Researchers propose that COVID-19 has not lived on garments for too long as compared to other hard surfaces and exposing it to heat may shorten its life.
A current study states that at a certain room temperature covid can live up to two days on fabrics as compared to plastics and metals. To deepen the research when there was an attempt to expose the virus to heat, it became inactive within five minutes.
If you’re worried that the clothes might have been in contact with the virus, you need to wash the clothes on extremely heated cycles. According to the researchers, the virus needs moisture to survive. If there is no moisture then the virus would quickly dry up and no longer would be viable.
Laundering the Clothing During Covid –
- Place the clothes and reusable fabric masks in the washing machine when you remove them. Try not to shake out dirty attires in case you expose the virus to the air. Wash your clothes with hot water that is suitable for the fabric.
- You might have to consider using bleach or colour safe bleach, which would dispose of the virus off if it’s present. Place the cleaned garments in the dryer instead of air drying. You will have to dry your full laundry into the dryer.
- Following a proper washing procedure that incorporates warmth, detergent and agitation during the wash and twist cycles, in addition to the dryer, should eliminate or inactivate the virus from your clothes.
Laundering Someone’s Clothing Who Has Covid –
- Keep their clothing in a different hamper rather than combining their clothes with the other family members. You will have to line the hamper with a dispensable plastic pack before tossing in clothing.
- After this, you will have to wash the sick person’s clothes separately, adhering to the instructions above. Clean the hamper subsequently after taking off the dirty clothes. In the wake of taking care of the clothes, wash your hands.
- Use a sanitizer wipe to clean clothes washer or dryer handles, buttons or handles if you have touched them before washing your hands. You will have to clean the inside of the clothes washer with bleach after removing the laundry.
