PestiBytes
Episode 6
Dirty Work Clothes: How Should I Wash Out Pesticides?
Introduction/Conclusion: Dr. Dave Stone, Director of the National Pesticide Information CenterHost: Sandra Uesugi, EHSC Outreach Program Coordinator
Guest: Rachelle, NPIC Pesticide Specialist
[THEME MUSIC]
DR. STONE: Welcome to PestiBytes, a podcast series from the National Pesticide Information Center. These are based on common pesticide questions from people just like you.
[THEME MUSIC]
SANDRA: This is Sandra and I'm here again with Rachelle. Rachelle, should clothes that have pesticides on them be washed with the household laundry?
RACHELLE: Clothes that have pesticides should be stored and washed separately to avoid contamination to other clothes.
SANDRA:D oesn't the washing process remove the pesticides from clothes?
RACHELLE: Well, it depends. If clothes are worn during an application, a few wash cycles will remove most of the pesticides. However, if they were soaked with a pesticide, they should be thrown away rather than placed in the laundry.
SANDRA: Why is it important to remove pesticides from clothes?
RACHELLE: Sandra, pesticide products can rub off the clothes and onto your skin. This exposure could continue as long as the clothing is being worn. In some cases, that's 10-14 hours. This contact can be minimized through proper washing and drying of work clothes after each and every pesticide application.
[THEME MUSIC]
DR. STONE: If you have questions about pesticides, please call us at 1-800-858-7378 or visit us on the web at http://npic.orst.edu. PestiBytes is brought to you by the National Pesticide Information Center, a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the Environmental Protection Agency and produced by OSU's Environmental Health Sciences Center, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
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