Anti-viral dry cleaning process

Abstract

Provided herein is a method of treating material that is contaminated with a virus, comprising exposing the material to vapor, wherein the vapor is produced by heating and/or vaporizing a dry cleaning solvent, and wherein the method at least partially deactivates the virus.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method of treating material that is contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 virus or variant thereof, comprising exposing the material to a dry cleaning solvent, followed by a drying step at 45° C. - 85° C. wherein the solvent is removed, wherein the method at least partially deactivates the virus. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the material is a fabric. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the fabric is an article of clothing or a fabric household good. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the method is part of a dry cleaning process. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the dry cleaning solvent is a siloxane-based solvent. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the siloxane-based solvent is decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), octamethyltetracyclosiloxane, or dodecamethylhexacyclosiloxane. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the siloxane-based solvent is decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5). 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the drying cycle takes place over 3 - 75 minutes. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the material comprises wool, polyester and/or polyester blend fibers. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the material comprises cotton, hemp, wool, rayon, polyester, acrylic, silk, or nylon, or blends thereof. 
     
     
         35 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the SARS-CoV-2 virus has a lipid-containing coating and the vapor comprises submicron liquid particles of the dry cleaning solvent that penetrate the lipid-containing coating of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.