Urticating hairs in the laundry?

[chanda]

So, maybe this is a stupid question, but I've recently moved up to my first T. stirmi and of course I've read all the horror stories about the hairs and the precautions that should be taken when doing any sort of tank maintenance. My question is this:

If I wear a long-sleeved shirt and gloves while cleaning the tank or performing other maintenance, can that shirt then go in the laundry? And will a run through the washing machine effectively remove the hairs, or will the barbs keep them trapped in the fabric to potentially bedevil me another day? Worse yet - if I toss the shirt in with a load of dirty clothes, will the hairs spread to other garments, causing my family to break out in unexplained rashes that will eventually - should their source come to light - lead to animosity to my tarantula-keeping habits and a future ban on tarantulas?

Sorry if this is a dumb newbie question. While I've kept T's for years, I've (so far!) never had any issues with urticating hairs - or had any T's that were active kickers. The recent expansion of my collection has changed that with the addition of the T. stirmi and a couple of GBB's who seem more inclined to kick than any of the other species I've kept.

 

[Flexzone]

I would think the mechanical washing in water with the chemical detergents and assuming you use a dryer, the high heat would damage the structure of the UH and thus nullify their effectiveness and/or just remove them, My friend use's those lint rollers to get as much off as possible before throwing it in the wash. Just a thought.

 

[Poec54]

I haven't noticed it on clean laundry. Seems most of the time I work with my stirmi I get some hairs on me, and certainly on my clothes.

BTW, the best way to remove hairs off of skin is with some masking tape rolled on your fingers; dab off the hairs before you start scratching and push them in deeper.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Well, ah ah, i don't know but i assume nothing bad could happen. I wouldn't worry, being you.

 

[Haksilence]

I've always treated urticating hairs the way you would with fiberglass.

Had I gotten haired badly or had a lot on my cloths, I would wash them separately since that's standard procedure when dealing with fiberglass.

I doubt the small amount if hairs would be able to noticeably impact a load of laundry, but I always err on the side of caution

 

[louise f]

I would not worry to much about that laundry. I once tried a B.boehmei brushed hairs after me ( A LOT ) got them in my throat, my clothes, yes every where
I washed my clothes with the rest. No hairs after washing it.

 

[crlovel]

Urticating hairs in the undies could cause one ugly day.

 

[darkness975]

Urticating hairs in the undies could cause one ugly day.

This. I would wash the load(s) separately. Wear old clothes when doing Tarantula maintenance so that you do not worry about using the harsh washer and dryer settings.

 

[chanda]

Thank you, everyone, for the suggestions! I will do as recommended - wear old clothes and launder separately in hot water/high dryer.

 

[DanielCr]

I would not worry to much about that laundry. I once tried a B.boehmei brushed hairs after me ( A LOT ) got them in my throat, my clothes, yes every where
I washed my clothes with the rest. No hairs after washing it.

You got them in your throught ? How did that go ?

 

[amberd]

So, maybe this is a stupid question, but I've recently moved up to my first T. stirmi and of course I've read all the horror stories about the hairs and the precautions that should be taken when doing any sort of tank maintenance. My question is this:

If I wear a long-sleeved shirt and gloves while cleaning the tank or performing other maintenance, can that shirt then go in the laundry? And will a run through the washing machine effectively remove the hairs, or will the barbs keep them trapped in the fabric to potentially bedevil me another day? Worse yet - if I toss the shirt in with a load of dirty clothes, will the hairs spread to other garments, causing my family to break out in unexplained rashes that will eventually - should their source come to light - lead to animosity to my tarantula-keeping habits and a future ban on tarantulas?

Sorry if this is a dumb newbie question. While I've kept T's for years, I've (so far!) never had any issues with urticating hairs - or had any T's that were active kickers. The recent expansion of my collection has changed that with the addition of the T. stirmi and a couple of GBB's who seem more inclined to kick than any of the other species I've kept.

Hi! I just got online to check out this same question. I don’t know if I’m paranoid or what but I feel like they did get into my clothes in the wash. It’s not really bad but every once in a while I get that familiar itchy feeling in spots. I’m gonna start being more careful. And probably keep a dedicated long sleeve around for maintenance. Maybe a lab coat.