate or potassium tollowate, which basically refers to rendered beef fat. I don't believe tallow in its rendered form would clog your plumbing. However, a good practice is to mix some lye with water and pour it in your drains periodically, perhaps every few months or when the drains slow down or become clogged. I have been using lye for drains for years, and that is actually what first sparked my interest in making bath soaps. Since I make bath soaps I always have plenty of lye around, but it is easily obtained for anyone. Amazon has some 1lb containers that work well for drains, ACE Hardware usually has some on hand as well for a good price, and if you want larger quantities Essential Depot can provide what you need.


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)