How do you wash your masks?

[albustydumbledore]

Posting for traffic.

Hot wash?
Reg wash?

Would soaking in boiling water be enough?

I started by boiling them in a pan on the hob.
I now just shove them in regular wash with Napisan.

Regular wash, inside a mesh laundry bag so the elastic doesn't get all mucked about.

Hot steam iron to sanitise.

Either by hand with hot water and soap - logically 20 seconds should be enough if it is enough for hands but I tend to give them a five minute soak - or just bung them in the washing machine with the next load going in at whatever temperature as again they will be in the soapy water for much more than 20 seconds.

I'm sure pouring boiling water on them works too!

Normal wash, dry outside.

Regular washing, we don’t boil our hands, we wash germs off them.

I throw them in the washing machine with everything else, covid is bad enough without having to invent new housework tasks

Mine go in with everything else. I tend to assume that rattling about in soapy water followed by a rinse will render bugs incapable of doing any damage, if they've managed to cling on and not get washed down the drain.

Often I don’t bother (gasp!)

The main purpose of cloth masks is to prevent the wearer spreading Covid, rather than to protect the wearer.

The amount of Coronavirus on the outer surface of a mask will be minimal. There may be lots of germs on the inside but they are my own germs anyway. As long as they are clean and dry they will protect other people from me!

Put them straight into the washing machine drum when we get home, then they get washed with whatever load of laundry gets done next (nearly always a 40 degree wash)

60⁰ wash, collect them in a bag over a few days and then chuck them in with towels.

I’ve been washing my disposable masks in the machine on a 40 wash. I put them in a mesh bag. So far all have survived. I air dry them and wait a good few days before reusing them.

I think this is ok 🤷🏻‍♀️

@peajotter I am the same, and they are either scrunched up in my pocket or shoved in my bag.

I use the disposable ones, i find the fabric ones horrible to use. But if i did i'd just stick them in the normal wash. We don't use boiling water to clean our hands

I don’t bother for the same reason peajotter outlines. I use surgical masks several times then throw them. I have a box of 50.

@ThatDamnScientist

60⁰ wash, collect them in a bag over a few days and then chuck them in with towels.

This is what I do, too.

Chuck them in the washing machine along with everything else then dry on the line.

Tends to go in the washing machine usually, but sometimes I handwash them with hot water and soap.

Wash them at 40⁰C with other clothes. Air dry. Use several times before washing again

Normal 40 degree wash with normal load of washing. I’ve washed disposable masks too by mistake when have been in pockets etc and they’ve survived

Normal wash. Can’t understand people saying they don’t wash them? Don’t you wash your clothes? They have bodily fluids on them so they need regular cleaning

Normal wash. Can’t understand people saying they don’t wash them? Don’t you wash your clothes? They have bodily fluids on them so they need regular cleaning

There are several stages in my routine. Firstly I shake off the dirt that has collected on it from the car footwell. Then, as I get out of the car I rub it on my trouser leg. Then for the belt and braces sanitation I wave it around in the fresh air while I walk to the shop door where, ta-dah, I have a clean fresh mask to wear

Regular wash, or with towels, just no fab cond, having to breathe through that is horrible (I don't use it all the time, just when clothes are getting a bit crunchy).

I only wash them about once a week as we don't use them much.

Handwashed separately, soaked in really hot soapy water for 10+ minutes, rinsed thoroughly, then final soak in diluted disinfectant. Line dried. A pain, but makes me feel more confident of eliminating any nasties 😀