Every wash
700,000
synthetic-fibre microplastics shed by a single 6 kg load of laundry.
The fix: Wash full loads cooler and less often, and choose natural fibres.
but plastic free.
10 things in Cleaning & Laundry
Cleaning & Laundry, plastic free
Blueland Cleaning & Laundry
Clean Essentials Kit (bottles + tablets)
GlassStainless steel
Shop$39
Public Goods Cleaning & Laundry
Dish Soap Bar
CompostablePaper & card
Shop$10
Tru Earth Cleaning & Laundry
Laundry Detergent Strips (32 loads)
Paper & card
Shop$19
The guide
Cleaning and laundry, minus the microplastics
Most cleaning products are water sold in plastic jugs, and every synthetic wash sheds hundreds of thousands of fibres.
4 min read
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2016
Meliora Cleaning & Laundry
Laundry Powder in Steel Tin (64 loads)
Stainless steel
Shop$18
Smart Sheep Cleaning & Laundry
Wool Dryer Balls (6-pack)
Wool
Shop$18
Skoy Cleaning & Laundry
Swedish Dishcloths (10-pack)
Plant fibreOrganic cotton
Shop$15
What actually helps
Wash smarter, ditch the jugs
Laundry is a major route for microfibres into water and air, and cleaning is mostly water in plastic.
- Wash full loads, cooler, and less often, and favour natural fibres to cut microfibre shedding. World Economic Forum, 2025
- Refillable tablets and strips remove the plastic jugs that fragment and pile up. CNN Health, 2025
Twist Cleaning & Laundry
Compostable Sponge (3-pack)
Plant fibre
Shop$12
Redecker Cleaning & Laundry
Curved Dish Brush, Union Plant Fiber
Wood
Shop$1599
Behrens Cleaning & Laundry
6110 10-Gallon Locking Lid Trash Can
Stainless steel
Shop$3995
Pennsylvania Woodworks Cleaning & Laundry
Solid Maple Clothes Drying Rack (Large)
Wood
Shop$65
The science
Why cleaning & laundry, but plastic free?
Cleaning products are mostly water sold in plastic jugs, and synthetic laundry contributes microfibres to wastewater with every wash. Refillable tablets, detergent strips, steel tins, and wool dryer balls cut the plastic packaging loop and the per-load shedding.
Plastic packaging is a primary route for microplastics entering our food and homes. · CNN Health, 2025
Global plastic intake has climbed roughly six-fold since 1990, driven largely by single-use consumption. · Health Policy Watch, 2024
Common questions
- Are dissolvable cleaning tablets effective?
- Yes, you're simply not paying to ship pre-mixed water. The tablet dissolves into the same cleaning solution in a reusable bottle.
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