How do I wash my mask by hand?

[mummabear1967]

I have a cloth mask.

I can admit to the fact I haven’t washed it once since I first started wearing it.

I’m assuming I just put it in my bathroom sink and fill it up with warm water, but what solution do I put in to disinfect it?

The CDC website said put bleach in the water, but surely bleach would stain the mask?

Just use hot water and laundry detergent, rinse with clean water and dry. No big deal.

Why can't it go in the washing machine?

I machine wash mine.

We put ours in a small tupperware when we get in and pour freshly boiled water on. Once a week i will try and put them all through the washing machine too.

I soak mine in milton. They need a wash or at least a good rinse after though otherwise they still smell chloriney when they're dry.

I washed a disposable one in error and it came out looking brand new so I used it again!

Hot water and soap. I made a mistake of putting a silk must into a washing machine - it was very creased!

Maybe OP doesn’t have a wash of similar colours ready to wash. Hardly a whole wash should be run for one mask .

I mean if you've been wearing it and not washing it ....why are you worried about disinfecting it now?! It'll be full of whatever germs and stuff anyway I think this may be shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. Not criticising you - I only wash mine every so often, reuse the one use ones and generally just do it to tick the box .....so I couldn't care less whether you've washed it or not...I just feel like the effort to disinfect by hand may be a little wasted

I wash mine with warm water and detergent, leave to dry and then iron (not sure if the ironing helps, but it makes me think no germs will survive)

@EmmaWithTheGreatHair

I washed a disposable one in error and it came out looking brand new so I used it again!

Good to know!!!

The disposable ones wash really well in the machine.

I wash all the masks every night in the kitchen sink with detergent and boiling water, unless I'm doing a wash anyway in which case they go in the machine.
That is pretty minging not to have washed one you've been wearing for weeks/months.

Mine go in the machine. They're quite sturdy cotton reusables though.

Otherwise a warm soapy handwash in the sink should do it. The soap breaks down the virus anyway. Even better if it's dried on the line in sunlight.

We just chuck ours in the washing machine when we come in the house and they get washed with whatever load gets done next. Then dry either on the line or in the tumble dryer along with the washing load.

@OpheliasCrayon

I mean if you've been wearing it and not washing it ....why are you worried about disinfecting it now?! It'll be full of whatever germs and stuff anyway I think this may be shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. Not criticising you - I only wash mine every so often, reuse the one use ones and generally just do it to tick the box .....so I couldn't care less whether you've washed it or not...I just feel like the effort to disinfect by hand may be a little wasted

I know what you mean - I’m never going to wash my mask after every time I wear it.

But I should probably at least try and wash it every so often

@BillywilliamV they do don’t they! I was feeling pretty smug with my new discovery Smell great too!

The detergent in a 40 wash will suffice to kill the virus, so just chuck in a wash

on the principle that my hands get washed with soap for twenty seconds with water that is not boiling, I would wash it in detergent or soap and let it soak for a few minutes, and rub it gently.

@JumperTime

I wash all the masks every night in the kitchen sink with detergent and boiling water, unless I'm doing a wash anyway in which case they go in the machine. That is pretty minging not to have washed one you've been wearing for weeks/months.

To be fair, I never really have to wear it though. I’m barely in shops and even when I am, it’s only for short periods of time

@JumperTime

I wash all the masks every night in the kitchen sink with detergent and boiling water, unless I'm doing a wash anyway in which case they go in the machine. That is pretty minging not to have washed one you've been wearing for weeks/months.

I agree! I wash them after wear. Its gross leaving them for days. Eugh!

I wash them the same way I wash my hands - in the kitchen sink, with hand soap in warm water. Then I squeeze them out and put them on our cooker (its an everhot, so like an aga, always on) to dry. Takes them minutes to dry.

But I tend to rotate a few, so don't wash them after each use, just leave a few days between wearing them and then wash them every couple of weeks.

Washed mine in the bath !!!!

There’s no way I’ll ever wash my mask daily.

I will try and wash it once a week though.

At the end of the day it’s only going to be me wearing it so any germs on it will be from me anyway.

Just wash it the same as you'd wash anything else.

I feel if it's every so often just chuck it in the machine