Your Septic Tank Wasn’t Built for Microplastics… and Neither Was Your Well Water

Microplastics from your laundry are clogging your septic system and contaminating your water.

From Laundry to your Well Water: The Hidden Microplastics Cycle

Microplastics from Laundry

Laundry is the largest source of microplastics pollution. Just like lint made of clothing fibers is produced in the dryer, the washing machine cycle causes a similar shed of lint (clumps of clothing fibers) and microplastics (tiny plastic fibers) from our clothes... with nothing to catch it.

Into Your Septic System

With no filter to catch the microfibers shed in the wash, they drain right into your septic tank along with the washing machine wastewater, where the fibers and other particulate (like hair) begin to accumulate. Lint clumps start to accumulate, causing pre-filter clogging and the need to frequently clean/pump the system. Fine microplastics tend to pass along into the septic drainfield.

Out Through the Septic Drainfield

Because the microplastics (the fine particles) are so small, they may not settle in the tank and instead pass through to the drainfield along with the water. Along the way, lint clumps can clog the soil pores, causing causing costly repairs and sewage backup into your home.

Into Your Well Water

From the drainfield, the microfibers that have not clumped are distributed into the soil where they leach into your well water, affecting water quality and raising health risks.

It’s alarming…What we’re finding is fibers. And plastic pipes don’t shed fibers… Fibers are coming from clothes.”

This Means High Costs… and Even Higher Health Risks

Protect Your Health and Your Home With CLEANR

CLEANR’s microplastics filter connects to any washing machine to remove over 90% of microplastics before they reach your septic tank and drinking water.

Without CLEANR

With CLEANR

Proven to stop the #1 Source of Microplastics Before They Leave Your Washing Machine

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure with septic systems”

Talk to a CLEANR Team Member to See How CLEANR Can Work for You

FAQs

  • No. Septic tanks are designed to settle out heavy solids, but microplastic fibers from laundry are lightweight and stay suspended. They often pass into the drainfield, where soil microbes can’t break them down. Over time, plastics can accumulate and stress the system instead of being removed. 

  • Yes. Effluent from septic systems flows into surrounding soil and eventually into groundwater. Since most private wells draw from the same aquifer, tiny fibers can travel through soil pores and end up in drinking water, carrying chemicals and bacteria with them. 

  • Install a washing-machine microfiber filter. It captures the majority of fibers before they leave your home and enter your septic system. Pair this with simple laundry habits (wash full loads, use cold water, and choose liquid detergent) for a big reduction in fiber release. 

  • Yes—in a positive way. A quality filter won’t harm your washer or slow drainage, but it will extend the lifespan of both your washing machine and your septic system. By trapping fibers and lint before they reach the tank, you reduce buildup that stresses the drainfield and also keep your washer’s discharge line cleaner.

  • When fibers accumulate in the drainfield soil, they can block natural filtering pores. This prevents effluent from absorbing properly, leading to odors, soggy patches, or even backups inside the home. Left unchecked, it can shorten your drainfield’s life and require a $10k–$30k replacement. 

  • Watch for: 

    • Slow drains or gurgling pipes 

    • Sewage odors around the yard or tank 

    • Patches of unusually lush or soggy grass over the drainfield 

    • Backups inside the home 

    If these appear, cut back on water use and call a septic professional quickly. Early intervention saves money. 

  • Because the washer is the source. Catching fibers before they enter your septic prevents them from breaking into even smaller particles that slip through soil, reach groundwater, and are harder for tap filters to remove, while also reducing clogs, odors, and pump-outs. Tap filters are great as a last line of defense for what you drink, but they don’t protect your septic or the environment. Best practice: both, but start at the washer.

Download Our Septic Protection Guide

Protect Your Septic, Your Water, and Your Health

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