Soapsuds

My sister listened to a gardening programme on the radio recently and told me that she heard one of the presenters telling how it was now an offence to drench plants with soapy water in order to wash off insect pests. Considering how we have been advised to use our bathwater, washing -up water etc. in order to conserve water during recent droughts I find this piece of news puzzling.
My sister usually gets her facts right but I'm wondering if she was mistaken about this.
Anyone else heard about this matter?

 

It may well be an offfence to recommend using soapy water this way since this kind of soap is not licenced to be used as an insecticide. In the same way Jeye's Fluid may not be recommended for certain uses because it is not licenced for them.
I am not sure it is an offence to actually use the soapy water this way, however, it is not a good practice as liquid soap of this type does contain things which may be harmful to plants. As an aphicide horticultural soft soap is better.

 

I thought of April 1st as well Shiney.I am fed up of being told what to do and not do and what to use and not use.It is getting stupid

 

Thanks for the replies.
No, it wasn't an April 1st broadcast, although, I agree it sounds daft enough to be one.
The only possible explanation I could think of was another order originating from across the channel as a result of an exaggerated concern about chemicals leeching into the soil....but washing up liquid?!!
As for Palustris' interesting suggestion that it might be an offence to recommend the use of soap, my sister was sure she heard that it was an offence to use it.

 

Found this article. The bit about washing up liquid is well down the page.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/chemicalworld/story/0,,1220177,00.html

"However, the new EU rules could mean that, bizarrely, many home-made alternatives to pesticides are strictly speaking illegal, because they haven't been approved by testing. Such is the case with the common practice of spraying washing-up liquid to guard against aphids. Thankfully, the government's Pesticides Safety Directorate sees this as a technicality.

"It's hardly likely that anyone is going to be prevented from spraying their roses with Fairy Liquid," says a spokesman. The best alternative to chemical warfare in the garden is, of course, to go organic."

 

What a frightening article!
I doubt if the washing-up water could cause anything like the problems associated with the other chemicals. Looks like the old-fashioned methods are definitely the best.

 

Palustris speaking about Jaye's fluid,how i hate that stuff i wish it were illegal.my neighbour uses it quite often to wash down his concrete garden,i have to close all windows and doors
i have asked him nicely to try diluting it ,but no way he
just chucks it down.after a while it smells like strong dog wee ,by the way he has three dogs and thats their toilet.is it harmful to my plants? or just my lungs