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After the second wave of Corona in India, everyone is facing the worst situation here. It’s really heartbreaking to see innocent people dying because of Covid-19. We can’t even imagine the pain of those who have lost their close ones. So, now vaccination is the only way left for us to stay alive. We are lucky that we have a chance to save our precious life. Vaccination is the only solution to…

How long does Covid-19 stay on bedding?

The Covid-19 pandemic has left you worried about your safety and hygiene. You have been sanitizing everything from doorknobs to objects brought from outside. The good news is that the virus cannot survive for a long time outside the human body. But how long can covid stay on bedding?

A study by De Montfort University shows that coronavirus can live on fabric for up to 3 days. That also includes your sheets and other bedding. So, you have to be careful while cleaning sheets that might be infected.

Cotton is everyone’s favorite material for bedding since it is a soft and breathable fabric. Your sheets, duvets, and duvet covers are all made of cotton. Since covid stays on cotton for around a day, it’s better not to touch the infected sheets and duvets during that time.

 Sometimes, your infected bedding comes into contact with other surfaces. It results in the transmission of the virus to those surfaces. However, disinfecting them will eliminate the virus.

 The virus stays more active on hard and nonporous surfaces. It cannot last long enough on porous surfaces.

 According to the CDC, porous surfaces exhibit capillary activity, leading to faster evaporation of the aerosol droplets. The dried-up virus becomes impotent and unable to spread infections. That’s why covid doesn’t stay on your cotton sheets for more than 24 hours because cotton is porous and breathable.

However, that doesn’t eliminate the cause of concern. And the virus can get transmitted if anyone touches the fabric during that time.

 Now that you know how long can covid live on bedding, you might be wondering how to remove the virus. The best way is to wash and disinfect your sheets and duvets. What should you keep in mind while washing your bedding to kill the virus? Read on to find out.

How to wash your bedding to kill the virus?

You must be extra careful while washing your covid infected bedding. Here are some steps to prepare your bedding before the wash. Following them will minimize the risk of spreading the virus.

 ●     Keep the sheets and laundry in a separate laundry bag. It will prevent the virus from infecting other clothing.

●     You can use a disposable laundry bag and discard it after use.

●     Wash your hands with soap and water after handling the infected bedding.

●     Clean and disinfect all surfaces that came in contact with the bedding.

 Now comes the part of washing the bedding. Studies by De Montfort University show that your domestic washing machine cannot fully eliminate the virus. Some traces of it remain even after washing. Dr. Laird, head of the Infectious Disease Research Group says, “While we can see from the research that washing these materials at a high temperature, even in a domestic washing machine, does remove the virus, it does not it does not eliminate the risk of the contaminated clothing leaving traces of coronavirus on other surfaces in the home or car before they are washed. “

 Then how can you kill the deadly virus on your bedding? Washing them in warm water of 60 degrees celsius or above will inactivate the virus.

You can use any laundry detergent while washing. However, don’t forget to rinse with a disinfectant after the wash. That would eliminate all risks.

  So, what can you do to make sure no traces of the virus remain on other surfaces?

 ●     Disinfect every surface that came into contact with the infected bedding.

 ●     Wipe the insides of your washing machine with bleach or disinfectant.

 ●     Don’t forget to disinfect the buttons on your washing machine.

 Are you worried that washing your sheets frequently will damage the fabric of your sheets? Read this blog to know how to make your sheets soft and durable.

So how long does covid live on your bedding? Though covid can stay for a day, washing and disinfecting your sheets (400 TC sheet set link) will kill the virus. Make sure you wait for at least 24 hours before touching the sheets.