Personal Decontamination After Radiation Exposure

Remove all outer clothing, shoes, and accessories. Cut clothing off if possible to avoid pulling contaminated items over your face. Place everything in a sealed plastic bag and keep it away from people and animals.

Handle contaminated clothing carefully. Radioactive dust on clothing continues to emit radiation.

Shower with warm water and soap as soon as possible. Wash hair with shampoo only — never use conditioner, as it bonds radioactive particles to hair. Gently wash all exposed skin. Do not scrub hard — broken skin allows radioactive material to enter the body.

Do NOT use conditioner on hair. Do NOT scrub skin aggressively — you must not break the skin barrier.

Gently flush eyes with clean water for several minutes. Blow nose repeatedly into tissues and discard them. Wipe eyelids, eyelashes, and ears with a damp clean cloth. These areas trap fine radioactive particles.