How long does corona virus live on clothes?

[tara1414]

My daughter ordered two tee shirts from an online app store. I have been freaking out over packages lately. I took the shirts out of the package and since we dont have a washing machine i put them in the tub with detergent and scrubbed them , rinced and rung them as best as i could . Then i picked them up and some water splashed into my eye. It may sound crazy but with all the contradictoru news i am so confused. She tevieved the order in only 3 days . How long would it stay on it? And could the germs be that potent to get into my eye ?

[Mrsdollface]

4hrs

[Earthie48]

Even BEFORE the COVID-19 Virus, I ALWAYS WASHED anything that is WASHABLE!  Even my Dish Towels, bath towels, etc!  I NEVER USE anything straight out of the package!  That includes socks, underwear, etc., I mean everything that can be WASHED!  

I am so paranoid, that I always wash my fruits & veggies!  Including the Onions. Garlic, before I cut into them!  Just about everything we buy today comes from a FOREIGN COUNTRY!  They used Chemicals that are OUTLAWED in America, better knows as QUALITY CONTROL, and one of the main reasons our Manufacturing Industry OUTSOURCED their EVERYTHING to Foreign Countries for Cheap Labor, along with using Chemicals not allowed in America!

[annie21343]

The US allows dangerous chemicals on food crops and soil.  The European Union has banned some of these chemicals.

[AnnieBrooke]

Earthie, while I agree that it's a good idea to wash all incoming items, I would say this should be the case whether they come from overseas or the United States. The constant drumbeat for any manufacturer is to put out a product less expensively than the competition. That does mean some items are produced in other countries, because US manufacturers find they have to send the work offshore to stay in business, because of labor costs. Possibly in a hundred years, labor will cost the same all over the world, but not yet. But even if an item is made in the United States, I would still always wash it, because even manufacturers in this country aren't going to be competitive if they don't produce their products as cheaply as possible. That means they can't afford a lot of niceties. A friend of mine worked in North Carolina in a chicken-packing plant. The place did what it had to by law, but did nothing in terms of good bathrooms for the workers where you could wash your hands, not locking the emergency doors (they would lock them in so people couldn't sneak out early) and stuff like that. It wasn't a pleasant place to work, and this was in the US. Chide all you want about places not being clean and safe, just don't kid yourself that this only happens when things come in from overseas. It happens anywhere lots of competition crunches companies into just doing the bare minimum.

[auntiejessi]

I just got this in my email - https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=229870&ecd=mnl_day_040620

How Long Does Coronavirus Stay on Clothes and Laundry?

By Debbie Koenig

April 5, 2020 -- Many emergency room workers remove their clothes as soon as they get home -- some before they even enter. Does that mean you should worry about COVID-19 transmission from your own clothing, towels, and other textiles?

While researchers found that the virus can remain on some surfaces for up to 72 hours, the study didn't include fabric. "So far, evidence suggests that it's harder to catch the virus from a soft surface (such as fabric) than it is from frequently touched hard surfaces like elevator buttons or door handles," wrote Lisa Maragakis, MD, senior director of infection prevention at the Johns Hopkins Health System.

There's more, but that's the gist.

[tara1414]

Thanks for the replies. They were packaged for atleast 3 days. And i hand washed them before the water splashed in my eye. Im pretty sure im okay just freaking out a little. There may not have even been any virus in the first place.

[auntiejessi]

Yeah, I'm sure you're fine. :)

[AlbertinaG]

There is no confirmation about how long a virus can live on different surfaces according to the reports mostly it stays for 4-7 hours you should wash the clothes with soap properly it will break the virus thats why everyone is saying to wash hands with soap or sanitizer.

[AnnieBrooke]

No problem. Though there is conflicting information on the issue of how long the virus can live on surfaces, every authority says the virus is broken apart by soap and water.

[tara1414]

I meant say she received the order in 3 days