#1 SKIP PLASTICS!
BUY LESS BUT BETTER!
Reflect on what you really need before you purchase. Check the label and avoid synthetic textiles such as polyester, acrylic and nylon. Be critical towards misleading advertisement. Also ask your local store and favorite brand for microfiber free alternatives. They need to know that you care.
#2 STAY COOL!
It is a dogma that is passed down from generation to the next: Wash coloreds at 40°C/ 104°F and bed linen at 60°C/140°F. In the vast majority of cases 30°C/86°F is sufficient. Water in combination with heat weakens the yarn. The so-called hydrolysis results in much more plastic ending up in our oceans.
#3 GOSH DON'T WASH!
Air out your clothes and wash out stains by hand to avoid unnecessary laundering. Don’t let convenience harm sea life and our health.
#4 NO SPIN!
REDUCE ROTATION SPEED!
Lot of friction happens during the spin cycle. Synthetic textiles dry fast. Skip the spin cycle or at least reduce rpm (rotation per minute) to protect your clothes and the environment.
#5 NO SHOES!
DO NOT WASH SOLID ITEMS WITH YOUR LAUNDRY!
Fibers break due to the mechanical forces in the washing machine. Anything solid washed with your clothes leads to significantly more fibers breaking. Avoid items such as shoes and shin guards. Also using washing balls and soap nuts – even though used with good intentions – result in more plastic in the ocean.
#6 SOFT TO SOFT!
SEPARATE TEXTILES WITH HARD AND SOFT SURFACES!
Related to the previous rule and based on the same insight: Separate textiles with a hard surface from those with a soft surface. If you stop washing things like jeans and your fleece items in the same wash load, you will reduce your contribution to wash-related microplastic pollution.
#7 BOYS DON'T DRY!
DON’T TUMBLE DRY YOUR CLOTHES!
The heat and the mechanical forces inside a tumble dryer are also a culprit of microplastic pollution. Synthetic clothes dry super fast anyway. Air-dry your clothes. If you have to use a dryer, please make sure to filter the condensed water.
#8 BE QUICK!
The longer you wash, the more fibers break. All washing machines have a short washing program. Use it.
#9 GREENER CLEANER!
USE LESS AND BEST DETERGENT!
Washing powder often contains mineral abrasives. These abrasives tend to increase friction, and increased friction leads to more fibers breaking. Bleach and ph-value affect the fiber construction, too. Look for a detergent with a neutral ph-value and without bleach.
USE A FILTER AND THE GUPPYFRIEND WASHING BAG!
Filter your wastewater: Build a filter for the outlet of your washing machine. Use the Guppyfriend washing bag. It prevents microfibers from entering oceans. Its use results in fewer fibers breaking and thus extends the lifetime of your textiles. Those fibers that do break are reliably held back. The Guppyfriend is also a daily reminder to recall the TEN FOR THE OCEAN.