The new mantra of the Pandemic is “Live with it”, but it doesn’t end the seriousness of the disease. Now we are witnessing both symptomatic as well as asymptomatic cases, and the number of infected people has increased, the good news is recovery rates of people are also going up. Now that people have started work from offices and businesses are opening up, it's important that people don’t bring the infection home. One way in which it can reach your home is through layers of clothes. Therefore, here are some tips to take care of your clothes once you get back home from your daily work or after finishing your outside chores.
- Wash Them ASAP
Along with taking a bath as soon as you get back home, wash your clothes as well. If you cannot wash them immediately, keep them aside in a separate basket or laundry bag. Do not mix them with other clothes. - Soak Your Clothes
Viruses can come hidden under the layers of your clothes. Therefore, keeping them soaked in water with detergent before washing will be effective. Leave the clothes untouched in water for some time and then wash them. You may also use warm water for the same. - Warmest Water
It is recommended to wash your clothes in the warmest possible temperature of water. However, it should be kept in mind that your clothes can bear warm temperature. Many times, the cloth may get damaged or shrink and that should be taken care of. But simply warm water won’t help. Use a good quality detergent. Aim for the one that contains bleach. - Dry Them
Once washed, dry the clothes and expose them to the sun’s UV rays, which have disinfecting powers. Make sure that the clothes are completely dry before you put them back with all your other clothes.
Other General Precautions:
- Wash your hands immediately after washing the clothes.
- Do not touch your face until you wash your hands after touching the clothes.
- Make sure your clothes don’t touch any other surface once you are home.
- Sanitize the basket or laundry bag in which you had kept the unwashed clothes.
- Also sanitize the washing machine once, before washing other clothes in it.
- If you are using gloves while washing, discard them immediately after use.
Therefore, it is to be understood that even if the restrictions are being eased; it is now a bigger responsibility of each and every citizen to take all the possible precautions at their end. As #IndiaFightsCorona, we should ensure that we don’t become carriers of the COVID-19 infection when we step out of our houses.
