Doing laundry may not be one of your favorite chores, but it is one of the simplest ways to help prevent cold and flu. Both illnesses are more common place in the fall and winter months than in the rest of the year. Part of the problem may be traced back to your outer garments that can harbor microbes.

How Winter Clothes Can Get Your Sick

Our infectious disease specialists break it down by the most common germ infested winter clothes that should definitely be washed frequently.

Gloves

Gloves keep our hands warm when the temperatures dip, but they also pick up everything bare hands do and few people wash their gloves frequently enough. Gloves may carry bacteria, the cold virus (rhinovirus) and influenza virus —especially if people don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom and then put the gloves back on. Don’t remove your gloves with your mouth; remove them from back to front like healthcare workers do.

Scarves

While scarves protect the face and neck from the cold wind, they are also very close to our noses and mouths. People inadvertently use scarves act as tissues for runny noses. Our scarves soak up this extra mucus and carry around our germs to other people.

The flu virus can live on clothing like gloves and scarves for two or three days, while diarrhea-causing viruses, such as rotavirus and norovirus, may thrive for as many as four weeks.

Coats

Be sure to empty your coat pockets of dirty tissues and gloves.  When you got a confined space filled with mucus and dirty gloves, you got a lot of microbes on clothes that can cultivate. When washing your coat, empty out the pockets and leave the pockets flipped inside out.

Boots

Wearing boots into the house carries bacteria, which can contaminate your surfaces and could even lead to illness. Clean the bottom of your boots with an antiseptic wipe at least once a week.

Blankets

That cozy blanket feels great on a cold winter night, but it is also crawling with germs.  It collects pet dander, pet saliva, children’s snot and saliva, crumbs from leftover food, and airborne illnesses from anyone who might have sneezed on it.

Clean Laundry Can Help Combat Microbes

Heat is what will really kill microbes. Toss those winter clothes in the wash once a week in the hottest water the fabric allows — or, if you’re worried about shrinkage, throw them in the dryer for 30-45 minutes.

If you and/or your loved ones do get sick this flu season, you may need to visit your primary physician. For those interested in finding a primary physician, please give us a call at the number below.

Find a Doctor Near You
Call (716) 706-2112

Find an Doctor Near You
Call (716) 706-2112