Thursday Tip with Hali - Washing your clothes Part 2: Microplastics
Thursday Tip // Washing your clothes, Part 2: Microplastics
Did you know that textiles are the largest source of primary microplastics, accounting for 34.8% of global microplastic pollution? And up to 700,000 microfibres can be released in an average load of laundry [1]. These are hard numbers to wrap your head around but if you multiply that by how much laundry you do in your household per week and then by all the other people in the world that do laundry; it’s eye opening to say the least.
Microplastics are released into our wastewater every time we wash our synthetic clothing ie. anything made with plastic such as polyester, acrylic, nylon etc. Microplastics are a type of microfibre, thinner than a human hair, and are individually too small to see with the naked eye. In the wash, these tiny microfibres shed off our clothing and end up in the water that goes down the drain. These microfibres are so small that they usually slip through filtration systems in our sewage treatment facilities and end up back in our marine ecosystems affecting all types of marine life and inevitably, also the food we eat [2].
So what can we do about this?
(on a personal level that is. We know there is other big work for big companies to be done too).
We know we can make changes to our buying habits (both fabric and RTW clothes) and last week we talked about small changes we can make to our laundry routines. First and foremost we want to make our clothes last and that takes continued care and attention. We can avoid purchasing synthetic fabrics or RTW clothes made from plastic but we probably already have those garments in our closets and they literally won’t go anywhere (but the landfill) so we might as well take care of them and continue wearing them.
To quote Orsola de Castro, author of Loved Clothes Last, “the most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe”.
So how do we reduce our environmental impact while also caring for our clothes?
This week we wanted to continue that discussion by suggesting some alternatives to big box laundry soap and other ways we can reduce microplastics shedding into our wastewater. Ideally we would all have microplastic filters built into our washing machines but as far as I know those haven’t been invented yet or in the very least haven’t been legislated to be included in washing machine manufacturing. Hopefully one day this will change. From my brief research I believe France may already be on the way to making microplastic filters on domestic washing machines a reality. Check Google if you want to know.
Below are some products we have come across that you may want to check out as you consider what changes you want to make in your household laundry routine.
Note: This is not an official endorsement (from myself or WS) of any of these products described below. I have not tested them personally and I have only done a small amount of research; I am simply presenting the information I have found. You are welcome to conduct your own research and trial these products at your own discretion.
Laundry detergents:
Tru Earth Laundry Eco-Strips
These come with really positive reviews. These highly concentrated, premeasured laundry strips are easy to use and take up little to no space in your laundry area because of their compact size. Each sheet has two strips to make it easy to use a whole sheet for a big load or rip it in half for a smaller load.
They dissolve completely in both cold and hot water and work in all types of machines including front loading, top loading or high efficiency washers. The strips are hypoallergenic and paraben free and readily biodegradable. At a weight of 3 grams per strip they are excellent for those that have mobility issues or difficulty lifting a heavy jug of detergent or pail of laundry powder. They are also great for kids who like to help with laundry because they won’t spill or make a mess like other powders or liquids.
Tru Earth Laundry strips are proudly manufactured in British Columbia, Canada without the use of plastic packaging.
Shoutout to Refill Market
This seems like a good place for a shout out to our friends at Refill Market. Marisa spends a ton of time researching the laundry products she stocks at Refill so please, please hit her up for all your plastic free laundry and washing needs. I know they stock Tru Earth products and a variety of other laundry soaps (both liquid and powder).
The Ecoegg Laundry Egg is a recyclable (#5), BPA free, plastic egg with refillable mineral pellets. Pop in the pellets and toss it in with your clothes in the wash. The minerals work together to draw dirt away from your clothes without any use of chemical detergents. The pellets are good for 70 washes at which point they need to be replaced with a refill. This one comes with mixed reviews on its effectiveness for removing odours/dirt so do some research before you try it.
The Ecoegg originates from the UK and the company’s goal is to reduce single use plastics and chemical residue from regular detergents/fabric softeners with this refillable egg that can be used over and over.
Microplastic reducers:
Cora Ball
Working like coral in the ocean, the Cora Ball floats around in your laundry machine and traps unseen microfibers (including microplastics) while allowing water to pass through it, collecting as many as 25% of microfibers from your clothing while in the wash.
The Cora Ball prevents microfibers from flowing down the drain and re-entering our waterways affecting wildlife and the food we eat. Simply throw it in the washing machine with your clothes and clean out the microfibres after each wash and dispose of them in the trash.
The Cora Ball is made in Vermont, USA.
The GUPPYFRIEND Washing bag
According to their website, the GUPPYFRIEND Washing Bag is a laundry bag that collects microfibers from synthetic clothing and traps them in the corners of the bag making it easy to extract them and dispose of them in the trash, keeping them out of our waterways.
Just fill the bag with your synthetic clothing and wash on a gentle cycle. Find the microfibres in the corners of the bag, dispose of them and dry clothes as normal. This bag is for the washing machine only and cannot go in the dryer.
I just thrifted these clothes/this fabric and it all WREAKS!! What do I do?
Still on the topic of laundry, I’ve been wanting to share this tidbit for a while…
If you are a thrifter of fabric or clothes you will be familiar with the smell of “insert thrift store name here” and sometimes it takes a few washes to get those clothes feeling “clean” again or at least devoid of strong perfume-y scents. You can definitely spend the time washing them over and over but this uses an excess of water and soap. Hanging them in fresh air will definitely help but sometimes it’s just not enough and they still smell.
Want to try something else? I have it on good authority that spraying vodka, just vodka, on fabric and allowing it to air dry, preferably in some fresh air outside will take those smells away in a jiffy. I haven’t tried it myself but if you want the deets, feel free to ask my friend Karen (@SomethingFromNothingMittens).
If you don’t have vodka on hand or don’t want to spend the money, a diluted vinegar solution can also work wonders on some of those smells. Either adding a bit to your laundry or spraying it on and letting the clothes air out.
Do you have any favourite laundry detergents or routines, stain removal tricks you’d like to share?! Feel free to add your two cents, or five, in the comments!
Resources:
[2] Our clothes shed microfibres - here's what we can do... - Fashion Revolution : Fashion Revolution