Will Bleach Hurt a Septic Tank

Chlorine bleach in moderate amounts isn’t as bad for a septic system as you may have heard. But even a little drain cleaner may be terrible. One study found that it took nearly two gallons of liquid bleach but only about a teaspoon of chemical drain cleaner to kill the beneficial bacteria in a septic tank.

How much bleach is safe for septic?

As long as you use the recommended amount (3/4 cup per wash), the bulk of the sodium hypochlorite active will be broken down to salt and water while attacking the stains, soils and germs in the wash load.

How do you neutralize bleach in a septic system?

1. Acid is a bad idea. …
2. The easiest way to get rid of the hypochlorite is to add dilute hydrogen peroxide. …
3. H2O2 + NaOCl → O2 + H2O + NaCl.
4. Because bleach is stabilized with the addition of small amounts of lye, it is true that you might also want to add something to render the pH more neutral.