It is normal to wash face masks every day, isn’t it?

[Bvop]

Promoted by another thread - but also by a couple of friends who always seem to be wearing the same face mask: what’s normal re washing? I have one mask all day at work but it goes in the laundry basket when I get home, as do the kids’ and if we go out again we get new masks from the basket of clean ones. This is normal, isn’t it, and it’s gross to wear the same mask unwashed for more than one day?

I just wear the most comfortable thing that allows me to go into shops and indoor areas, this is a disposable mask in the summer and clean buff (scarf) in the winter, I don't consider protection as I don't think they are necessary. This is to comply with the law, as soon as they are not law (obviously some people are exempt) I shan't wear one, I sure I won't be alone.

Is this the new MN towel washing?
I wore mine for a millisecond so it gets washed 27 times per day?

I have 5 or 6 material ones. I try to remember to bung them in the washing machine sporadically.

I wash mine weekly as I only need to wear it for 5 minutes each end of the school day. I'd wash it more if I had to wear it all day. However, I have 5 identical black masks so it could well look like I never wash it 🤷‍♀️

I barely wear mine, only on the school run really and on the very rare occasion I go in a shop. So no, I don’t wash it every time. I did last year when I was pregnant and wore one for hospital appointments.

Not banned - that would be lovely - but after they're no longer compulsory.

So what? Why does it matter? She wears the mask, doesn’t she?

I find the attitude that people don't care about others appalling. That's what I commented on.

Wearing a mask without observing proper hygiene reduces its efficacy significantly. (I appreciate with high vaccination levels in the UK this is less of an issue at present. It's likely to be important again this winter - variants & vaccine not protecting against all of them).

@WaterBottle123

Never washed mine. COVID can't live overnight on cotton! If it could, we'd have bigger problems. For the record we have three schools worth of germs in this house and no COVID or isolation periods all pandemic.

Mask common sense FTW.

It's not about covid living on cotton. If something's over your mouth and nose and you're breathing through it then surely sooner or later it's going to start to smell a bit? My masks sometimes get a bit damp depending on how heavily I'm breathing. It's no hardship for me to put them with the laundry each day to freshen them up.

everything else is just noise and opinion.

That's just not true.

Independent fact-checking organisations have looked into available evidence & concluded that face masks reduce transmission when worn properly.

But that's noise & opinion to you? Why?

It's true that in relation to Covid specifically more research is needed - it's so new that's not possible yet. But what is there is backed up by evidence.

@WaterBottle123

Using disposables on the other hand is disgraceful behaviour. But then most ppl can't get their heads round climate change being a bigger threat to humanity than COVID.

Imagine how many masks are clogging up the oceans, along with those pointless inaccurate lateral flow tests.

Oh behave. I never wanted to wear masks, ever. If it’s being foisted on me I’ll wear the ones I find most tolerable. I wonder what “disgraceful behaviour” you partake in. Flying on holiday? Plastic bottles of shampoo and shower gel? Single use plastic drinks bottles? I don’t use or do any of those things

I don't think they are necessary.

You're wrong, links provided above.

The "I never wash my mask, it's been at the bottom of my handbag for 6 months" crew come across even more like petulant teenagers than they did when they were stamping their feet about having to wear one in the first place. It's like they think they've got one over on the rules by being deliberately unhygienic, but it just sounds as grim as if they were boasting about never washing their knickers.

Like any other item of clothing you know when a mask needs washing. After 5 minutes popping round the shops? No. After an hour on public transport? Probably. If my nose has run while I'm wearing it? Of course.

@Lulu1919

Hand wash mine in bleach washing up liquid mix ...as hot as I can ....dry overnight ...back on next day

I couldn’t bear that stench next to my nose. My sense of smell has been really acute since I was pregnant - 13 years ago!

@Lulu1919

Hand wash mine in bleach washing up liquid mix ...as hot as I can ....dry overnight ...back on next day

I couldn’t bear that stench next to my nose. My sense of smell has been really acute since I was pregnant - 13 years ago!

