stupid anthrax q: would microwaving your snail mail help?

[Karsten M. Self]

on Fri, Oct 19, 2001 at 03:13:02PM -0700, Karsten M. Self (kmself at ix.netcom.com) wrote:
> on Fri, Oct 19, 2001 at 07:27:18AM -0500, Jim Choate (ravage at ssz.com) wrote:
> > On Fri, 19 Oct 2001, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> >
> > > This suggestion turned up on Kuro5hin, a web discussion site (Slashdot's
> > > baby brother):
> > >
> > >     If you want to sterilize your mail, simply place the unopened
> > >     envelope on an ironing board and place a damp, thin cloth on top of
> > >     it. Then iron it. Yes, iron it. Just like you would iron your pants.
> > >     The damp heat will kill any bacteria, including anthrax, inside the
> > >     envelope, and you will be safe.
> > >
> > >     http://www.kuro5hin.org/comments/2001/10/18/44222/299/16#16
> > >
> > > Probably more accessible to most of the population (and workplaces) than
> > > claves, pressure cookers, or irradiation equipment.
> > >
> > > Anyone have thoughts or (?) knowledge on efficacy, or guidelines on how
> > > long the heating should last for decontamination?
> >
> > Sounds like somebody doesn't do their own washing/ironing :)
> 
> I bathe regularly.  All else is gloss.
> 
> > The steam in an iron doesn't get anywhere that hot, it'd ruin the
> > clothes.
> 
> /me retreats to iron w/ thermometer.
> 
> Black and Decker "Light 'n' Easy" iron, cotton dishtowl (folded quarto),
> "Good Cook" dial thermometer inserted under top fold.  With four
> minutes' preheat, temperature is off the scale (2200F), extrapolating,
> it looks to be 2700-2800F.  After about two minutes, there's a slight
> yellowing of the dishtowel.

Above mistranslates ISO-8859-1 encoded \260 (octal), the degree sign, as
a zero.

Temperatures should read 220 F, 270 F, and 280 F, not thousands of
degrees.

-- 
Karsten M. Self <kmself at ix.netcom.com>       http://kmself.home.netcom.com/
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