It’s that time of year again. The flowers and trees are all
coming back to life. And so are
the weeds.

If your response to the weeds is to grab your pesticide sprayer
and get to work, slow
down. The weeds can wait while you dress for the occasion.

“Many people take for granted the clothing aspect of pesticide
application,” said Judy
Hibbs, a family and consumer scientist with the University of
Georgia Extension Service.
“But it’s very important for your safety.”

If you’re using pesticides in granular form, she said, wear a
long-sleeved shirt, long pants,
socks and shoes. For liquid pesticides with “caution” on the
label, wear the same items
plus rubber or chemical-resistant gloves. For products
with “warning” or “danger” on the
labels, add eye protection. The safety glasses should include
front, brow and temple
protection.

“After using pesticides, remove your clothing and launder them
separately from other
clothing,” Hibbs said. “Wash your hands and any exposed skin
promptly and thoroughly
with soap and water.”

After using liquid pesticides, follow the same cleanup
instructions and rinse your gloves
before you remove them. If any of your clothes are saturated
with chemicals, remove them
and shower.

“The dress code and cleaning instructions are the same whether
you’re spraying a few
weeds in the yard or spraying acres of crops,” Hibbs said.

Always launder pesticide-contaminated clothes before wearing
them again, Hibbs said.
Take other safety steps in the laundry room.

* Store the pesticide-contaminated items in a container outside
or separate from the other
laundry. For heavily contaminated clothing, wear gloves while
working with them.

* Pre-rinse heavily contaminated clothing outside with a hose.
Or soak them in a bucket,
or use the pre-rinse cycle on the washer.

* Use heavy-duty detergent and increase the recommended amount
by a fourth. Don’t use
bleach or ammonia. Avoid chemical reactions.

* Wash only a few garments at a time. Use hot water, a full
water level and a normal
washing cycle. Rewash heavily contaminated clothing two or three
times without drying
between washings. Wash them separately from other clothes.

* After laundering, run the empty washer through a complete
cycle with hot water and
detergent to remove residue.

* Line-dry clothing whenever possible. Air and sunshine help
break down pesticide
residue. Residue can build up inside the dryer and contaminate
the following loads.

“If you’re pregnant, please be extremely careful handling
pesticide-contaminated clothing,”
Hibbs said.