Did you know that through the use of washing machines a city of 100,000 inhabitants releases every day the equivalent of 15,000 plastic bags in the form of microplastics into the sea?

This information shocked us. For this reason, since we discovered the Guppyfriend anti-microplastic washing bag we decided to make it available even on our online shop. Guppyfriend in fact is an accessory for clothes care, but also a useful object for protecting the environment.

Really? Yes, although it might seem strange, the idea is to protect the ocean from plastics through a plastic bag.

To answer this and other questions we tested Guppyfriend bag, in order to tell you exactly how it works.

In this blog article you will find the answers to all the questions we asked ourselves about Guppyfriend, the washing bag created by the German company Langbrett.

How does Guppyfriend work?

Guppyfriend is a washing bag. By using it, your garments, especially the synthetic ones, will be washed preventing the microplastics to end up in the water flows, and therefore in the sea.

How can a polyamide bag hold microplastics without releasing them?

First of all, we give you the answer to the most frequent question: the structure of the Guppyfriend is a very dense and compact mesh, made up of micro sticks, not really yarns. This strength allows Guppyfriend not to release microplastics during the washing period. 

How can Guppyfriend not being waterproof?

The Guppyfriend bag has a very thick texture, an almost imperceptible weave that allows water to enter, but prevents the escape of microplastics. After our test, we can guarantee the following: the clothes have been wet and washed properly!

Do microplastics stop in the washing machine filter anyway?

No. Microplastics are small particles of plastic, typically smaller than a millimeter, down to the micrometric level, which is why they cannot be captured by the washing machine filter.

How many washing can Guppyfriend be used for?

Guppyfriend is a long-lasting product, luckily we can think in terms of years rather than single use. This washing bag is in fact guaranteed for 5 years of use, obviously considering the several washing that can be done within a week.

Our Guppyfriend test

We tried the Guppyfriend first for a synthetic light color washing at 40° and then for a dark synthetic garments washing, setting the same temperature. In particular we washed, garments such as underwear, sportswear, but also socks and t-shirts of mixed composition. We filled the bag in order to let the garments move inside, and then we've put it in the washing machine with other non-synthetic items.

After one hour and an half cycle, including a 600 rpm spin-dryer, we extracted everything. After the washing the Guppyfriend bag is wrinkled, but almost dry. This is normal and is due to the spin cycle. 

The garments inside were in fact well wrung, and inside the corners of the Guppyfriend, we found small lints of fiber: the famous microplastics. In this photo here is part of those collected after washing dark garments, obviously more visible than the light ones.

Where can you dispose the residues that remain in the Guppyfriend?

Where should we throw away the microplastic collected by Guppyfriend? General waste or plastic? We asked it to the source directly, which confirmed that micro plastics cannot be recycled, so they must be thrown away in general waste. Guppyfriend's team  even advised us to collect all the residues of the various washes in a jar or in a bag, in order to prevent these substances from being dispersed into the environment during the several processes. 

In general we can say that we are more than satisfied with the experiment and surprised by the amount of microplastics actually collected, we really did not expect it with a single wash. Who knows how much plastic we have already scattered in the sea before this discovery...

Have you tried the Guppyfriend too? What impressions did you have? Tell us in the comments below.

If you want to buy this fantastic item that will protect your clothes and the environment, discover it in our online shop!