TEXAS – Studies have shown that COVID-19 can live on surfaces like plastic and stainless steel longer than surfaces like cardboard and copper, but what about the clothes you’re wearing on your back?

Not a lot of research has been done into how long the novel coronavirus can live in fabrics but health officials say if you’re taking precautions like washing your hands and practicing social distancing, you shouldn’t worry too much.

COVID-19 is mostly spread by person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets, according to the CDC. If an infected person coughs or sneezes and those droplets enter another person’s respiratory system, that’s when the coronavirus is spread.

We know that coronavirus can live for hours or even days on some hard surfaces, but that cleaning and disinfecting a surface where COVID-19 might be can kill the virus in a matter of minutes.

According to Houston Methodist Hospital, the soft, porous surfaces found in clothing may actually help prevent the spread. In a blog post, health professionals explain the virus is likely to get caught in the fibers of the fabric, preventing it from spreading.

The post also explains viruses are less likely to infect people as they dry out and fabrics tend to absorb moisture, killing the virus as they go.

If you’re caring for a person who's been infected or you’re still worried, there are additional steps you can take to keep yourself safe.

The CDC says normal laundry detergent is fine to use on contaminated clothing, but they say you should turn the heat up as much as you can as long as it won’t ruin your clothing.

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If the clothing was worn by someone who was infected, you can wear gloves before handling it. If you choose not to wear gloves, just make sure you wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap when you’re done.

Try not to shake the clothing when you’re going to wash it. This is to try and prevent any germs from getting into the air while you’re washing.

You should also clean your laundry hampers or line them with something that can either be thrown away or washed as well.

Don’t forget to wash cloth face masks regularly as well. Health officials say the more you wear it, the more you should wash it.