Dry Cleaning and Laundry Tips

Personal hygiene rose to the top of everyone’s priorities since the emergence of the coronavirus. People want to be thoroughly clean to eliminate the risk of virus transmission, which means they also started laundering their clothes with more caution. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the virus can live on surfaces for hours to days, depending on the material. But it survives longer on hard surfaces, such as plastic and steel, compared to soft materials like fabric and clothing. 

It means that the likelihood of contracting the virus through clothing is low. However, some still wonder about the safety of handling and handwashing potentially contaminated clothes. Or is it better to go to a laundromat near you and have them wash your garments for you? 

Handling Potentially Contaminated Clothes 

Whether you do your laundry at home, in a shared machine in your building, or a laundromat, follow these CDC general safety guidelines when washing your clothes: 

• Don’t shake dirty laundry. Otherwise, the virus might spread through the air and settle on other surfaces in the house or laundromat.
• Don’t hug or hold used garments close to your body to minimize contact with potentially contaminated items.
• Wear disposable gloves while handling dirty clothes. Wash your hands thoroughly after removing and properly disposing of the gloves.
• Store your dirty laundry in a hamper if you can’t wash them immediately. Disinfect the hamper every time you empty it.

Hand-Washing Clothes Amid a Pandemic 

For those who don’t have access to a laundry machine, hand-washing your clothes is safe. But you want the water as hot as the fabrics can handle. Research says temperatures over 75 degrees Celsius kill most flu viruses. You may also use steamers to sanitize your clothes. 

Be sure to wash your hands after doing the laundry. 

Using Your Own Machine 

The guidelines for washing your clothes in your own machine are similar to the rules for hand-washing. CDC confirms that the dirty laundry of an ill person can be washed together with other people’s garments since the detergent is enough to kill the virus. 

After doing the laundry, dry your clothes completely. This extra step ensures that the virus is thoroughly eliminated. 

Going to the Laundromat or Using a Shared Machine 

Businesses, such as laundromat services, adhere to sanitation and social distancing measures for them to operate. So, it should be safe for you to go to the laundromat. But you need to be very careful, maintaining a six-feet physical distance with people at all times. The same goes for using the communal machine in your apartment. 

If you’re not confident with the cleanliness of the laundry machine, you can wipe it down with a disinfectant before using it. Wash your hands thoroughly after moving your wet clothes to the dryer, and when you’re done with the entire chore. 

Fold your clothes at home to avoid touching the tabletops inside the laundromat or laundry room. 

Although it’s safe to go to a laundromat, it would be much safer for you to send your dirty laundry out to a wash-and-fold service. It boils down to limiting your contact with other people, and the second option keeps you within a safe distance. 

Laundry Pick-Up and Delivery Service in Springfield 

Starcrest Cleaners provides customers in Springfield and surrounding communities with a superior laundry service. Apart from making your clothes ultra-clean and soft, we offer pick-up and delivery services for your utmost convenience and safety. We also do same-day laundry so that you can get back your garments at the end of the day. 

Starcrest Cleaners operates in multiple locations, open seven days a week. Call us at (877) 722 2209 for questions about services.