About Getting Clean

Overview

In a chemical emergency, you can come in contact with (be exposed to) chemicals through breathing. If you have breathed in the chemical, you should get away from the area and breathe fresh air.

You can also be exposed to chemicals if they splash on your skin or into your eyes. You can also be exposed by accidentally eating or drinking chemicals (ingestion).

Once you get away from the area of the chemical release, get any chemical off your body as soon as possible. Do not worry about what type of chemical it is. Focus on getting it off. This is called decontamination.

What to do

To prevent health effects, it is important to get the chemical off your body as soon as possible. Ideally within 10 minutes, take off all your clothes and shower.

Follow these steps to get clean

1. Blot, do not rub, your skin, face, hands, and hair with a moist wipe, wet cloth, or damp paper towel.
2. Take off as many of your clothes as you can, even if only to your underwear. Taking off your clothes removes 80% to 90% of the chemical.
   1. If you cannot take off your clothes, take off your contacts and put it in a plastic bag. Put that plastic bag in another plastic bag. Continue to step 6.
3. Cut off clothing if it has to be taken off over your head. If you cannot cut clothing off, hold your breath and close your eyes when you pull it over your head. Taking clothes off this way helps stop the chemical from getting in your eyes, nose, and mouth.
4. Put clothes in a plastic bag, close it up, and put it in a second plastic bag. If you wear contact lenses, take them out and put them in the bag, too.
5. Wash your hair, face, hands, and skin. Wash from head to feet with lukewarm water and mild soap for at least 2 to 3 minutes. Try not to let the water run into your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do not scrub!
6. Flush your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes if your eyes are burning or you can't see normally. Do not use eyedrops.
7. Do not drink fluids, and do not make yourself throw up if you swallowed the chemical.
8. Dry your hair, face, hands, and skin to remove any remaining chemical. Use anything that will soak up water.
9. Put the used things in a plastic bag, close it up, and place it in a second plastic bag. Close it up, too.
10. Dress in any available clean clothes. Try not to touch anything you think might have come in contact with the chemical.
11. Put on a mask and gloves and repeat steps 1 through 10 for children.

Throw the clothes away

• Wear gloves and put the plastic bags in a closed container where they are unlikely to be accidentally opened. This prevents prevent others from coming in contact with the chemical.
• If you do not have gloves, use plastic bags to cover your hands.
• Do not put the bags in the regular trash!
• Follow instructions on what to do with your dirty things.

Get help

• You may need to be checked by a healthcare provider after breathing in the chemical or after getting clean. Your pet may need to be checked by a veterinarian.
• The healthcare provider or veterinarian will look for any harmful effects from having come in contact with the chemical.
• Check news updates for instructions for when it is safe to go outside.