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AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

UNIVERSITY HALL2200 UNIVERSITY AVENUE

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94720

January I965

TO; Ruth Crawford, Hcame Advisor - Humboldt CountyWinifred Kowallis, Home Advisor - Butte CountyTunia Vandenbouit, Home Advisor - Yuba County

FRCM;

Dear Girls,

This will confirm my telephone conversation answering your several questionsabout emergency flood clean-up«

Probably the biggest single change in our material would relate tothe need for sterilizing flood-soaked mattresses and bedding. Accord¬ing to information from Paul Ward, sanitary engineer for the CaliforniaDepartment of Public Health in Berkeley, he says that sterlizingsuch materials is not necessary for health and safety. If they imistbe used, the main objective is to get them dry and remove the debrisand surface soil. As I explained on the telephone, in this situationorganisms in the flood water are probably not highly contaminatingand would need to be ingested to be dangerous in any way.

Sanitary Engineer Paul Ward, CDPH, says pillows do not have to besterilized for safety.

Dr. Morris, tfeiversity of California, Davis, says thorough washingin detergent suds would probably make pillows safe to use.

I. Bedding: Sterilizing vs. Disinfecting and Fumigating

II. Pillows

Types of Laundry Sanitizers* Feather Pillows Rubber PillowsChlorineQuaternary Probably safe

Probably safeProbably safe

No NoDoesn't knowDoesn't knowProbably safe ifthoroughly rinsed

RienolicPine oil

* See House and (krden Bulletin No. 97

CO-OPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS, U.S. Department of Agriculture and University of California co-operating

Crs«7ford-Kowallis -VandenboutPage 2Janviary 7^ 19^5

Pine Sol is a laundry sanitizer of the phenolic type, availahle atSafeway and other supermarkets.

III. Removal of Odors from Refrigerators and Freezers

To remove odors from a refrigerator or freezer, the following sugges¬tions are offered by Dr. Earl McCracken, physicist in householdequipment laboratories of the Bureau of Human Nutrition and HomeEconomics of the Depstrtment of Agriculture;

First try crashing all the interior surfaces of the freezerwith plenty of soap and water. Then go over them with acloth wrung fTcm clear water. Wipe dry. If this does notdispel the odor, wash the freezer with soda water, using1 teaspoon baking soda to each quart of warm water. Ifthe odor persists, try vinegar, using about 1 ct^ to agallon of water, or household ammonia in the seme proportions.

But if none of these suggestions prove effective, don®tgive up. Try using heat to bring out the odor particlesand get them into the edr. To do this, put something likea toaster or electric heater inside the freezer to heat itiq). Then use an electric fan a couple of hours to blow theair out.

Activated charcoal^ put into the warm freezer wiH absorbodors released by the heat. Or a ccsmaei'cial, wick-type airfreshener may be put into the warm freezer for the samepiarpose.

If only traces of the odor remain, this is not likely toaffect food frozen and stored in the freezer if care is takento wrap the food securely. When a package is taken out,remove the wrappings as soon as possible and dispose of itat once.

When the odor has been removed or reduced to where it is ofno consequence, do a final washing of the inside surfacesof the freezer with soda water. Activated charcoal left infGT a while will pick any residual odor.

A word about activated charcoal. Charcoal is a porous form of carbonprepared from some substance such as wood. This is done by charringthe material in a kiln from which air is excluded. Charcoal istreated by heating in steam to enhance its absorptive property (ais foruse in a gas mask). This is why it is effective in removing odors from a

Chrawford-Kb^rallis-VandenboutPage 3January 7, 19^5

refrigerator or freezer. It is possible to reactivate cliarcoal in thesame manner.

Regarding the amount of activated charcoal to \ise for a given space, itnot possible to reccaamend a specific measure. Mr. Anthonisen, of the

University of California Chemistry Department, says that a number of varia¬bles are involved. Among these are speed of air flow and tea^eratiure.

Of two hardware stores contacted in Berkeley, one retailed a containerabout the size of a can of cleanser at a cost of $1.50, Ihe second storedidn't carry the charcoal but does sell another absorptive product calledDe-Moist, A 12-ounce bag is sv^posed to take care of a space about thesize of a closet and sells for $1,39-

It is well to remember that the unpleasant odor may be coming from wetand stained insulation rather than from spoiled food. If this is the case,the problem becomes even more serious. The coiiiplete cui'e for this(according to a Berkeley appliance dealer) is to piill the outliner andreplace the insulation. Unless the appliance is quite new, the costinvolved could be higher than the value of the appliance,

IV o Rugs

Information from Dr. Morris, University of California, Davis:

A, How long can wet muddy rugs stand without damage?

No answer. Depends on condition of each rug and amount of floodwater and dirt.

B, Will fish oil or acid in water damage rugs?

1, Fish oil - no, except for stain and smell,

2, Acid - yes, depending on the type and concentration. Acidwill damage cellulose fibers—cotton, rayon, and jute—morethan nylon; wool, the least susceptible to acid damage.

Order for cleaning: (l) cotton, rayon, acetate(2) nylon(3) wool

C, How to remove oily, acid water?

Clean with detergent shanpoo as per directions in House Careleaflet. Carpets and Rugs, or Emergency Flood sheet.

Crawford«Kb^fallis«¥&ndeabo\itPetge ii-Janiasry 7, 19^5

C» How to remove oil;y, acid water? (continued)

Note; Clean rugs while wet to reduce staining fX'csa backing yarns.Clean both pile and backing; flush with hose if rug isalready soaked with flood water.

Mildew

Mary Aim says, "Just dry them as fast as possible. No point inapplying mildew inhibitor; it®s a liquid and will retard drying«"

I understand you have a copy of Home and Garden Bulletin No, 97 on sanitizersin home laundering.

The above information has been gathered for you by Jane Schoppe andConnie Burgess.

GHf :ayk

VIA AIR MAIL

cc: L, C, BensonHenry SchachtJim MorrisonCatherine BrentHelen Edwards