Why Polyester Halters Are A Biosecurity Hazard

washed in a machine with scalding hot water 140 degrees F and dried in the laundry no bacteria remained.
Although setting your home water heater to 140 degrees Fahrenheit may be best for disinfection water at this temperature poses a scalding hazard. Research suggests that exposure to 140 degree F water can result in serious burns within three seconds.
The researchers say the rough texture of webbing  likely helps bacteria survive routine cleanings. I think  all material where the dirt  can hide is a challenge  says  Anneli Rydén PhD.  The dirt must be removed. The bacteria can hide in  the dirt and the dirt can hide in specific materials with a rough surface.
In contrast the researchers discovered that leather halters did not readily support the survival of S. equi. In fact  even without any cleaning some inoculated leather items tested negative for the bacteria days later. While its not clear why leather didnt seem to harbor S. equi the researchers say this appears to be a universal characteristic of the material.
Leather and other materials
We thought it could be the way leather is tanned says Rydén. However the surface is smooth compared with the nylon halters. And both were very old at least 20 years halters. But also newly manufactured leather material did not support the bacteria.
The other surfaceswood concrete and plasticwere successfully disinfected using routine cleaning techniques.
Rydén says that putting nylon halters in a wash cycle with extremely hot  water is the best method for disinfection even when strangles isnt an immediate concern. I hope owners are using this method. However in other similar materials like jackets and gloves the recommendation from the manufacturers is often 40C 104 degrees F which might be too low.