“Think of your microfiber cloth as being a network of fibers that are not woven together most of the time,” Dimitri Deheyn, Ph.D., a marine biology researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography who has extensively studied microplastics, tells mbg. “They only stick together because they are entangled.” This makes these towels extra sensitive to wear and tear—and when their synthetic microfibers begin to shed, they emit microplastics into the surrounding environment. Microplastics are invisible pollutants that can now be found pretty much everywhere, from deep in ocean trenches to high in the sky to within our own bodies. Though it’s still unclear how these microplastics themselves affect humans and wildlife, if at all, Deheyn notes that they can carry harmful pollutants like heavy metals and oil into the ocean. “The plastic becomes a platform for concentrated pollutants, which would otherwise be diluted in the water,” he explains. Other evidence shows that microplastics in aquatic environments can cause certain fish to lose their appetite and others to experience hormone disruption. While you can’t keep your microfiber towel from shedding these pollutants entirely, there are a few ways to keep it more intact for longer. Here are some best practices. His lab is currently looking into whether water temperature and detergent type affect the rate of microfiber breakdown. Until we know for sure, washing your towels with cold water using a gentle detergent is the more eco-friendly move. To further preserve longevity and prevent agitation, Angela Bell and Georgia Dixon, who work for natural cleaning marketplace Grove Collaborative, recommend letting your towels soak in your water and detergent mix for 30 minutes or so before rinsing with plain water and using your hands to wring them out. Air dry and they’ll be good as new. The Grove Guides add that you should avoid using fabric softener and dryer sheets when washing microfiber towels in the machine. “These softening agents—which often contain fossil fuels or animal byproducts—can stay in the fibers, increasing the possibility of streaks and making the cloth less absorbent,” they say. “Rinse with hot water and hang dry between washes to extend the life of your microfiber cloth,” they add. “This is a good trick if the cloth has been used for light dusting but doesn’t need a full-on laundering quite yet.” And finally, be gentle with them! Don’t pull on them or crunch them up unnecessarily, as it’ll disrupt the fibers. Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
