Best cleaning practices after applying include which of the following?

• A. All of the above: wash hands and face, shower and change clothing, scrub scalp and nails
• B. Take a break and return later
• C. Only wash hands
• D. Ignore cleaning until the next day

Answer: (A)

After applying pesticides, thorough decontamination is essential to remove residues from skin, hair, and clothing and to prevent exposure or spreading contamination.

Washing hands and face removes residues that could be ingested or absorbed during or after application. Showering and changing clothing address residues on the skin and in the hair and prevent carryover into the home, vehicle, and to others. Scrubbing the scalp and nails targets residues that can cling to hair and accumulate under nails, which are easy to transfer elsewhere.

Because residues can linger on skin, hair, nails, and clothing and transfer to others or surfaces, doing all of these steps provides the most complete protection. Options that involve only partial cleaning or delaying cleaning leave residues that can cause exposure or spread. So the best practice is to do all of these steps.