Many are now practicing social distancing and making only occasional trips to the grocery store or pharmacy. Still, some experts agree that it's not necessary to change clothes or take a shower when you return home.
Studies show that although small viral particles float in the air for about half an hour, they do not necessarily swarm like mosquitos and are very unlikely to collide with the clothes. An expert explained that because of aerodynamics, the droplets are unlikely to deposit on clothing, they will only move in the air and around the body and clothes.
Humans tend to move fast enough before a droplet could land on the clothes. As humans move, they push air out of the way, and most of the droplets get pushed away also. For these particles to land, they have to be big enough like particles from coughing or sneezing.
However, fabrics such as clothes and towels can still spread germs as most of them can survive on fabrics for some time. Regular washing usually does the trick in cleaning clothes. Still, there are times that it needs to be washed at higher than normal temperature using bleach-based products to sanitize it further and minimize the transmission risk.
Items such as clothes soiled with vomit or poo, sports clothes, clothes used in the preparation of food, shared towels, clothing worn over the wound or infected skin, and a healthcare worker's clothes need to wash thoroughly.
Good thing, various laundry products are now available not just on supermarkets but also online to avoid getting infected by any disease and lessen our risk of transmission. Below are some of the laundry sanitizers that you can use to wash your clothes.
Pine oil disinfectants
Pine oil disinfectants are most effective in hot and warm water and can be used on white and colored fabrics. Brands such as Spic-n-Span Pine, Lysol Pine Action, and Pine-Sol are the best examples of pine oil disinfectants.
When doing laundry, they should be added at the beginning of the wash cycle. Make sure that the product you are using contains 80% of pine oil to be effective as it acts as a cleaning and disinfectant ingredient.
Phenolic disinfectants
Just like pine oil, phenolic disinfectants are also effective in hot and warm water and can be used in both white and colored fabrics. The most common brand is Lysol, but many brands that are phenolic-based such as Contec's Sporicidin. You may add this disinfectant to the wash or rinse water.
Phenol is one of the oldest antiseptic agents used to kill bacteria. However, a 5% solution of this chemical is strongly irritating and corrosive to tissues. Oral ingestion may cause CNS, cardiovascular effects, and even death. People are advised to handle this product with care when using it.
Liquid chlorine disinfectant
Liquid chlorine disinfectants or also known as chlorine bleach may also be used in hot, warm, or cold water temperatures on white fabrics only. There must be a 5.25% to 6.15% concentration of sodium hypochlorite for it to be effective.
Clorox and other supermarket house brands are examples of liquid chlorine bleaches. The most effective disinfectant in the chlorine family is the hypochlorous acid (HOCL) and is suggested to clean 80 to 120 times more than any of its kind.
As it is still unclear on how long the virus can stay alive on clothes with plastic and metal elements, people should practice proper hygiene on your laundry. The products mentioned above will help you disinfect your clothes, but always remember that washing your hands is the most effective in fighting the virus.
For more items online, you may visit Amazon.com and shop online for the things you might be needing during this quarantine.
