Is bleach safe to use in laundry if you have septic system?

I just had my tank pumped, and asked the guy about this.

Technically, the anwer to your question is no, bleach does not harm the tank. It can, however, cause you trouble. Bleach kills bacteria. Bacteria are needed in your septic tank to help break down the solid waste. So, if you get too much bleach in your tank, the tank itself will be fine, but all the bacteria will be dead, so it won't work like you want it to, and things will start backing up.

However, "too much bleach" is a lot of bleach. As long as you're not pouring bleach down your drain by the gallon, you should be okay. Normal washing patterns most likely will not put enough bleach in your tank to cause problems. If you bleach every load of clothes you wash, and you wash more than 20 loads a week, you could have an issue. But even that could be resolved with Rid-X, or some other bacteria-based septic tank product. But you have to use that stuff regularly. If your septic tank is already backed up, it's too late.

Drain cleaners can also be a problem, but again, it takes a lot more than the normal level of household use to cause trouble. You could run drain cleaner down your pipes monthly, and it shouldn't be a problem.

The guy that pumped my tank said the two biggest problemshe has seen that lead to septic tanks overflowing are baby wipes and kitchen grease. Never flush baby wipes down your toilet. Not even the ones that SAY they're biodegradable. They might be, but they do not break down quickly enough to avoid backing up your septic tank. And try to avoid letting grease go down your kitchen sink. But it's going to happen sometimes, so when it does, follow it with hot water to help break it up.

But I wouldn't worry about bleach from your washing machine. If you do worry, just get some Rid-X. But remember, you have to use it regularly.

It had been five years (the maximum time permitted by my Home Owners Association) since the last time my septic tank was pumped. We use bleach in the washing machine about twice a week and drain cleaner about once every two months. We use about 5 rolls of toilet paper a week, and occasionally even let a little grease go down the kitchen drain. And even with all of that, the guy said my tank had no problems at all, after 5 years, and that, if it weren't for the HOA requirements, I would have been good for probably another five years.