# What kills Anthrax?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-anthrax/87285
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 13, 2001, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-anthrax/87285 "2001-10-13T19:03:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-anthrax/87285/21 "2001-10-20T00:18:38Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Cargogal \*
> \*\*I heard on the radio that some “bioweapons researcher” said that ironing your mail would do it.
> \*\*
I posted a whole big analysis of this technique in YAAT (Yet Another Anthrax Thread). Long story short, it ain’t going to do diddly squat.
[sub]I’m a microbiologist, if anyone was wondering[/sub]
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### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2001, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-anthrax/87285/22 "2001-10-20T00:36:15Z")
[Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/rumors/iron.htm) goes on to say that ironing could be even worse, since you could potentially weaken the envelope and cause it to open, dumping spores out.
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### Author:  [@Cargogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cargogal)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2001, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-anthrax/87285/23 "2001-10-20T02:23:27Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Smeghead \*
>
> I posted a whole big analysis of this technique in YAAT (Yet Another Anthrax Thread). Long story short, it ain’t going to do diddly squat.
>
> [sub]I’m a microbiologist, if anyone was wondering[/sub] \*\*
Yep, so am I. When I first heard the Ironing Mail Solution I cracked up.
If you urinate on it and turn around three times at sundown, I hear it can help, too.
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### Author:  [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2001, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-anthrax/87285/24 "2001-10-20T02:34:44Z")
Has anyone else been struck by the irony of us all regularly deleting email originating from people we don’t know lest our computer become sick yet people being terrified of opening snailmail which comes to their home?
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### Author:  [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-anthrax/87285/25 "2001-10-20T03:05:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by dunne u. wurrie \*
> \*\*
> Would, for instance, putting your mail in the microwave before opening it (for less time than it takes the letter to burst into flames!) render the germs impotent?
>
> \*\*
ahem… your letter wouldn’t burst into flames no matter how long you put it in the microwave
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### Author:  [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2001, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-anthrax/87285/26 "2001-10-28T15:51:41Z")
I thought y’all would find this article of some interest:
[http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011026/hl/anthrax\_19.html](http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011026/hl/anthrax_19.html)
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