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?

No. Far from

Every time it’s worn for more than an hour or so. So secondary age DC has several, the rest of us just have two (one to wash, one to wear) as we don’t generally need them day to day, just for things like nipping in to a shop or having a hair cut.

Wear because I have to. Had the same 2 for since Xmas and been washed once. Only wear at supermarket.

@Archiduchesse

Yes. Treat them like knickers - wear once, do not turn inside out, change if damp or soiled! 😀

I like this rule of thumb. 😃

This is exactly the way I treat my fabric masks (although I admit I use disposable if I need them for a long period, because I find them easier to breathe through due to a combination of asthma and pregnancy).

I wouldn't go as far as to say it's gross not to wash it daily. There's lots of things I can think of that cover the face that don't get washed... Motor cycle helmets for example?

But if they're going to do the job they're meant for they will need regular washing, or some other method of 'sterilising' (ie. Hanging outside in the sun). Personally I wear one for a few minutes or so here and there so mine don't get washed that regularly.

Mine’s only ever on for 10 minutes when I pop into a shop. I have about three or four on rotation, probably washed once a week-ish.

We change masks 3hrly at work NHS - i wear washable masks outside of work single use then wash in soap and water and dry .

We have a pack of disposable ones because I cba to wash masks and hate them smelling of washing powder and being on my face. Gives me a rash and headache.

@Archiduchesse

Yes. Treat them like knickers - wear once, do not turn inside out, change if damp or soiled! 😀

yeah definitely do not wear them inside out 😂

although i’m pretty lax about washing as i only wear it to the cafe to get a coffee these days

I wash mine every day but have 4 identical plain black ones that I wear for work so it probably looks like I don’t wash it

I wash the mask at the end of the day if I’ve worn it for more than half an hour or so ... but I had a pack of 5 identical masks so this may not be obvious to my neighbours and colleagues.

Clean one every day, though I do wonder sometimes if I get judged by people I see regularly because I have x5 identical patterned masks that I wear out and about- found a fit that I really liked so bought a load the same. Also, the masks I wear for work have my company logo on them, again I have three all the same which I interchange with a fresh one each day.

I wash my masks after every wear (mostly - if I am literally popping into the corner shop for milk and I'm wearing it for less than two minutes, then I won't wash it, but will "air" it ready for next time).

However, since I own about eight cloth masks, but only in two different designs/colours (made from old T-shirts of mine), it might look to some people that I wear the same, unwashed, mask day-in-day-out.

I wash DS's daily as he wears them all day. I only wear mine occasionally at work (moving between work areas or in corridors) or for less than half an hour in the supermarket once a week. I wash mine when I do a wash every few days.

People probably think same of me. I very often wear same mask for school run. All face masks get put in wash every evening along with school uniform and dried overnight for the next day. Just because it’s the same mask doesn’t mean it isn’t washed.

I use a fresh disposable one or clean Seasalt buff, DH though never puts his out to wash, if I spot one in the house I shove it in the wash but I know he probably has them in the car or pockets which haven't been washed.

I hate the smell of washing powder, masks are always better after the first day.

I have to wear one all day (in our office ☹️). Clean one every day here.

Clean one every day, have a drawer where clean ones are put

The scientific advice has always been to wear masks once, to be careful how you remove them and to wash your hands after removing them.

I put mine in the laundry basket when I get home and have a couple of dozen so that there are always clean, dry ones available.

DP and teenage dd aren't so bothered. I often find ones that they've taken off and dumped on a table or worktop, and I think that they both reuse them. I've given up nagging them about it.

mine is only on for maybe 10mins a day (school run) , washed weekly

I recall when I joined Mumsnet a big topic of conversation / debate was how often you should change your bed. I suspect that where a person is on the spectrum of bed changing probably reflects where they are on the spectrum of mask washing. 😅

I brought 50 reusable masks for about £15 so have plenty on rotation!

Every single time its worn even if only for a few minutes. It gets damp in that time. I would rather wear my underwear more than once than reuse an unwashed mask.

Ds wears 3-4 a day when he is at school all day to try to keep his spots at bay. Dh uses 1-2 a day.

I WFH so don't need to wear often and only wear for a few minutes at a time, maybe supermarket etc. I put them in laundry after wearing.

We probably have around 30 masks between us and I do a hot wash without detergent every 5-6 days.