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If you use a cloth bandage, you probably know that it needs to be washed between uses.
The only advice from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) is to wash cloth bandages at 60 degrees in a washing machine.
However, there are other methods that are said to be more convenient and time saving. We have had four professionals evaluating them.
1) 60 degree wash
Claim: Washing at 60 degrees in the washing machine kills the virus.
– The virus is destroyed when exposed to temperatures above 56 degrees for 30 minutes, explains Susanne Dudman. He is a specialist in microbiology from the University of Oslo.
This method is used in laboratories to neutralize SARS-CoV-2.
– Soap also helps break down the membrane and destabilize the virus, says Gunnveig Grødeland. She is a virus researcher at the Oslo University Hospital.
There are approved studies that show that the method is effective.
Therefore, this is the only method recommended by FHI. This was stated by section chief Hanne-Merete Eriksen-Volle in an email to NRK.
2) boiling water
Claim: the virus dies at 60 degrees. Then the virus also dies in boiling water.
– Most people have boiling water. Can be used on all fabrics, including wool. It is also in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, says SIFO researcher Ingun G. Klepp.
Dudman believes that clothes are not washed properly this way.
– To clean it after use, it should be washed with soap in at least 60 degrees hot water, she says.
FHI also does not recommend this method. They believe it is unclear whether the clothing’s ability to stop droplet infection will be destroyed by boiling.
3) Disinfectants
Claim: disinfectants kill the virus. So you can spray the nozzle after use and hang it to dry.
This is a very bad idea, according to all the experts.
– Clothing should not be wet or sprayed to cover the nose and mouth. It can be unhealthy, says Dudman.
Klepp also does not recommend this method.
– All types of chemicals should be washed well before use. The air you breathe in through the mouthpiece will go down into your lungs, he says.
When the journalist tried this method, the undersigned became dizzy and almost felt a breeze.
4) Dry
Claim: The virus will die only when it is hung to dry.
Studies have shown that the virus only survives between 24 hours and three days on various surfaces.
Therefore, SIFO researcher Klepp believes that this is a practical and simple method.
– The “quarantine period” should be based on documented knowledge of the ability of the virus to survive. Of course, they should be washed if they’ve gotten dirty, says Klepp.
She believes that it is the responsibility of FHI to come up with guidelines on how long different materials should be allowed to dry. It depends on the temperature, humidity and material of the fabric.
“Unfortunately, we do not have the opportunity to evaluate all the details of the effect of different methods for different types of materials,” responds Eriksen-Volle at FHI.
Therefore, they only recommend washing at 60 degrees to be safe.
5) Iron
Claim: The virus dies at high temperatures, so the virus will also die when exposed to high plate temperatures.
– This is a method that can ensure that the mouthpiece is ready for use in a few minutes. There is general documentation that shows that the corona becomes harmless at higher temperatures, says Klepp.
The other three experts, on the other hand, do not recommend plates because there is not enough documentation on this particular method.
– Soap helps break down the virus. So ironing doesn’t give the same effect as washing the nozzle, even if the temperature should be the same, says Grødeland.
6) The freezer
Statement: You can inactivate the coronavirus by freezing it for a few days.
All the experts that NRK has spoken with state that the virus does not die from freezing.
– It has been documented that viruses in the mouthpiece will remain viable and contagious. Also, the mouthpiece should be washed with soap after use, says Dudman.
conclusion
There is no question among professionals that washing at 60 degrees is the safest method of cleaning cloth bandages.
Lead researcher Ingun G. Klepp has previously criticized the recommendation. She doesn’t dispute efficiency, but thinks it’s too impractical.
– It is unlikely that everyone will follow this advice. It’s bad for the environment and not everyone has access to a washing machine, says Klepp.
She refers to the WHO recommendations. It says here that you can boil, wash at lower temperatures, and soak the nozzle in bleach.
Other professionals do not rule out the possibility that there are other effective methods.
– There is a difference if vet that something works, or if something possibly, perhaps, could potentially work. If you want to be sure that you’ve cracked the virus, you should follow FHI’s recommendation, says Grødeland.
