View Single Post
  #2  
Old May 10th 05, 12:43 PM
Denny
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Volatiles will out gas off the fabric... Solids will remain behind...
Many viruses will survive... Bacteria may or may not survive, depending
upon multiple factors... Those buried deep within the feces/sweat
smears will have a partial percentage of survivers... Stains will not
go away... The clothing will not look or feel fresh... You will still
need the magic of detergents and agitation followed by a clean water
rinse, before drying the clothes just like dear old mom did; by
hanging them on the clothes line in the back airlock and cycling it
open on laundry day...
The combination of a hard vacuum and exposure to direct sunlight will
be more effective... The high temperature of the sunshine (dark colors
will probably smoke a bit) and the hard UV radiation is an effective
germicide... Though, your clothing will rapidly fade and become raggedy
under intense UV and Xray bombardment from the Sun...

You can do your own vacuum test out in the garage (though radiation is
a bit harder to simulate) by putting some really nasty underwear in a
can, heating it to 250F, and pulling a hard vacuum on it for a day or
two, then remove the shorts and smear the crotch all over your
tongue... Taste anything?

cheers ... Dr. denny