Laundry Detergent dumped???

[whitenack]

We have just bought a new house.

It looks like the previous owner just recently dumped a box of laundry detergent in the back yard, underneath a nice maple tree.

Will that hurt anything?

thanks

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

How do you know it detergent? Be careful.

 

[whitenack]

How do you know it detergent? Be careful.

Now I'm not so sure it was. I got down on it and sniffed it carefully. Didn't smell like detergent. Almost smelled a little like ground corn feed for cattle (obscure reference, I know).

Anyway, I called my dad over, and he said he thought it was fertilizer. I scooped up all that I could, trashed it, then flooded the affected area with water.

Hopefully that was OK.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Yeah, laundry soap is expensive, I can't imagine throwing that away.
I was worried it was some kind of pesticide, that would have a strong smell, I'd think.

 

[tenacrewoods]

Are you sure it's not fine dust fome tree itself? I've seen this at the
base of pines on my property a few years back.Boring beetles?
(forgot what their called) or some other insect maybe? Just a thought!

 

[whitenack]

Are you sure it's not fine dust fome tree itself? I've seen this at the
base of pines on my property a few years back.Boring beetles?
(forgot what their called) or some other insect maybe? Just a thought!

Good thought, but I don't think so. The pile appeared overnight, and it doesn't look like a natural substance.

 

[pbtree]

Getting rid of it an dflushing the area with water was probably the best bet. I would have been sure to wear a good respirator while cleaning it up, just to be safe...

 

[whitenack]

I would have been sure to wear a good respirator while cleaning it up, just to be safe...

Ooooops.

So, probably getting down on my hands and knees and sniffing it probably wasn't a good idea either, huh?

 

[pbtree]

Probably not, but then again someone might have been free basing it before too!