Can You Wash Clothes That Have Been Exposed To Asbestos?

Asbestos is an ongoing danger.

Asbestos fibers are durable. They remain in the environment, products and buildings. Once inhaled, some asbestos fibers never leave the human body.¹

Although the United States government has banned the import, manufacture, and sale of most asbestos products since the late 1980s, many American homes remain contaminated. If you live or work in a structure that was built before the E.P.A.’s asbestos ban, you could accidentally interact with asbestos-based materials while performing renovations or doing other routine tasks. 

Asbestos is most dangerous when it breaks up into tiny, airborne fibers (known as “friable asbestos”)

When asbestos is disturbed, it can become airborne, attaching itself to skin, hair, and clothes. Once asbestos fibers have embedded themselves into clothing, they can be very difficult to remove. The American Lung Association notes that there is a risk that some inhaled asbestos fibers become embedded and never leave the body.²

The Dangers of Asbestos Exposure from Asbestos on Clothing 

When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can enter and get trapped inside the lungs. Over time, asbestos fibers can accumulate, damaging lung tissue and the entire respiratory system. Asbestos inhalation and exposure has been tied to many adverse health conditions, including different kinds of cancer. 

The Two Levels of Asbestos Exposure 

People who have asbestos-related medical conditions were usually exposed to asbestos in one of two different ways:

• The Primary Route, often called occupational exposure. This is because most people who have asbestos-related health concerns were exposed to asbestos containing materials at work. Many people in many different industries regularly worked with asbestos between the 1920s and 1970s.

• The Secondary Route, also called Family Exposure, Household Exposure or Take-Home Exposure. When a person who works with or around asbestos brings trace amounts of the material home, their family and others in the household are often exposed. 

Since asbestos fibers are very resilient, they can attach themselves to skin, hair, and clothing. People who live with someone who works with asbestos, such as their close family members, could inhale the transferred fibers. 

When asbestos was still widely used in American manufacturing, many people unknowingly exposed themselves to asbestos by handling a loved one’s asbestos-contaminated clothing. 

Asbestos Danger Zones 

For many decades, asbestos was used in buildings and mixed into building materials of all kinds.

People who carry out renovations in homes constructed in or before the 1970s are often advised to presume that certain materials contain asbestos.

The hazards of asbestos in the home.

• Asbestos found inside homes is not usually dangerous unless and until it is disturbed. 

• However, if older asbestos products are disturbed, they may degrade or shed asbestos fibers. 

• These fibers can become airborne and cling to any type of fabric. 

• Asbestos fibers may be either sharp or curly, but both forms are tiny, even microscopic, and millions of fibers easily embed or clasp onto clothing fibers.

How to Handle Asbestos-contaminated Clothing 

If you believe that your clothes may be contaminated by asbestos, you should not try to wash them. 

Asbestos fibers are rough and jagged.

They easily attach themselves and asbestos on clothing and can be very difficult to remove. 

• Unfortunately, most home washing machines cannot clean asbestos-contaminated clothing. 

If you try to wash contaminated clothing, some fibers could be dislodged. However, the washing machine will not destroy these fibers. 

Asbestos fibers are durable, and virtually indestructible. They generally will either re-attach themselves to the clothing through motion or go airborne once the clothing is retrieved. 

Furthermore, there is a significant chance that any asbestos fibers that did not reattach themselves to clothing will contaminate any other clothes that are later put into the machine. 

What to Do If Your Clothes Are Affected By Asbestos 

If your clothes have been contaminated by asbestos dust or asbestos fibres, you will most likely have to dispose of them in a watertight, sealable bag or container. The bag or container should be labeled as “asbestos waste” and taken to a landfill that can dispose of it. 

If you do not know where the asbestos came from, or do not know the extent of the contamination in your home, you could call a licensed asbestos testing company or licensed asbestos removal service to investigate. 

What to Do If You Suspect You Were Exposed To Asbestos 

Asbestos symptoms can take decades to develop. However, some asbestos-related problems, such as asbestos rash symptoms, could appear quickly. 

If you suspect you have been exposed to asbestos, you should discuss it with your healthcare provider. A physician can perform additional medical procedures, such as a chest x-ray, to see whether you have significant and potentially dangerous accumulations of asbestos in your lungs.

AsbestosClaims.law is your comprehensive resource for all things asbestos. We hope this information helps you. If you have any additional questions or concerns related to asbestos, including testing for exposure or how to file a claim, please get in touch by email at [email protected], or call or text us at (833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) or (206) 455-9190.