Does washing synthetic clothes in the laundry release microplastic fibers?

What's actually in it

Most of the clothes in your closet contain synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon, acrylic, or spandex. These are plastic. Every time you wash them, the mechanical tumbling and water flow breaks off microscopic fibers that flow down the drain. Your washing machine doesn't have a filter fine enough to catch them. They end up in waterways, soil, and eventually in the food and water supply.

What the research says

A 2026 study in ACS Environ Au tested how low-friction coatings on textiles affect microplastic fiber release during laundering. Some fabrics are treated with coatings designed to reduce friction and pilling. The researchers washed coated and uncoated textiles both separately and together.

The surprise: when coated and uncoated fabrics were washed together in the same load, the uncoated textiles released more fibers than they did when washed alone. The coated fabrics acted like sandpaper against their uncoated neighbors, scrubbing off extra microplastic particles during the wash cycle.

Each wash cycle can release hundreds of thousands to millions of fibers from a single synthetic garment. Over a year of regular laundry, one household sends an enormous amount of plastic into the water system.

To reduce fiber shedding, wash synthetic clothes less often, use cold water and gentle cycles, and consider a microfiber-catching laundry bag or an external washing machine filter. Choosing clothes made from natural fibers like cotton, linen, or wool also helps.