Toilet Talking II

It's amazing to me what's learned by one simple idea that leads to a post here. On Monday, I started toilet talkin' about septic tanks here in the country. I received a comment and e-mailed leads that took me on a t-ping journey of the Internet.

First, my writer friend here in the Ozarks, Mary Nida Smith, commented that they use a quart of buttermilk on their septic tank to keep the good bacteria growing. After a search on the Internet, I learned that is indeed, an enviornmentally friendly way to keep your septic flowing. However, most people use some yeast with it as well.

On my search, I also found some people complaining that Charmin toilet tissue is not good for septics, despite what the package says. I've long argued the point with my husband, who says, "Are you sure this is ok for the septic?" (because no one wants a backed up septic - think of the wedding scene from "Meet the Parents").

After an hour or so of reading up on toilet paper, I decided the jury is out. While some people have had bad experiences with Charmin clogging their septic system, others say they've used Charmin just fine. However, Scotts seem to be the recommended TP for a septic. I've used Charmin all my life and just had a horrible experience trying to use a cheaper brand, so I don't know if I'm brave enough to switch again just yet. I think I'll just schedule a pump out for later in the year and let the plumber tell me if we have a wad of non-desolving Charmin in there.

I'll save the post on pumping out the James River basin here in the Ozarks for another post.