During the current COVID-19 pandemic, health organisations all over the world are continuing to highlight the importance of certain actions such as physical distancing, frequent hand washing, and disinfecting everyday items, including your clothes, to prevent the virus from spreading. It is especially important to take extra care if you are living with someone who has a suspected or confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection or if you have it yourself.

Here are a few basic guidelines for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus while doing your laundry.

How to Disinfect Clothes at Home

Wash items with your usual laundry detergent. You might consider using a detergent with bleach but be sure to read the product guidelines first to avoid ruining your clothing. Consider soaking your clothes in a solution of quaternary ammonium before you wash them.

The WHO recommend you choose the warmest available water temperature - between 60–90°C. Remember that high temperatures can cause damage or shrink clothing, so always read the care labels.

Dry the clothing completely, preferably outside.

Disinfect your laundry baskets with a solution of 0.1% sodium hypochlorite or a household disinfectant.

Wear protective gloves when doing your laundry. Wash your hands with warm water and soap immediately after taking the gloves off. If you do not have gloves, wash your hands immediately after handling the dirty clothing and avoid touching your face.

Summary

It is unclear how long the SARS-CoV-2 virus can live on different clothing materials. From the current research, scientists suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 virus cannot withstand a temperature above 70°C.

Household disinfectants, such as bleach, might also help to kill the inactivate virus. However, it is important to take care when adding bleach to a load of laundry, as it will damage coloured items. You may wish to look out for colour-safe bleach-based products to prevent the risk of this occurring. 

S&D Ireland: Domestic Appliance Repairs

S&D Ireland has a network of repair technicians in your area. They arrive with a selection of the most common replacement parts to try to fix your appliance on their first visit. We have fixed-price labour costs: you pay a set fee plus the price of parts. Ring us today to find out more or arrange a visit from a service engineer.

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