Parvo – this is the name that we have heard often if we have a pet. Be it a dog or a cat, our pets require vaccinations for the same. Parvovirus is a deadly disease. It is almost like cancer that happens in the first 3-4 months after a dog or cat has been born. We love our pets and ourselves too. That is why, when our dogs get Parvo, we can also get infected – not by the virus but through the hair, a dog/ cat leaves in our clothes. So, how to disinfect clothes? How to get rid of infection? These questions might be lurking in your mind! Don’t worry! We will answer them for you!

Parvovirus is one of the deadliest diseases that a dog or cat can get. It is highly contagious and spread from dog to dog by direct and indirect contact. One reason to prevent parvo from happening is to get your pets vaccinated. In the first three months, there is a course prescribed by the doctor wherein your dog is vaccinated. It reduces the chances of parvo in your pets. If you don’t get your dog or cat vaccinated, then it is best to look closely at their activities. If they are lethargic or not eating anything, then it means that parvo has just begun to occur. Your pet needs instant medication if this happens.

Now when you carry your pet, the hair and infection can catch you as well. After taking medication for your pet, you need to take certain steps to clean yourself up. The first step is to disinfect your clothes. It is essential to get rid of unwanted hair from your jeans and t-shirt to protect yourself from infection.

To prevent the spread of parvo, every area of the house must be disinfected. If your dog wears clothes, then you need to wash them along with your own clothes. Use bleach to do so. Washing clothes with bleach and warm water wards off all the germs from clothes. Let us look at some of the tips and tricks that you can use in order to disinfect your clothes.

How to Disinfect Clothes

If your pet has parvo, then it is important to get him treated. He must have run across the room, on your clothes, furniture, beddings, etc. That is why there is a need to clean each and every area of your house. A disinfectant spray with a high concentration of alcohol will effectively remove the germs from the corners that you cannot reach. Below is the step-by-step guide that you can follow in order to disinfect your clothes.

1. Shake Your Clothes Well

Before putting your clothes in the washing machine, it is best to shake off your clothes. This will remove all the unwanted hair of your dog/ cat effectively. You can also use a vacuum for the same. Remove each and every hair from your clothes so that it is washed well.

2. Laundry

Washing your clothes is the next step. Sanitizing clothes and fabrics is a bit challenging because of the various cleaning methods that we undertake for cleaning. There are two kinds of washers, i.e., front load and top load. Let us see how they work!

• Top Loader

A top-loading washer is the easiest. Here is how you can wash parvo clothes in it.

• Set the water level to the minimum that completely soaks in all the fabrics. Start the wash cycle with cool water.
• Once the cycle begins, add some sanitizing liquid detergent.
• Add two cups of sanitizer and detergent for the same. Swish around to mix the solution thoroughly and then add clothes to it.
• Allow the cycle to agitate for 1-2 minutes. Always remember, to disinfect clothes, you need to wash your clothes for a minimum of ten minutes. You can let the cycle go on for a longer duration to let the disinfectant do its job.
• After the cycle has stopped, leave the clothing soaked in for another cycle of 45 minutes.
• After the washing has been done, take out the clothes and put them in the dryer.
• Take out and air dry them further.

• Front Loader

Front-loaders are much more difficult and there are a couple of ways to approach this.

1. Way 1:

• Take a large tub and soak the fabrics as seen in the top loader method above.
• After soaking, drain the tub. Put clothes in your top load washer and select ‘quick cycle’ (Machine will run for 15 minutes.)
• The sanitization will be done in that 15 minutes cycle. This is the first approach to washing clothes.

1. Way 2

• This way includes a long soaking time.
• Pour detergent and sanitizing liquid in the washer. Remember to pour a lot of liquid into the washer!
• Dilute the solution in water for the best results.
• Soak clothes in it and set the wash cycle for at least one hour.
• This will remove all the grime and dirt from your clothes, thereby making your clothes clean.

So, these are some of the ways regarding how to disinfect clothes. You can use these two methods for cleaning pillowcases, mattresses, bed sheets, rugs, mats, curtains, etc. Also, if you do not intend on washing clothes, you can make a disinfectant spray. It will help you in the easy sanitization of clothes. Try the ways of washing mentioned above and tell us which one was better.

FAQs

1. How to wash clothes after parvo?

You can use the ways mentioned above to clean and disinfect your clothes. Another way to clean your clothes is through diluted bleach. Dilute standard bleach with powder and disinfect your clothes, floors, rugs, curtains, etc.

2. How long can parvo live on clothes?

Parvo can live up to 6 months if your clothes aren’t cleaned. Don’t let your clothes get contaminated. Wash them by using the washing methods mentioned above.

3. Which disinfectant kills parvo fast?

Bleach is the only disinfectant that kills parvo. You can either wash your clothes in bleach or simply make a solution to spray it on your clothes.