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  Discussion on How to wash bandages
Author Message
Member:
maggienm

Posted on Friday, Aug 3, 2007 - 8:46 pm:

HOw do you wash and disinfect wraps and bandages that have blood or other body fluid on them?

Thanks
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 6:55 am:

Unless they are coming in direct contact with the wound, which they should not, hot water and detergent should do. If you have white bandage material it could be clean and sanitized with chlorine bleach.
DrO
Member:
lilo

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 10:04 am:

Blood stains are more easily removed with cold water.
So, perhaps pre-wash in cold water, then do the hot water with chlorine bleach as DrO said. I use the mesh bags that one can get at the grocery store for washing delicates (they usually are closed with zippers). Fasten any hook & loop closures, if the bandages have them, and put two or so per bag. You can also put them in the dryer in their mesh bags - keeps them from tangling with each other.
Lilo
Member:
mrose

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 11:59 am:

If you soak in dishwasher detergent and cold water before washing in the bleach and water, the blood will usually come right out. Chances of getting them really clean are better if you soak and wash ASAP after taking them off the horse.

I learned about the dishwasher detergent when I worked in a doctor's office years ago. I've also been told that rubbing meat tenderizer into the stains before washing will remove the blood.
Member:
maggienm

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 10:22 pm:

Ok thanks, good tips.

If the bandage did come into contact with the wound, how would you clean it then?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Aug 6, 2007 - 7:10 am:

The problem is that you cannot sanitize nonwhites easily. There may be such a product out there that I am not aware of however. I wonder about the products like oxyclean or other color fast bleaches. I am guessing these are peroxide types of bleaches which may not be effective at killing microbes but may aid in removing organic material.

Removing the organic material with detergent and washing goes a long way toward making the bandage free of infection. If I had a heavily stained non-white bandage that I really wanted to save, I would wash it in very hot water. As some note above hot may set a stain so why not first cold then hot, throw in the color fast bleach and this may be OK.
DrO
Member:
ilona

Posted on Saturday, Aug 11, 2007 - 2:23 pm:

What about Trifectant as a sanitizer. You do have to be careful with it, as, in powder form, it is highly caustic. Once dissolved it is non-caustic. It kills 99.9% bacteria and virus including Parvo virus. You can purchase it on the internet.
I use it a lot for my canine clean-up including re-usable puppy pads so I'm sure it would be good for bandages too. Don't know if it would discolor them.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Aug 13, 2007 - 7:08 am:

That is not a bad idea Ilona, and I would recommend A-33 which is a quaternary ammonium disinfectant. I would not put them in the washing machine unless the instructions specifically state it is safe to use that way but could be used after washing by soaking then rewashing to rinse out the antiseptic.
DrO
Member:
ilona

Posted on Monday, Aug 13, 2007 - 9:42 am:

Thanx Dr O, I had not heard of A-33. I have just 'Googled' it and am pleased to now add it to my list of options.
And yes, I do soak for 1/2 an hour , post wash, and then rinse...I didn't add that to my post, thank you for reminding me to be consistently specific.
Member:
ilona

Posted on Monday, Aug 13, 2007 - 9:46 am:

I had not heard of A-33, thanx Dr O, I have just 'Googled' it and am pleased to now add it to my list of options.
And yes, I do soak for 1/2 an hour , post wash, and then rinse...I didn't add that to my post, thank you for reminding me to be consistently specific.
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