Anti-viral dry cleaning process

A method of treating material that is contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 virus or a variant thereof, comprising exposing the material to vapor, heat, and dry cleaning solvent, wherein the vapor is produced by heating and/or vaporizing a dry cleaning solvent, and wherein the method at least partially deactivates the SARS-CoV-2 virus,

• wherein the method comprises the steps of
• a) exposing the material to dry cleaning solvent, followed by
• b) heating the dry cleaning solvent to form a vapor,
• wherein
• the dry cleaning solvent reaches a temperature of 60° C.-80° C.,
• the material and dry cleaning solvent are added to a chamber of a dry cleaning machine, wherein the dry cleaning solvent further comprises water, the vapor is produced by heating the dry cleaning solvent and water,
• and the vapor is produced during a drying cycle or a washing cycle, and
• 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.