My brother is HIV positive, can I wash his clothes in my washer without risk??

my brother is coming to live with me. His is not "sick" but he is HIV positive. Just want to know how to live with him without fear of the little things.

Are you kidding me!? Please, for your sake and more importantly for HIS read up on his disease! I thought they started informing people about the risks being greater for the patient then the family YEARS ago. Laundry is fine!!! you can even touch the clothes with your hands!!!!

Have no fear. You can eat together, do laundry together etc.

let him wash his own clothes=that will solve embarrassment
make sure there is javex in with dishes when washed =other then that things should be just fine

Yes, it is alright to wash his clothes in your washing machine.

Think: blood, bodily fluids:
If you have a cut and he is bleeding, it is not safe to get his blood in your cut.
If he is shooting heroin, it is not okay to share his needles.
Sharing a toothbrush [because if his gums are bleeding, you may have a cut inside your mouth or gumline you are not aware of].

Stuff that is okay:
Sharing food, utensils, plates, glasses.
Sharing sheets.
Sitting on the same furniture.
Using the same toilet, bathtub, shower.
Getting in touch with your local AIDS council [or a P-FLAG group if he is not heterosexual] for support.
Asking questions that you do not know the answer to.

Actually, your brother is more at risk from you [and other folks] than you are from him.
His immune system is compromised thus doing things like keeping a clean house, wiping down surfaces like counters etc with a bleach-warm water mixture, washing your hands, keeping up with your flu shots, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze....all good things for you to do in order to protect him.

Folks with HIV are living longer these days. I believe that eventually HIV will be a condition to be managed much like diabetes is able to be managed.

Best Wishes.

HIV is only transmitted through blood and sexual fluids, and only survives while those fluids are still liquid. You can hug your brother, share dishes and laundry loads, and use the same toilet seat without having to worry. The only time you need to be careful is if he has an open wound. If he hurts himself, give him cotton wool to clean it up himself, or use gloves.

Your brother's still the same person he always was, and you can treat him in exactly the same way - except when it comes to blood.

I would let him wash his own clothes in your washer. There is always the remote chance he has gotten body fluids on his clothes, so as a precaution it is probably best he be the only one handling his dirty clothes.