What kind of septic do you have? I've never heard of one that can't handle normal detergents.

Did you ask why the Tide wouldn't Work? I'm on a septic and haven't had a problem with any of the he detergents and the septic tank. I know lots of suds is bad, but nobody needs that. I can't use Tide, but Cheer, Arm&Hammer and All work fine. Dose your detergent to fit your water and your machine. Usually more detergent is needed to clean in harder water but YMMV.

"Renee Texas: We use tide, which we've been told won't work with our system."

Told by whom?

I've been on a septic system for 12 years and have often used Tide powder (and others such as Gain, Fresh Start, Ariel, Foca, Roma, and Sears), and some liquids (Wisk, Era, Persil). The installation/maintenance company has never advised of a problem or given instructions/restrictions on what laundry/cleaning products should or should not be used ... other than do not dispose of cooking grease down the drain, and the obvious about toiletry paper/products. They typically say mine is one of the cleanest systems among their clients.

Hm... our install guy said no Tide, and neighbors on the group FB have claimed to have septic problems the workers have attributed to Tide. Ugh!! We are metting again, and I'll ask the why's.

I know it's the type of system which uses sprinklers, and it's rated for a 4 bedroom house- city said that is what we had to put in, however 7 people are living there.

Some installers say no powders some say no liquids.

First three search results are interesting, and others might be too:

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=aerobic+treatment+unit+detergent

Our last home had an aerobic system with the sprinklers. We lived there for almost 10 years and in that time I used all sorts of different detergents and softeners without problems. We know the couple that bought our home, and they haven't had any issues either.

My system is aerobic and has (two) sprinklers to discharge the treated water.

When our septic failed the main ingredient left in the tank was Tide. So it makes sense. What you want is a detergent with no bleach because that kills bacteria in the septic that needs to be present for it to work properly.

Grab Green pods clean very well and should not cause problems in the septic. Alternately, I'd find a liquid that doesn't contain bleach.

Roc...there's no detergents with chlorine bleach. I would have assumed you ment chlorine and oxygen except you mention GG and they have oxygen bleach.

But I agree about chlorine bleach however occasional use should be fine.

If you search you will find many people with septics that their detergent was blamed for problems. Not just Tide many different brands ...powders and liquids

I also want to add GG are nice little guys, but doubtful they will do the job for children's clothes.

rococogurl, what fraction of the tank was filled with solids consisting mainly of Tide? How big was the tank?

My mother has been using Tide powder with her conventional septic system for 50 years, and it has been pumped only once. She rarely uses bleach. She does throw in some Rid-X occasionally, but some folks say that is worthless. Dunno. Good luck.

There should be a sticker or stamp that says 'safe for septic tanks' or 'safe for septic systems.' I still prefer Mrs Meyers which I started using a couple years ago. I keep a bottle of Tide on hand but the Mrs Meyers is my go-to for most laundry. I don't use powder detergent as it irritates my sinuses.

GG did just fine with the kids clothes when I used it at camp.

No idea on details re the Tide. Plumber just said their was laundry detergent residue. I was using Tide at the time. But Tide wasn't responsible for the septic issue, just to be clear.

No chlorine bleach with septics. RidX is yeast. That's what's needed supposedly.

Somewhere on the internet there is a formula for the size of the tank and the frequency of pumping. Best to follow it as a septic backup is beyond unpleasant and replacing a septic tank is major and costly.

Doubt laundry detergent alone will cause septic problems but best to be cautious. Trust me it's no fun replacing a 2500 gallon tank.

We had an aerobic system at our old house. I never had any problems with any kind of detergent that I used. I was never told by the installer to stay away from any certain type of detergent or brand.

The local county requires a maintenance/inspection contract, or else the homeowner has to attend some sort of training to be certified for DIY. Mine has not yet needed pumping in 12 years of using primarily laundry powders (and dishwasher powders). As I mentioned above, the service company has said it's one of the cleanest on their route.

At my summer home we had a new septic system installed 2 years ago not sure of the exact type of system but I believe it's an aerobic one. I have used a few types of liquid detergent including tide. And very occasionally bleach. We have not had a problem in the new one, or in the old tank that was there for over 30 years. But to note the house is only used in the summer months and laundry is only done a couple times a week.