Can a hot laundry cycle of 130F kill the Hep C virus?

[Eriene]

I worked in a facility that did increase my exposure to Hep C slightly due to working with the homeless.  Someone who claimed to be Hep C positive came in and my clothes came in contact with their hand.  Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t worry but these are individuals with compromised hygiene (the worry is if there are traces of blood or sexual fluid due to hand washing not being readily available, there were no visible open wounds).  Said clothes later on got in contact with other clothing.  A lot of these clothes that got involved are dark or contain spandex.  I don’t know how hot the washing machines at my apartment complex gets, I do know it would be typically “130F or higher”, but every guideline on killing HCV requires much higher temps (140F, 160F or even 180F).  Dryers seem to get in that temperature range however.  At maximum I can have the clothes washed in 45 min and also dried for 45 min.  If I can’t use bleach would my next best option be the laundry or alternately to wait for at least six weeks for the virus to die? I asked this question to others including my doctor who just said that it cannot be transmitted through laundry but then later said just throw away the clothes when I expressed that I do frequently have broken skin due to other skin issues I have (such as itching due to tinea versicolor).

[flyinlynn]

As your doctor has said hep c cannot be transmitted in this way. Hep c is not that easily contracted if it were much more than the less than 4% of the US population would be infected. Hep c infected blood must enter the blood stream of an uninfected person through an open, fresh,wet, weeping wound.

The simple act of  washing your clothes with soap and normal washer agitation would wash away any virus on clothes undoubtably even with cold water.

Best of luck

[Eriene]

How big of a wound?

[flyinlynn]

A fresh open wound. If it isn’t wet it is a closed injury