Panicking that I've caused my family to ingest hazardous quantities of micro-plastics!! (pic included) Should I deep clean entire kitchen?

[Perspexacity]

I put a dark wash on and when I went to retrieve the clothes from the washing machine, they were covered in what looks like tiny bits of plastic. The bits were mostly on the clothes towards the front of the machine, and all around the rubber seals etc.

In cleaning everything up, I'm scared that fine dust of these particles has gone all over the kitchen and that I've unwittingly exposed the family to inhalation of micro plastics.

I can't think where this has all come from! I don't think I put anything in the wash that I shouldn't have done but equally I didn't put every item in one by one into the machine so maybe something did get put in by accident.

I attach a close up picture of some of it. Does this look like residue from something plastic that's disintegrated??

The bits sort of clump together but when you touch a clump it just as readily disintegrates into fine dust.

What are you on about? Everyone will be fine.

I have contamination OCD so struggle to get a perspective on such things. Does it look like particles of plastic? I'm trying to entertain the thought it could be something else, less 'toxic' than plastic but I'm struggling

Wtf?

this is your ocd.

all will be fine

see a doc for med review

It looks like that kids magnetic sand stuff.

It doesn't look like plastic to me. Throw it away, put your washing machine on a clean cycle. Try and do some grounding work - if you can put some breathing exercises on YouTube this will help with the OCD panic.
All will be fine.

Why do you think it’s plastic and why do you think people have consumed it? It’s clothes fluff.

It looks like kinetic sand, or just normal sand mixed with fluff maybe. Could it have come home from school / nursery / playdate in a pocket?
I don't think there is anything to worry about, and I'm sorry to hear about your OCD.

I've had that in my washing machine. It's disintegrated rubber of some sort off an item of clothing.

Sorry to tell you but we all ingest a credit card amount of plastic per week. It is as serious or more than even climate change for all living things.

You need to manage your thoughts. That is the problem, not whatever is in your washing machine.

Advice here if you have not already been given exercises/CBT to do:

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/self-care-for-ocd/

Microplastic doesn't look like that OP. Plastic goes into a very fine white powder like dust, a bit like talcum powder. Your pictures look like some kind of harmless fluff, sand or fibrous material.

Ignore the unsupportive posts - you have OCD which you've recognised and have asked for a check so you can manage it and stop it spiralling. Doesn't mean you need increased meds or lack of sympathy.

Looks like normal lint to me?

yes, I think it most resembles kinetic sand to look at, but less gritty.

eurgh.... disintegrated rubber...so plastic.

I feel like I've read some stuff lately pointing to a link between micro-plastics and higher rates of cancer in younger people

Is there any chance it's undissolved washing powder? I did probably put too much in the drawer, but it was a 60 degree wash so it should've dissolved. But could some have got 'trapped' in the rubber sealing??

@MadeofCoffee thats the thing...it does disintegrate really easily when you touch it...

OP who do you normally call when you feel like this? My sister normally calls me when she needs reassurance. Can you phone your person?

Have you got a CBT exercise you can do? It will all be ok - I get that in my machine. It's fluff of some kind.

OP even if it was micro plastics which is highly highly unlikely there wouldn't be enough to increase your risk of cancer. This is your OCD causing you to panic.

It wouldn't cling together in clumps like that. If you have ever touched a very old plastic bowl and had a fine, snooth dust appear on your finger, that's it in microplastic form. It would dissolve very easily in the water and you'd be unlikely to see the remnants like this after a wash imo (am a science tech). If you're worried, pop a face mask on to clean it up, but it's very unlikely you'll have contaminated anyone with anything.

Could be too much powder- run your machine empty on the hottest setting and that will clean out any residue. (You should clean your machine every 6 - 8 weeks by running the hottest wash with either a machine cleaner or a biological powder and an empty drum - this prevents build up of gunk in the machine which can make the machine smell and leave grey residue on your clothes.)

@AllIWannaDoo I'm aware that it can be a pain living with someone with OCD so I try to limit the amount I ask people in real life. Also DH abroad for work atm and am home alone with DC. Feeling a bit fragile.

OP, I was coming on to suggest it could be excess washing powder. I've had something very similar when I've put too much powder in the wash.

We’re all teeming with micro plastics and particulates anyway. If they are so worried about the kitchen they can take responsibility for the laundry, the deep clean and cooking can’t they? But they won’t. So chill. Wipe up as much as you can and forget about it.

No. Rubber comes from the rubber tree plant. Plastic is manufactured.

You're not going to get the reassurance here or anywhere else that you're looking for. You already know it's your condition talking and that your response isn't rational or proportionate. You need help elsewhere, not from here.

this looks like bits from your rubber seal. I had this when the rubber seal started to wear away on my machine, just bits now and then and then one day big clumps like this over everything near front of machine.

That’s rubbed off the seal of the machine door, can happen if something gets stuck in the edge of it. We had a sock ours and the seal wore right through when this happened so prob best check it.