No secondhand article covered by this act, except upholstered furniture, shall be offered for sale, lease, or auction, or be in the possession of any person with intent to sell, lease, or auction, unless such article, since last used, has been effectively cleansed and sterilized or disinfected by a process approved by the department and in accordance with regulations of the department. Secondhand upholstered furniture shall be so treated when required by the rules and regulations of the department.
35 P.S. § 976