The "I never wash my mask, it's been at the bottom of my handbag for 6 months" crew come across even more like petulant teenagers than they did when they were stamping their feet about having to wear one in the first place. It's like they think they've got one over on the rules by being deliberately unhygienic, but it just sounds as grim as if they were boasting about never washing their knickers.

Like any other item of clothing you know when a mask needs washing. After 5 minutes popping round the shops? No. After an hour on public transport? Probably. If my nose has run while I'm wearing it? Of course.

@gannett

The "I never wash my mask, it's been at the bottom of my handbag for 6 months" crew come across even more like petulant teenagers than they did when they were stamping their feet about having to wear one in the first place. It's like they think they've got one over on the rules by being deliberately unhygienic, but it just sounds as grim as if they were boasting about never washing their knickers.

Like any other item of clothing you know when a mask needs washing. After 5 minutes popping round the shops? No. After an hour on public transport? Probably. If my nose has run while I'm wearing it? Of course.

👏👏👏👏

They make my nose run and I walk round wiping my nose on it like an old hanky, I don't wear a plain one though or it would show like underarm sweat patches, I have some carefully chosen flowery buffs, I think the disposable ones are a bit plastic so it doesn't show on them. it must be some sort of allergic rhinitis, I also suffer nose bleeds and worry about that also in the mask, a bloodied mask is not a pretty sight.

Given that there have been zero cases in my neighbourhood area, and zero cases in all neighbouring areas for a fortnight, whether I am wearing my mask up to your high standards @EarringsandLipstick is neither here nor there.

I never sanitise my hands either with that horrid alcohol gel. Or wipe my shopping. Or wipe down trolley handles in the supermarket. Or make the kids to lateral flow tests if they don't want to. Single-handedly responsible for the pandemic, I am.

When my kids get in from
School they strip off their uniform and it goes in the wash with my mask. Tumbled dried so save ironing and ready for the next day. So I wear one of two masks most days.

@cariadlet

It's depressing how many people buy disposables and throw them away after a single use instead of buying reusables and washing them.

It might be hygienic but it's bloody awful for the environment.

I find them too hot.

I feel the same about plastic toiletry, milk, and drink bottles though.

Reading some.of these replies does explain why we ended up in a mess over winter. I'm lazy but even I've managed to do everything I can to not prolong the pandemic.

@megletthesecond

Reading some.of these replies does explain why we ended up in a mess over winter. I'm lazy but even I've managed to do everything I can to not prolong the pandemic.

You don’t really understand do you.

Given that there have been zero cases in my neighbourhood area, and zero cases in all neighbouring areas for a fortnight, whether I am wearing my mask up to your high standards @EarringsandLipstick is neither here nor there.

Please actually read my posts Raspberry

I've prefaced my comments about mask wearing with the observation that with the high levels of vaccination in the UK (especially compared to Ireland), it's currently less of an issue.

However, it wasn't less of an issue prior to this (and I see no indication that people who don't believe in mask wearing believed differently then) and it won't be less of an issue in a few more months, with likely variants in winter months.

You don’t really understand do you.

Sounds like Meglet understands just fine.

Whatever, @EarringsandLipstick. When you're working from home, your DH is working from home, the kids are stuck at home and not in school, you're not using public transport, or seeing/caring for any relatives, not going anywhere except the supermarket, you're not risk to anyone. Ever.

@EarringsandLipstick

everything else is just noise and opinion.

That's just not true.

Independent fact-checking organisations have looked into available evidence & concluded that face masks reduce transmission when worn properly.

But that's noise & opinion to you? Why?

It's true that in relation to Covid specifically more research is needed - it's so new that's not possible yet. But what is there is backed up by evidence.

No it's not. Sorry but believing in masks is like believing in god - there are lots of people who are determined to despite lack of evidence.

I need convincing, peer reviewed RCT's on mask use in the community (not hospitals) because that is where they are being used. I want studies on possible side effects (inhalation of micro plastics/fibres, psychological, worsening of skin conditions, bacterial infections etc).

No evidence that any country with a hard mask mandate has done any better than ones without.

I wear a scarf over my face because it's law. I'm not going further without actual evidence.

Nothing wrong with being questioning and wanting proof IMO.