Have you been exposed to tear gas? Or you just want to be prepared for every situation in the future. Maybe you were outside during a riot, and the police threw tear gas at the crowd. There can be a lot of situations when you could face the tear gas.

A gas mask is one of the best and well know tear gas neutralizer, but you can also do a lot to avoid tear gas contamination.

RELATED: Check pepper spray decontamination wipes on Amazon.

It is good to be prepared and be aware of some tear gas neutralization procedures. First, we need to discuss different tear gas formulations and then I will explain how to avoid and neutralize tear gas effects.

Self defense spray formulations

Tear gas formulations contain several different compounds :
● Chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS gas or mace or tear gas )
● Chloroacetophenone ( CN )
● Dibenzoxazepine ( CR )
● Oleoresin Capsicum ( OC ) -pepper spray

Tear gas (mace or CS gas) vs. Pepper Spray

Mace or tear gas in a man-made chemical, pepper spray is extracted from chili peppers called Capsaicin. You can build up a resistance to tear gas but you can’t escape the inflammatory effect of pepper spray. Pepper spray is not irritant and does not cause long-lasting effects. Read more on the differences between the two in this article.

What do you need to do neutralize tear gas

Follow these tips if you see tear gas coming, or warned about it.
● Try to move away from exposure or get upwind.
● If available, put protective gear. Minimize skin and face exposure by covering up as much as possible.
● A gas mask ( check the prices on amazon )offers the best respiratory protection if properly fitted and sealed. Alternatively, a bandana soaked in water tied tightly around the nose and mouth may prove adequate.
If you’ve already been exposed, here are ways to limit the effects.
● Stay calm and breathe slowly. Remember, it’s only a temporary effect. Blow your nose, rinse your mouth, and spit. Don’t rub your skin, don’t swallow and don’t touch anything to avoid further contamination.
● Take off your clothes. These chemicals assimilate into clothing as well. Thus, the clothes contained by tear gas should be washed separately from rest of the laundry.
● Next step is to irrigate the eyes with clean water. If possible, shower with clean water and soap.
● For eyes, milk is often suggested to neutralize the effect of tear gas.
● In case your home or commercial property has been attacked by tear gas, you can call professionals for tear gas cleanup.

How to get tear gas out of clothes?

Even if you were able to protect your face and lungs from exposure to the gas, you still need to think about your clothes as well. Tear gas can actually leave your clothes looking dirty and smelly after they’re exposed to it. Fortunately, there is a way to get the tear gas remnants out of your clothes.

Do not wash your clothes with hot water

Basically, you just need to wash your clothes in lukewarm water and use a powerful laundry booster in the washing machine.

Do not wash your clothes with hot water because that’ll cause the gas residue to go airborne. Then you’ll end up with a burning sensation in your eyes, lungs, and face. Therefore, it is important that you only wash your gas-infested clothes with lukewarm water.

It may not be enough just to cycle the clothes through the washing machine one time. You may have to wash your clothes in there 3 or 4 times to completely get the resin oils of the tear gas out of your clothes.

Also, always wear gloves when you handle your clothes in and out of the washing machine. This ensures that you don’t get any of the oil residue from the gas on your hands.

Don’t put the clothes in the dryer

Each time you’re done washing your clothes, you need to dry them outside in the wind. Don’t put the clothes in the dryer because the heat will cause the oil residue to go airborne just like the hot water would.

You must always dry your clothes outside until you’re sure that no more tear gas residue is in them. You’ll know when this is the case because you won’t be able to smell the tear gas anymore.

In conclusion, the only real secret to getting tear gas out of clothes is lots of lukewarm water. You can try experimenting with different detergents and boosters if you want to speed along the process.

Just remember to avoid exposing your clothes to heat, and you should not have any problems. Also, do not wear the clothes until all the residue is out of them.