Shopping For Clothes And COVID-19: Can Fabrics Transmit Viruses, And Might Trying On Clothes Earn You A Coronavirus Infection?

As strict coronavirus measures are starting to loosen up and businesses are reopening, the world is being shaped by all kinds of “new normals”. Shopping for clothes is no exception. But even the biggest shopping enthusiasts will think twice before entering poorly-ventilated shopping malls with potential risks lurking all over. While the reopened stores are implementing different kinds of safety measures, it's up to individual shoppers to estimate which behaviors are truly risky and which are not. 

The answer is not simple, and it depends on the precautions you take. Even with more than 150,000 papers published on COVID-19 already, science still doesn’t have all the answers as to how exactly the SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted. However, knowing which parts of your shopping trip might endanger your safety and being extra cautious might put your mind at ease. 

Facts you need to know: How is the SARS-CoV-2 virus transmitted?

When you sneeze, cough, talk or even just breathe with your mouth open, you’re releasing tiny droplets into the air.

Just one cough can release up to 3,000 droplets, which are a great environment for the virus to remain viable. They land on all nearby surfaces, and the smallest of them stay in the air in the form of a finely dispersed liquid we call an aerosol.

If you’re touching a surface crawling with viral droplets, it’s pretty much up to you if you’ll get infected, because the virus won’t just directly penetrate your skin. To enter your body, COVID-19 needs soft tissues like your mouth, nose, or eyes. If you wash or disinfect your hands without touching your face in the meantime, chances are that you’re safe.

However, if you inhale air contaminated with with viral particles, the virus can attach to the receptors it recognizes, located mostly in the lungs. These droplets are not visible with the naked eye, ranging from one to five microns in size (for reference, the width of one human hair is 75 microns).

Closed spaces — like the mall, most stores, and dressing rooms — are dangerous because they might be full of small, infected, particles you could inhale but have no way of seeing. If the room is well-ventilated or if you’re outside, the movement of air helps particles land and settle on the surface. 

The lifespan of COVID-19 on surfaces depends on both the surface and the temperature.

The virus remains alive and kicking when it’s in a droplet, surrounded by water. Generally, surfaces that tend to soak up water, like cardboard, are not as good for the virus as smooth metal or plastic surfaces. The virus needs some moisture to remain viable.

One study found that SARS-CoV-2 remains viable on cardboard for 24 hours and for 3 days on stainless steel and plastics. However, environmental factors like humidity and temperature also play a big role. For example, the CDC reports finding coronavirus RNA that had survived in the Diamond Princess cruise ship 17 days after the passengers had departed.

How to minimize your risk of COVID-19 while shopping for clothes

1. Plan ahead

Research the store you want to visit. Many stores are implementing precautionary measures designed to minimize the risk of COVID-19, but not all stores are equally dedicated to keeping their customers and employees safe. You want a store that encourages their buyers and employees to wear masks, sanitize their hands when they come in, and holds tried or returned items for at least 24 hours before putting them back on the shelves. Some stores use active ozone to sanitize their clothes before putting them back.

While second-hand stores are known to have the most unusual and interesting pieces, you might want to avoid them for this season, as they’re typically less equipped to implement extra safety measures. 

2. Find the items you need in an online store

By checking out the store online and seeing which things you like and might want to try on, you're minimizing the time you spend in the store, the number of items you touch, and the number of people you might come in contact with.

3. Don’t try on sunglasses, scarfs, or other things that go on your face

Alternatively, if you really want to try on those sunglasses, ask the employee if you could spray them with 70 percent alcohol before putting them on. 

4. Remember that there’s more to clothes than just fabric

Buttons and various sewn-on plastic or metal ornaments are likely to hold the virus longer than just the fabric.

5. Don't touch your face... with your hands or your clothes

I know that you’ve been told to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands more times than you can count, and you've probably become quite the pro at this. Make sure that you extend this same principle to fabrics, as well. If you try on clothes, make sure the fabric doesn't touch your face.

6. Wash your clothes after buying them on the highest temperature the material allows

Laundry detergent breaks the protein coat that surrounds viral genetic material. Temperature also has an inactivating effect: 133 F (or 56 Celsius) kills the SARS coronavirus at around 10,000 units per 15 min, which is considered a quick reduction. If you bought some delicate pieces that require gentle treatment, you can leave them out in the sun for a day. However, don’t mistake this advice for a circulating myth that hot weather kills the virus. The virus is less stable at higher temperatures and is sensitive to UV radiation, but you still need to leave it there for hours.

Even online shopping isn't completely safe, as you have no way of knowing whether an employee potentially infected with COVID-10 could have touched the clothes you buy from the internet in the last 24 hours with quick delivery services. Buying your clothes online does, on the other hand, allow you to avoid crowded stores — so if you want to reduce your risk of infection, this is a good choice.