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earrings

My mom recently died with hepatitis c.  I'm going through her jewelry and was wondering if I could wear her earrings and, if so, how should I sterilize them?
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317787 tn?1473358451
Hi I am so sorry to hear that your Mom died.
Pooh is right, she has given you great advice.
Take care
Dee
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1815939 tn?1377991799
Welcome to the forum.

I am very sorry that your mom recently died. I know it must be very difficult.

As far as your question about wearing the earrings.... You should be able to wear the earrings. Hepatitis C is spread from blood to blood contact. Your mother's blood would have to get into your bloodstream in order for you to get it. According to the CDC, the Hep C virus can survive outside of the body at room temperature for from 16 hours up to 4 days.

Although there is miniscule (if any) risk from getting Hep C from the earrings, if you want to clean the earrings, you could follow the CDC guidelines below.

From the CDC:
*How long does the Hepatitis C virus survive outside the body?
*The Hepatitis C virus can survive outside the body at room temperature, on environmental surfaces, for at least 16 hours but no longer than 4 days.

From the CDC:
*How should blood spills be cleaned from surfaces to make sure that Hepatitis C virus is gone?
*Any blood spills — including dried blood, which can still be infectious — should be cleaned using a dilution of one part household bleach to 10 parts water. Gloves should be worn when cleaning up blood spills.

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/c/cfaq.htm
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