Simple Green is a relatively common household cleaner. It degreases, deodorizes, and helps break down set-in stains. Few other “green” products are as versatile. However, in the last few years, the Simple Green company has seen several class-action lawsuits that say it is more harmful than it claims. If you’ve ever spilled Simple Green or used it to clean your patio, you may be wondering, “Will Simple Green kill grass or plants? Does it stay in the soil?”
Will Simple Green Kill Grass?
The short answer is that no, classic Simple Green will not harm your plants, your lawn, or your soil. Yes, some of the ingredients in Simple Green products have been noted to be harmful to people and animals, but these are either in isolation or in much larger quantities than are present in a single-gallon jug of Simple Green.
Even if you happen to pour straight Simple Green into your lawn or soil, as long as it is not an antibacterial or antimicrobial formulation, you will see no effects. The microorganisms will break down all chemicals, and none of them are noted to have any adverse effects on grass, trees, or other plants.
What Does Simple Green Do to Grass?
Simple Green shouldn’t do anything to grass unless a full-strength puddle of it is allowed to sit on a patch of grass for days. If you have a healthy lawn, this is not a likely scenario. Still, even this would not harm the grass beyond recovery. Diluting the puddle and encouraging drainage would allow the grass to recover.
Related Article: What Kills Grass? The Complete List
Is Simple Green Toxic to Plants?
Though labeled as “non-toxic” several recent class-action lawsuits allege otherwise. Further, many ingredients on the labels of Simple Green products, including 2-butoxyethanol, are known to be moderately toxic if they come into contact with skin or are accidentally ingested.
However, these findings are not the same when it comes to plants. No ingredient in the most common Simple Green products is likely to harm any plants, as long as the product is diluted or when applied or soon after. All Simple Green ingredients are easily broken down by healthy soil microorganisms within as little as 2 weeks.
What is Simple Green Made Of?
Deciding if Simple Green will harm your lawn is a simple matter of looking at the ingredients list. Of course, some of those ingredients can look incomprehensible at first glance. Below is a list of the top 5 ingredients found in Simple Green formulations and what they could mean for your lawn.
- Water – Water is a simple ingredient that is unlikely to harm any plant. Though not an active ingredient, plain water does make up a large portion of Simple Green bottle contents.
- Sodium Citrate – Sodium citrate may cause slight cases of decreased nutrient absorption on contact with plant roots. However, this ingredient is highly water-soluble and unlikely to stick around for long enough to cause problems.
- Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate – This is a plant-derived ingredient that is used to temporarily disrupt the surface tension of water. This may allow it to help plants retain or uptake nutrients and water.
- Sodium Carbonate – Not to be confused with sodium bicarbonate or baking soda, sodium carbonate is also known as “soda ash” and has mild alkalizing properties. Combined with the other ingredients in Simple Green, this should even out the pH of the product.
- C9-11 Alcohols Ethoxylated – Similar to Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, this ingredient disrupts the surface tension of water and acts as an emulsifier. This may help with water retention and nutrient uptake. No known negative side effects have been found.
Looking at these primary ingredients together, it’s easy to see why Simple Green claims that pouring excess Simple Green on your lawn or the plants in your yard could help them and the health of your garden. Care should always be taken when using a chemical formulation of any kind, but Simple Green is a great alternative to other common outdoor cleaners if you’re concerned about the health of your lawn and garden.
How to Clean Up a Simple Green Spill on Your Lawn
The best way to clean up a spill of any Simple Green product is to water down the product. No attempt needs to be made to clean up the liquid. All ingredients in Simple Green are harmless to plants in reasonable quantities. Watering down the spill can help avoid any potential build-up in the soil.
Simple Green is a Harmless Alternative to Other Outdoor Cleaners
Will Simple Green Harm Grass? No, compared to other popular cleaners for cement, patio furniture, and fencing, Simple Green products are harmless. At full strength, they are unlikely to harm plants even if sprayed directly on leaves or blades of grass. Any spill on your lawn can easily be diluted and dissolved with no effects on the underlying soil, root system, or microbiome that can be detected.
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