If you're getting ready for the possible return, have you given any thought to decontamination when you get home?

[Dilbertian]

In the 80s I used to wear a boiler suit as clothes (we were so cool ) Strikes me that they would be ideal to wear to work: strip off as soon as I get home, straight in the laundry while I go up for a shower.

I haven't felt the need to be so cautious after my occasional day with a tiny handful of semi-sensible KS2 keyworker children. But what's coming is different.

Are you making any preparations to do things differently to look after yourself and your family?

Thee guidance says that daily washing of clothes isn't necessary. I know it's not the best guidance but I don't have clothes that I can wash every day so I'm going to listen to that. The chances of catching it from clothes must be absolutely tiny.

I should think any risk partly depends on your setting and age range.

Swings and roundabouts.

The tinies may not be significant spreaders of this coronavirus, but they will find social distancing harder to comply with. They are more likely to need and seek closeness or even physical contact with us.

The Y12s may be as virally dangerous as adults, but they can comply with social distancing, can sit at desks, can hold it in for a morning, can be taught from the front of the class.

I think it doesn't help that they don't know how long the virus lasts on fabrics yet. They know for surfaces like metal, plastic etc. But it's just an estimate for fabrics. And there are so many variables to that. Not least the fact that if they confirm the virus lasts so long on fabrics then hospitals would probably have to be changing patients gowns and bedding much more frequently. It's much easier to wipe down a table, bed, floor.

The estimate I saw from a virologist on a health website was they could remain viable for 24 hours on fabrics but it was just a guess, nothing to back it up.

Ultimately it's up to the individual to assess against their own circumstances.

Agreed re individual risks being different. I'm not overly fussed about getting it as a relatively healthy 30ish aged woman with no at risk adults or children at home. Other people's home lives will be different.

@Hercwasonaroll

The guidance actually says: there is no need for anything other than normal personal hygiene and washing of clothes following a day in an educational or childcare setting

So daily washing of clothes.

That's actually unclear. I read it as saying that there is no need to step out of your normal personal hygiene and clothes-washing routine.

I read it the same way, that whatever your normal washing routine is, you can stick with it.

I have so many items I can't/wouldn't wash daily. I can't afford a new wardrobe!!

The washing of clothes after a day couldn't be much clearer!

It totally depends how you read it.

there is no need for anything other than normal personal hygiene and washing of clothes, following a day in an educational or childcare setting.

Including that comma is how I'm reading it.

It's really not a clear sentence.

It clearly says after a day. Daily change of clothes for staff and children is in our risk assessment.

We started out stripping off & showering etc but as time as gone on have settled in to just washing hands & washing clothes at the end of the day.

I’ll continue with the same next half term.

But we’re low risk and have probably already had it anyway.

Children are returning in non-school uniform to allow for daily washing.

DH has also traded dry clean only suits for chinos & shirts to enable daily washing.

It's says continue with your normal routine following a day in school. If your normal routine is washing some items less often then that's fine. I can't afford to wash my clothes daily. I'll wear them on rotation.

Why that face?

I can't afford to have my machine on daily, wash all my families clothes and dry clean major pieces after one wear.

Ffs, there will be care assistants who earn minimum wage who do this habitually, pandemic or not! I know, because I was one - if I’d turned up without a clean uniform, I would have been sent home.

It’s not hard to practise good hygiene, and it’s fairly essential at the moment, whether you pretend you can’t understand the guidance or not. It’s not just about you, there are your colleagues and the children to think about. Just buy a pack of three T-shirts from Asda online, ffs.

I'm not allowed to wear t shirts FFS.

Also no expectation you washed your uniform daily. It could sit in your washing pile for a few days.

Also don't think you buy your own uniforms.

So fuck off

Who doesn't but their own uniforms?

I did actually. I worked for minimum wage, in one uniform that I washed every night. I think your excuses are ridiculous, and your lack of even a nod to basic hygiene in a fucking pandemic ludicrously selfish. And a bit rank, actually.

Washing clothes daily isn't basic hygiene. Most people don't wash clothes daily, it's not necessary even mid pandemic. No one has recommended it.

But yes I'm rank

Teachers do buy their own "uniforms". Usually care staff don't.

Ludicrously selfish to prioritise feeding my family over putting a load of washing on every day and buying new clothes I can't afford. Do one Feenie.

Ridiculous drama over basic washing.

I asked our headteacher about clothing when we had a meeting the other day - it seems completely inconsistent to suggest staff and pupils can wear their clothes to/from school without any issues but that bringing a pencil case in would be a problem.

I'm hoping this is the point at which secondary schools will drop their love of blazers and let families spend money on a warm coat for each child instead. I hate seeing children go to school in the winter with only a blazer, no warm/waterproof coat, because the blazer doesn't fit under a coat or because family budgets didn't stretch to both.