Gray Water for Plants?

I was reading on the web tonight about gray watering plants using water left over from dishes, baths and other activities that use a lot of water. Has anyone done this? What bath soaps and dish soaps provide the least phosphates? My understandig from a brief read on this topic indicated the soap will either make or break the plants depending on the amount of phosphate in the soap used.
As a new gardener with a concern for the environment, I am interested in reusing water if it is a good practice. As always your input is valuable.

I wouldn't worry about bath soap, pretty much the only place you find phosphates anymore is in dishwasher detergents (the stuff for the dishwasher, not the liquid dish soap you use to wash by hand). Laundry detergents would be the other place you might still find them, but I think most of the major brands have phased them out by now. For your dishwasher, read the labels on the packages, if they don't have phosphates in them chances are it'll say that on the package. Or go buy one of the more environmentally friendly brands like 7th Generation, I'd be shocked if they have phosphates in anything.

I think this is a really bad idea for containerized plants. The problem with using leftover soapy water on plants is the increase in soluble salts and the sodium content. Sodium causes dispersion in soil particles, can increase pH to an unwanted level at a certain point, and is just an element that plants do not use.

Recycling greywater is big in many areas of australia now. They don't include kitchen greywater in their systems though (fat content maybe?). Here's a link of interest. Also you might pop in to the Australian forum to see if anyone is doing it. Hope this helps.

http://www.enviro-friendly.com/greywater-systems-australia.shtml

Thank for your posts.
(As a new gardener I appreciate your input, I need all the help I can get.)

Put bucket in the tub when you shower and it will collect extra water that would just go down the drain. This way you are just saving water and it's great for house plants or seedlings.

I like that idea, luvsgrtdanes. Thanks, I'm going to try that.

In our former home which was on city water, I used water from the pool (on the lawn only), dishwater that was "lightly" used, and every bit of water used for rinsing vegetables or fruits to water my plants. I was toting water constantly. I'm sure the neighbors wondered what I was up to. I didn't use laundry water because there was no simple way to transfer it. I have read about people rerouting the pipes in their laundry to route the water outside instead of sending it through the sewer. I now live in a home that has a septic system, so I'm not as fanatical, assuming that the water that goes into the septic system eventually finds its way onto my property anyway. I still try to capture the veggie rinse water for my plants rather than let that go down the drain. I'd attempt the bucket in the shower thing, but I'd probably fall over the bucket or drop it on the way to the door.

LOL