BWCA Sanitizing pfds? Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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05/14/2020 08:47AM  
I have an opportunity to do some no-shuttle safe distance day paddles with a couple of friends here and I wanted to ask your advice about cleaning my pfds after my friends use them. Is it safe to simply launder them in a washing machine and letting them air dry? Thanks in advance.
 
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MuskyMike
member (34)member
  
05/14/2020 09:03AM  
I run a resort, and based on the CDC guidelines, we decided not to issue PFD's when we rent water equipment this summer. We'll be requiring guests provide their own. I wouldn't be surprised if a some of the lesser equipped outfitters do the same with some of their "soft" goods as well. They need to be laundered at high temp or hung and aired for at least 72 hours prior to being reissued.
 
05/14/2020 09:19AM  
I've read that soap breaks down the exterior lipid layer of the virus, effectively destroying it. So laundering, whether by machine or hand, should be sufficient.
 
Savage Voyageur
distinguished member(14416)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished membermaster membermaster member
  
05/14/2020 09:52AM  
Wash them down with soap and rinse with garden hose. Set in sun to dry. The sunlight breaks down the virus fast.
 
05/14/2020 10:25AM  
Exposure to sunlight.
 
05/14/2020 11:30AM  
It's heresy to suggest this... but I wouldn't be particularly concerned. For the most part this virus is passed via aerosol exposure- basically breathing in other people's germs that they've expelled into the air through breathing, coughing, sneezing etc. I know, I know everyone should wash their hands and not touch their face- because we can wash our hands and stop touching our face. What we can't do is stop breathing. Judging by the pattern of transmission its likely transmitted the same way as influenza- breathing. So wear your PFD. Don't wear your PFD as a mask; especially if you've loaned it to someone else who has used it as a mask.
 
giddyup
distinguished member(672)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/14/2020 12:16PM  
According to healthline.com “viable virus could not be detected on cloth after two days”. I think just leaving them unused for a period of time, maybe in a warmer place or sunshine,(as a previous member suggested) would do it. But I’m not a COVID, PFD, or textile expert.
 
CanoeKev
distinguished member(634)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/14/2020 01:56PM  
giddyup: "According to healthline.com “viable virus could not be detected on cloth after two days”. I think just leaving them unused for a period of time, maybe in a warmer place or sunshine,(as a previous member suggested) would do it. But I’m not a COVID, PFD, or textile expert. "


This.
 
justpaddlin
distinguished member(540)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/14/2020 04:18PM  
I'm no expert but I would spray them down with a spray bottle containing a diluted bleach solution. A minimum of 10% bleach is recommended (by the Red Cross) but I make mine a little stronger. You're supposed to use the solution within 24 hours since it degrades over time but I use mine a little longer since it's stronger. Then wait maybe 5 minutes (1 minute should be enough) and hose them down. I'd tend to still leave them somewhere untouched for a few days since they have nooks and crannies. I'd risk the bleach on my PFD since it's a piece of gear meant to be used and I doubt that a few minutes of diluted bleach solution would discolor it anyway. The manufacturer of my (Astral) PFD says that a washing machine with an agitator will destroy the PFD.
 
andym
distinguished member(5340)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
05/14/2020 05:50PM  
Our sailing club decided it was too hard to sanitize the PFDs and so is requiring people to bring their own. It might be easier at a business with a staff that can be careful spraying them, leaving them for long enough, or laundering them. But our club is self-service.

For laundering, I think you would have to look at the manufacturer's instructions. And laundering is what people do with their clothes.

Our club was also thinking that there are a lot of good sales on outdoor gear right now. I don't think it is actually a sale, but you can get a 3-pack of the West Marine basic blue with yellow strap PFD for $60 or just one for $22. They are good enough for someone to get started. We have them both for guests in our own sailboat, for guests at our cabin, and our club uses them. Then you can paddle often with no hassle.
 
05/14/2020 10:42PM  
if i were loaning out my personal PFDs to friends I'd probably just hang them up in the sun for a couple days before i used them again or put them away. If you wanted to be extra safe you could spray them down with a disinfectant spray or scrub them down by hand with soap and water and then hose them off and let them dry in the sun. Not a big deal to do for a couple of PFD's so might be worth the extra peace of mind you might get.

As for business loaning out dozens of pfd's on a daily basis this gets harder. If you leave them in the sun for 2-3 days you need to keep track of each one and how long its been hanging and you need a large enough supply to keep some out of rotation for several days. Cleaning them by hand might be an option but again the viability of that depends on quantity and workload, the drying time also keeps them out of rotation for at least a while depending on drying conditions. Probably best to encourage folks to use their own whenever possible.
 
05/15/2020 08:11AM  
I've been reading everyone's responses and thinking that I tend to agree with the soapy water then let dry for 72 hours crowd. Made me think it might not be a bad idea for me and everyone else to do this - not so much for virus safety, but just to get some of the built up sweat, skin oils, fish slime, sun screen and bug spray residue off this important piece of gear! Think I'll mix up a bucket with some water and Dawn, get my broom, and mine a scrub today!
 
BearBurrito
distinguished member(979)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/15/2020 09:16AM  
If they were my personal pfd's and I was loaning them to friends I would do nothing with them after use and be fully confident they would be just fine.
 
Copperdog
senior member (81)senior membersenior member
  
05/15/2020 02:01PM  
Jaywalker: "I've been reading everyone's responses and thinking that I tend to agree with the soapy water then let dry for 72 hours crowd. Made me think it might not be a bad idea for me and everyone else to do this - not so much for virus safety, but just to get some of the built up sweat, skin oils, fish slime, sun screen and bug spray residue off this important piece of gear! Think I'll mix up a bucket with some water and Dawn, get my broom, and mine a scrub today!"


Damn Jaywalker pulled a little Tom Sawyer there. The way you described it made it sound fun like I absolutely needed to go out and do my own!

Cheers
Barry
 
TrekScouter
distinguished member (372)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/15/2020 11:00PM  
Steripen, obviously.
 
GraniteCliffs
distinguished member(1981)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/16/2020 03:49PM  
Unless you are going to use them again within a couple of days I would not bother to disinfect them. Just keep them out in the air or the sun and in a couple of days they should be good to go. Except for the non virus crap on them.
In my case I don't think I have ever, not even once, taken the time and effort to clean a PFD. And some of the PFDs are like 20 years old. I simply store them in the garage where the air can get at them.
 
05/17/2020 07:49AM  
I rented one from an outfitter once and smelled someone else's BO the whole trip. Needless to say I brought my own after that.
 
05/17/2020 02:04PM  
Spritz of Lysol or dilute bleach water mix, rubbing alcohol, soap and water, or do you have a tanning bed?? That'll work also. It's not rocket science and 90% of the PHD holders have no common sense.

butthead
 
05/17/2020 02:27PM  
butthead: "Spritz of Lysol or dilute bleach water mix, rubbing alcohol, soap and water, or do you have a tanning bed?? That'll work also. It's not rocket science and 90% of the PHD holders have no common sense.


butthead"



+1
 
05/18/2020 08:08PM  
nofish: "if i were loaning out my personal PFDs to friends I'd probably just hang them up in the sun for a couple days before i used them again or put them away. If you wanted to be extra safe you could spray them down with a disinfectant spray or scrub them down by hand with soap and water and then hose them off and let them dry in the sun. Not a big deal to do for a couple of PFD's so might be worth the extra peace of mind you might get. "


Yep - leave on my deck for a couple days and be done. MAYBE spray with Lysol if I was at risk or suspect contamination.

Glad you got on the water!!
 
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