Can coronavirus survive on fabric?

With clothing stores getting ready to reopen in the UK, a question on many lips will be whether it’s safe to be handling clothes in public during the pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced at a press conference that, due to the ‘progress we are making’, the nation can now move to phase two of Covid-19 restrictions.

Markets and car dealerships will be able to reopen from June 1, and, provided death tolls and infection rates continue to fall, all other non-essential retail ‘ranging from department stores to small, independent shops’ will also be allowed to reopen.

This may well leave you wondering whether clothing can act as a transmittable surface for coronavirus…

Can coronavirus survive on clothes?

Visit our live blog for the latest updates: Coronavirus news live

It’s not yet known exactly how long the virus can survive on porous materials such as clothing.

According to the WHO: ‘The most important thing to know about coronavirus on surfaces is that they can easily be cleaned with common household disinfectants that will kill the virus.

‘Studies have shown that the COVID-19 virus can survive for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel, less than 4 hours on copper and less than 24 hours on cardboard.’

Dr Daniel Atkinson, Clinical Lead at Treated.com, previously told Metro.co.uk: ‘There’s a lot we don’t know for certain about the coronavirus, including how long it can survive on surfaces. Viruses tend to be more fragile than bacteria, and depend a lot more on living host cells to replicate themselves.

‘One notable study has suggested that the virus can remain viable (or able to infect) for up to 72 hours on stainless steel and plastic (so this might include surfaces like handrails and door handles). 

‘It’s thought to be less stable on cardboard, remaining viable for up to 24 hours; and even less stable on copper, remaining viable for up to four hours.’

The NHS does highlight that clothing and towels can spread germs. Their website states that the three main ways that this can happen are:

• When towels or sheets are used by more than one person
• When someone touches dirty laundry
• When clothes are washed, germs can spread between items being washed at the same time

When it comes to washing ‘high-risk items’, the NHS recommends washing them at 60 degrees and using a bleach-based detergent.

The site also states: ‘Normal washing of clothes will reduce the risk of germs being transmitted.

‘In certain situations clothes should be washed at higher than normal temperatures and with a bleach-based product to minimise the transmission risk as much as possible.’

Gail Golab, the American Veterinary Medical Association’s chief veterinary officer, is quoted in the Washington Post as saying that: ‘the virus survives best on smooth surfaces, such as countertops and doorknobs,’ adding: ‘Porous materials, such as pet fur, tend to absorb and trap pathogens, making it harder to contract them through touch.’

Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Share your views in the comments below.