44125Tips for Laundering Pesticide-Contaminated Clothing
Pre-Laundering Information
Remove contaminated clothing before entering enclosed tractor cabs.
Remove contaminated clothing outdoors or in an entry. If a granular pesticide was used, shake clothing outdoors. Empty pockets and cuffs.
Save clothing worn while handling pesticides for that use only. Keep separate from other clothing before, during, and after laundering.
Wash contaminated clothing after each use. When applying pesticides daily, wash clothing daily.
Clean gloves, aprons, boots, rigid hats, respirators, and eyewear by scrubbing with detergent and warm water. Rinse thoroughly and hang in a clean area to dry.
Take these precautions when handling contaminated clothing:
- Ventilate area.
- Avoid inhaling steam from washer or dryer.
- Wash hands thoroughly.
- Consider wearing chemical-resistant gloves.
- Keep out of reach of children and pets.
Air
Hang garments outdoors to air.
Pre-rinse
Use one of three methods:
1. Hose off garments outdoors.
2. Rinse in separate tub or pail.
3. Rinse in automatic washer at full water level.
Pretreat (heavily soiled garments)
Use heavy-duty liquid detergent.
Washer Load
Wash garments separate from family wash.
Wash garments contaminated with the same pesticide together.
Never use the "sudsaver" feature on your machine when laundering pesticide-soiled clothes.
Load Size
Wash only a few garments at once.
Water Level
Use full water level.
Water Temperature
Use hot water, as hot as possible.
Wash Cycle
Use regular wash cycle, at least 12-minutes.
Laundry Detergent
Use a heavy-duty detergent.
Use amount recommended on package or more for heavy soil or hard water.
Remember to use high-efficiency (HE) detergents in HE and front-loading washers.
Rinse
Use a full warm rinse.
Rewash
Rewash contaminated garments two or three times before reuse for more complete pesticide removal.
Dry
Line drying is preferable to avoid contaminating dryer.
Clean Washer
Run complete, but empty, cycle.
Use hot water and detergent.
Prepared by Charlotte Coffman, College of Human Ecology, Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, Cornell University
PESTICIDE EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Emergency responder information on pesticide spills and accidents...
CHEMTREC - 800-424-9300
For pesticide information...
National Pesticide Information Center - 800-858-7378
To Report Oil and Hazardous Material Spills in New York State...
NYS Spill Hotline - 800-457-7362
Poison Control Centers
Poison Control Centers nationwide - 800-222-1222
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