To protect your neck from drafts in winter, the scarf is an essential accessory. But do you wash it regularly enough? While we tend to wear it daily throughout the season, we should actually make sure to clean it on a regular basis to prevent it from turning into a real nest of germs. Still, we bet you have no memory of the last time you put your favorite choker in the washing machine.
Often neglected, scarves, like all the accessories of the same kind that we wear to stay warm in winter, get dirty very quickly without necessarily realizing it. Although they don’t appear to show any traces of dirt or unpleasant odors, this does not mean that they are not dirty.
Beware of germs in your scarves!
As reported Here is, you should already know that the scarves receive all the droplets of saliva or mucus that escape from our mouth when we speak, cough or sneeze. Not to mention the food residues that accumulate there if you wear them while eating, but also traces of make-up that do not fail to deteriorate it.
Also, as it should be removed, especially indoors, this means leaving it lying around on surfaces potentially infested with bacteria. Whether it’s a restaurant table, the edge of a chair or even a dusty desk.
If this poses problems above all in terms ofhygiene, rest assured however, there is no risk that your scarves will become sources of contamination. As reminded by Dr Stephane Gayetdoctor and infectiologist at the Strasbourg University Hospital, interviewed by BFM TVthe risk of contagion is slight since the bacteria die very quickly on the clothes: “There is not so much to fear from the virus side because if we project (contaminated postilions), they will not persist in their infectious form for more than 6 to 12 hours. And so, they will inactivate themselves. »
Washing your scarf frequently is still a necessity so as not to risk exposing yourself to dermatological inflammation and seeing pimples bloom on your face.
“Everything you wear has to be washed or sanitized in some way, because you’re constantly shedding dead skin that gets on it, and that becomes rotting protein”explains the cleaning expert Shannon Lush in his book Spotless A-Z.
How often should you wash your scarf?
On the maintenance side, two monthly washes are enoughaccording to Dr. Stéphane Gayet, while some experts recommend cleaning it instead every one to two weeks if you wear it regularly, but also depending on your activity level. If you have been sick, however, it is best to wash it immediately so as not to let bacteria proliferate.