COVID-19: Cleaning and Storing Your Life Jacket The U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division (CG-BSX-2)
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The Life Jacket Associa on (LJA) provides the following guidance. For more informa on on the LJA please visit their website at www.lifejacketassociaon.org If you think your product has been exposed to a virus, clean as recommended by the manufacturer and then let dry in warm, low humidity environment for at least 72 hours before reuse.
crevasses and metal/plas c construc on. •
Using 60 – 90% solu ons of alcohol sprayed/ we ed on these components is acceptable.
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Avoid spraying inflatables with specific disinfectants that are detrimental to the fabric. e.g. bleach-based products.
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Do not machine launder life jackets.
Manufacturer’s recommenda ons for cleaning your PFD:
• Life jackets should be hand-washed with gloved hands – wash as hot as possible (< 90F) to kill virus.
Cleaning and storing your personal flota on device (PFD:) To clean your inflatable PFD, • Ensuring complete hand wash or sponge drying is cri cal, down in warm, soapy heated air drying is water, taking care not encouraged < 90F to submerge the inVirus likes moisture flator. Rinse your PFD and can survive in cold with clean water and – virus dies by drying hang to dry on a plas c out and by heat, which coat hanger. Do not some fibers can endry-clean, use chlorine Royalty free/free to use image from PeakPx hance. bleach, or apply direct heat. Always store your This pandemic is a new challenge and it is truly not fully dried PFD in a warm, dry, well ven lated place known how all materials and the virus respond to out of direct sunlight. laundry. Inherently buoyant PFDs (foam) are cleaned in the same manner except they may be fully submerged.
If hanging to air dry, allow 72 hours (three days) before reuse.
If you must reuse your product within 72 hours, the following precau onary guidance is suggested.
Do not share garments.
COVID-19 virus may exist three days on or in clothing. Virus can exist longer on porous surfaces.
DISCLAIMER: Remember it is not possible to carry out or guarantee complete disinfec on, the goal is to minimize risk.
Synthe c fabrics, plas c and metal surfaces may harbor the virus longer.
Link: h ps://www.uscgboa ng.org/mul media/ news-detail.php?id=532.
Buckles, zippers, other hardware and hook/loop fasteners (e.g. Velcro®) are hard to clean due to 12
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