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Could you use bleach and hot water then re-wash in hot water several times before wearing?

This has been a miserable, debilitating infection, especially for someone like me who also has autoimmune disease, heart failure and AFib. To tell the truth, I would rather the stink would smell more like a Big Mac then the nasty smell it is.

I can't use ANY chemicals on my clothes due to my autoimmune misery. So... I will just continue to boil my underwear.

Thanks for the support!

Sounds like the best idea.
Did you enquire about the nappy sterilizing solution?
Theres also disposable paper underwear available.
How are you responding to c.diff meds?

I've now been boiling my undies for almost three months. I place them into a large, red, five gallon Home Depot container and pour the boiling water on top of the undies in the container. I've also added dawn dish detergent.

I don't know if it kills all, or some of the spores, but it has significantly faded the stains from the original, full-blown, C-diff infection. Plus... I use paper towels for protection against contact with the remnant stains, and for prevention of further staining.

Boiling will not kill the spores. But, weird thought, microwaves do kill spores. If you really don't want to buy new undies you could wash them with detergent a bunch of times on hot, microwave your undies, wash them again, and then bleach your microwave?

I would hesitate to put underwear in the microwave that will also contain food.

I agree, but if he used bleach on the entire microwave after?

The same would go for putting undies in a pot :-) one would need to bleach the pot after. (And honestly bringing anything with feces on it into the kitchen is a bad idea).

I personally throw out anything that gets even trace amounts of poop on it. I cut my baby out of any poop clothes (with safety scissors) and wear medical gloves.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/26546732/


Again, I don't recommend bringing anything contaminated with feces into a food prep area, but microwave radiation does deactivate C. diff spores. Which kind of makes me worry about the food I cook in my microwave :-/

I can't get the image of steaming underpants revolving in a microwave out of my head now!

Just use common sense.
The best advice is to dispose of anything that's visibly soiled if it can not be bleached.
If cost or an aversion to chemicals is preventing someone doing that there's always going to be a risk.
The risk is transferring viable spores from the item in question to your mouth.
The moral of the story is "dont suck your undies!"

OCmama wrote:
> Boiling will not kill the spores. But, weird thought, microwaves do kill
> spores.

OCmama, thanks very much for responding! The microwave idea is interesting. Must ponder that a bit!

I believe that boiling can significantly kill spores. There have been tests run on moist heat and it's effect on young and aged C-diff spores. The higher the temperature, the more lethal effect on the spores. For instance, in one test, at 85°C (185°F) it took 15 minutes to neutralize most C-diff spores, both young and old. At 96°C (205°F) most C-diff spores were neutralized in 1-2 mins. I heat them up, temporarily to at least 100°C (212°F).

Of course, results may vary based on the C-diff strains.

By the way, today Sunday, is undies boiling day. Those little C-diff rascals got another hot bath today. I can almost hear them screaming! :)

That's me you can hear screaming!

OCmama wrote:
> Again, I don't recommend bringing anything contaminated with feces into a
> food prep area, but microwave radiation does deactivate C. diff spores.

First of all, my undies are not contaminated with feces, they are stained due to many "past" episodes of watery diarrhea! Just the thought of putting feces contaminated clothes in the microwave or bringing into the kitchen makes me ill!

Loved the link. I used it and it led me to another link that discussed tests run on the effect of moist heat on C-diff spores. Great reading! It has made me more confident that I am doing the right thing by boiling! Thanks very much for posting!

Breaking news!...... After five months of boiling undies and their inhabiting C-diff spores, I am no longer inflicting scorching water on the little rascals! The undies have been put in a safe place just in case of a relapse.

I don't know how well the boiling worked, or not, but it gave me peace of mind and great pleasure, to think that I was killing C-diff spores!

Got all new undies. Love not having to deal with soiled undies anymore! It's difficult enough to have to deal with a dreadful infection like C-diff, but it makes it worse, having to cope with the embarrassing and disgusting issues.

If I relapsed again for the 4th time, I would certainly boil my undies again. But... this is the end of a chapter in my life that I never want to revisit!