Washing reusable masks?

[Reallyworried69]

How often do you do it? After every wear however brief? If you do a weekly shop? Once a week? I'm not sure what's advisable.

[Findahouse21]

After every wear.

[blacktop]

I couldn't wash after every wear, my mask is on and off several times a day so I would need a huge supply with me when I go out. I just put mine in the wash at the end of the day.

[CarrieBlue]

After every wear they go straight in the machine. We have a large supply (my sewing machine is getting tired!)

[Herja]

After every wear. If I'm going to a few shops, I keep it on in between.

I made large amounts, so can go through a fair few a day without it being a concern.

[Summer41]

You are supposed to remove it, drop it into a plastic bag and seal the bag, take the mask home and wash it in a 60° wash.

If you have coronavirus particles on the outside of your mask and you just drop it into your handbag, you're going to get coronavirus on the stuff in your handbag, and on your hands and face when you put it back on.

You are also supposed to use hand sanitiser before putting the mask on and after removing it.

[blacktop]

@Summer41

You are supposed to remove it, drop it into a plastic bag and seal the bag, take the mask home and wash it in a 60° wash.

If you have coronavirus particles on the outside of your mask and you just drop it into your handbag, you're going to get coronavirus on the stuff in your handbag, and on your hands and face when you put it back on.

You are also supposed to use hand sanitiser before putting the mask on and after removing it.

I am more careful than the chin wearers, the ones who have them hanging off their mouth or swinging on their ears so I will happily wear the same mask more than once. I really don't have an endless supply, just thinking of my day yesterday I must have put a mask on at the very least 15 times. I actually had 2 washable ones and 3 disposable with me so I did use them all, but even still, I definitely don't have that amount of masks available to me every day.

To be fair the only way to wear a mask effectively is to put it on at home and not to take it off at all whilst out. Realistically though nobody is doing this and we are wearing masks because we have been told to not because we know how to. The vast majority of people don't have a clue how to avoid contamination.

[cologne4711]

I hand wash mine after every wear (you don't need to wash at 60 degrees, a swirl around in hot soapy water for 30 odd seconds is fine) and then stick on the line outside for the sun to get at it. And you don't need to use hand sanitiser before you put it on or take it off, you can wash your hands before you go out.

Although don't do what I did and not notice one falling on the floor from the washing line. An animal obviously got at it overnight and ripped the elastic out :(

[DipSwimSwoosh]

I didn't think to take the nose bit out and now it lives in my washing machine waiting to cause havoc.

[RoseMartha]

After every wear. Max one mask per person per day. I am considering buying 7 each we currently have four each. I am not going in shops everyday but I dont put the machine on everyday.

I heard the dj on the radio saying only washing theirs once a week. 😲

[Okbutnotgreat]

I take one with me when I go out and take it off/put it on as required then when I go home it goes down to wash in a normal wash. We have about 30 between 5 of us.

[pooopypants]

After every trip out and straight in the washing machine.


I've got about a dozen and same for DC. DH has 3 but he doesn't go out as often as I will be. I haven't finished making as many as I'd like to have (I'm not always on top of my washing pile) and I'd like to keep some spares in the car and handbag.



My sewing machine has taken a hammering over this last month too

[TwigTheWonderKid]

Wash after every wear but not in washing machine - I just stick mine in a bowl with some bio washing powder, give it a swir and then pour boiling water over it.

[Baaaahhhhh]

I must admit I am not washing after every wear. I still don't really understand the difference between getting virus particles on the outside of your mask, versus getting them on your clothes...... The virus doesn't live on fabric very long, so I am therefore washing once a week-ish, but tbh honest only wearing them for 10 mins or so, two of three times a week (and yes, they live in my handbag inbetween). I do anti-bac hands alot, and wash them a lot too, but I have also never quarantined or washed anything that came in through the door, food or shopping either.

[Laundrywoman]

Soak it in brine for a while then let it dry naturally for a more virus resistant mask.

[Isotope456]

I burn all mine immediately after use. I then bury the ashes underground at a depth of at least 2ft.

[MereDintofPandiculation]

The virus is wrapped in a fatty coat. If you disrupt the fatty coat, you kill the virus. So soapy water at a reasonable temperature should do it. No need to follow up with boiling water.

I still don't really understand the difference between getting virus particles on the outside of your mask, versus getting them on your clothes The mask is to protect others, so the theory is that the particles are on the inside of the mask. So perhaps the idea is that you will then transfer them to your fingers and start leaving them around for other people to pick up.

[Fromage]

Only 2 feet, @Isotope456 ?

I hurl mine into an abyss and have an exorcist to hand, just in case.

[Gurufloof]

I make a pyre every week for mine, then the ashes are lobbed into the sea cos salt water innit.


In the real news I dont go many places that require mask wearing, so after each outing my mask goes in the wash, I am slovenly though and washing is a bit hit and miss so currently I have about 15 masks for me and DP. Plenty I think.

[picklemewalnuts]

You can just iron them.

I don't wear mine often- never more than every three days. I assume that anything on it will be dead before I wear it next.

[Pinkflipflop85]

I sprinkle mine with holy water after every use then pray to the pixies.

In all seriousness though, there are lots of people who are reusing disposable masks as much as possible to get 'value for money' so I doubt many people with reusable ones are actually washing them after every use, let alone dropping them in sealable bags!

[bengalcat]

I hand wash them after every wear .

[Carlislemumof4]

After every wear, one or two fresh ones a day. I've bought lots of cotton pleated ones from Mabel & Mu so I can rotate them plus spares (though they're lovely quality, wash well and I think will last a long time).

Have got a cotton face mask bag from homebymuddyboots to put my mask in in my handbag when out and about (though I generally just keep my mask on until home), the bag can go through the machine too.

When I get home I wash hands, remove my mask and put them in a cotton pillowcase to wash within a few days with other laundry. Masks go in one of those net bags you get for washing bras so the elastic ear loops don't snag on other clothes and nose wires don't break during the cycle. Then simply air dry on the airer, I don't iron them as they look fine without, then once dry put them in a drawer to wear again. Same system for DH and DCs.

The sock analogy is a good one, change your mask every day like your socks. I think of it like the cotton handkerchiefs my Dad and Grandad had, you definitely want a clean one or two every day when you're breathing in to a mask.

[IwishIwasyoda]

I now wear disposables because I cannot be fucking doing with the wash after wearing malarky on 60 deg wash. there is nothing else coloured I should be washing at 60 deg so i'm damned if I'm buggering up my washing machine running it with a couple of facemasks. For all those washing with other laundry - you do appreciate there is fuck all point washing face masks at 30 or 40 degrees

[Carlislemumof4]

40 degree wash is fine for a cotton mask.

[CKBJ]

I have bought 8 reusable face masks. I use at least one a day, maybe 2 if I’m going out in the evening. They are washed at 60c. I see them as underwear and change those at least once a day or twice if going out after work.