Monkeypox: Steps for removing contaminated clothing

This publication was published before November 28, 2022. Since then, the World Health Organization began using ‘mpox’ as the preferred term for monkeypox disease.

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Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada

Published: 2022-11-15

If you are providing care to someone with a monkeypox infection, your clothing may become contaminated while handling their laundry. It is recommended to have an extra change of clean clothes available in case your clothes get contaminated.

  1. Keep mask and gloves on while removing clothing
  2. Remove the contaminated clothing
    • minimize contact with the outer surface and avoid agitating clothing while doing so
  3. If you need to transport your contaminated clothing to another location, place it in a disposable leak-proof bag.
    • After putting the clothing in the laundry, place the bag used to transport it in another disposable garbage bag, close it, and dispose of it.
  4. Wash your contaminated laundry in a washing machine using hot water (70 C) with detergent
    • clean and disinfect contaminated footwear, if worn
  5. Remove and dispose of gloves and clean your hands
  6. Remove and dispose of mask and clean your hands
  7. Put on clean clothes

For more information on monkeypox: canada.ca/monkeypox

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