With the GUPPYFRIEND washing bag, we have been able to reduce the release of microplastics in countless households. But while fibers from synthetic textiles are protected and caught when washing with the GUPPYFRIEND washing bag, plastic often enters the environment unknowingly through detergent. Just like the plastic fibers from our clothing, the microplastics from detergents pollute the environment and endanger our health.

To keep microplastics out when doing laundry, both are important: the GUPPYFRIEND washing bag and the right detergent.

The GUPPYFRIEND detergent is free of solid microplastics and liquid plastics, and instead of relying on environmentally and climate-damaging palm oil as a detergent ingredient—as is usual—the GUPPYFRIEND detergent cleans with natural soap based on rapeseed oil, sourced from local cultivation and without the use of genetic engineering.

The GUPPYFRIEND detergent is free from solid microplastics and liquid polymers, and instead of relying on environmentally and climate-damaging palm oil as a detergent ingredient—as is standard practice—the GUPPYFRIEND detergent cleans with rapeseed oil-based natural soap, sourced from local cultivation and without the use of genetic engineering.

The detergent is highly effective even without microplastics, palm oil, dyes, and bleach, and its cleaning performance is comparable to detergents that use chemicals that are difficult to biodegrade.

Our GUPPYFRIEND detergent is suitable for colorful and light-colored laundry. To reduce microplastic pollution from breaking fibers, it is—in addition to using the GUPPYFRIEND washing bag—advisable to sort laundry not only by color, but also by surface texture (for more information, see the Better Washing Guide). Our detergent is not suitable for silk or wool. Please add the detergent directly into the dispenser drawer according to the dosage instructions and observe the washing machine's manual and the care instructions on the clothing labels. To make the best use of water, energy, and detergent, it is best to fill the washing machine completely.

The GUPPYFRIEND heavy-duty detergent can be used at temperatures between 20°C and 90°C. The washing-active substances are most effective between 30°C and 60°C.

For hygienic reasons, you should wash with higher temperatures occasionally. But very importantly: the higher the temperatures, the more the fibers are strained. This is known as hydrolysis. This means that the fibers break more easily and cause more microplastic pollution in nature.

Overdosing is a problem. It harms the environment and your clothing. Our GUPPYFRIEND detergent is highly effective. Therefore, "more is better" is not good advice here. On the bottle label, you will find the required dosage chart, which is based on a 4.5 kg load of laundry, 'normally' soiled items, and medium water hardness. In addition, we have printed fill lines on the bottle for guidance.

The softer the water, the less laundry in the drum, and the less stubborn the dirt, the less detergent you need. You can easily look up your water hardness online or ask your water utility provider. Use significantly less detergent; then take half of that. It's enough.

Microplastics are defined as solid plastic particles smaller than 5 mm. In detergents, microplastics are used, for example, as color protection, soil repellents, foam regulators, water softeners, thickening agents, or for coating textiles or dyes.

Common definitions of microplastics exclude dissolved, gel-like, and liquid polymers. These are now increasingly replacing solid microplastics in detergents. Therefore, if a label says "microplastic-free," it does not automatically mean that no plastic was used in the detergent. This is because soluble polymers are also released into wastewater and are only incompletely retained by sewage treatment plants. In detergents, they appear as polycarboxylates, polyacrylates, polyvinylpyrrolidones, or polyethylene glycol.

The effects of dissolved polymers on nature need further research. However, it is certain that products containing poorly biodegradable polymers, in particular, pose a high environmental and health risk. Plastic has no place in nature!

The GUPPYFRIEND detergent is microplastic-free and contains no plastics in gel-like, liquid, or dissolved form.

Palm oil is cheap, long-lasting, odorless, and available in large quantities with consistent quality. These are many reasons why palm oil is used in a great many detergents – organic detergents included.  

Palm oil comes from tropical regions and has a long journey behind it before it ends up in your detergent. Through slash-and-burn practices and the clearing of rainforests, the habitat of endangered animal species is destroyed. CO2 is released, and forests and peatlands are lost as vital carbon sinks.  

Even for certified, supposedly more sustainable palm oil cultivation, forests are cleared, peatlands are drained, and CO2 is released into the atmosphere during transport. 

Whether palm oil, palm kernel oil, and palm oil derivatives are in laundry detergent is not always apparent at first glance. Or even at second: Sodium Palmate is easy to identify. Sodium Palm Kernelate, too. But palm oil also hides behind terms like laureth, lauryl, or alkyl. Conclusion: When it comes to palm oil, transparency ends. And the solution? Detergents made from locally sourced plant oils and, as always: conscious consumption.

Powdered detergents and similar forms generally have a lower transport volume than liquid detergents. However, to achieve this, they must be highly concentrated and must not contain any fillers, extenders, or anti-caking agents. That is rarely the case.  

Furthermore, 'pulverizing' detergent requires energy-intensive drying processes that negate any CO2 savings gained during transport.  

Powder detergents also frequently contain abrasives. This promotes contamination through microplastics. 

Moreover, powders and alternatives to liquid detergent only act on specific points of clothing because they do not dissolve completely in water. In our tests, considerable amounts of undissolved powder accumulate at the drain. 

Like stone pine. That is what defines the natural organic stone pine oil from Tyrol. The scent of stone pine is said to reduce stress – likely because it reminds you of your last vacation in the mountains.

The customer test confirmed the obvious: a glass bottle is impractical in a wet room, and when refilling as well. Risk of accidents! The best, most practical, and most sustainable solution, because it is reusable, is our refill bottle made of 100% post-consumer recycled material. It’s quite simple: bring it back and refill it—this way, no waste is created, and you become part of the cycle.

Take your empty bottle made of 100% post-consumer recycled material to a GUPPYFRIEND detergent retailer: refill, place the sticker on the bottle, go to the checkout, wash. Or in short: wash, refill, repeat.  

You can find a list of places where you can refill your GUPPYFRIEND detergent here.