Filthy face mask

[esterwin]

Saw a woman today in the supermarket wearing a disposable face mask that was visibly filthy. Her clothes looked clean and presentable. I don't understand why anyone would put something dirty next to their face. Strange.

Haven’t we all arrived at the supermarket and forgotten a masks so we have to scramble around the car for an old one??

Like many people, she is probably wearing one because it is law and not because she thinks they do any good whatsoever.

@TheQueef - very Freudian slip on my part there!

I don't understand the fuss over clean masks.

The whole point of a mask is to provide a barrier so that when we breathe out, our emissions are not sprayed out at head height, but instead leak out around the sides. It won't do a thing for the true aerosols, but any droplets will be caught. That's it - that's ALL they're supposed to do. Clean/dirty, they'll do this job equally well.

God, poor woman, being judged by Mrs Busybody. So what if her mask was dirty? You have zero right to judge her life and her decision to put it on.

My mask has been washed once, maybe twice since we had to wear them. We need germs to build up a strong immune system and I worry about what else we're 'protecting' ourselves from.

I've probably washed my mask about 3 times in the past year. It's my face and my dirt and I haven't keeled over because of it. I only have 1 and refuse to buy more, as I keep expecting to be told we can stop wearing the crappy things.

oh here we go again. This is so weird. MN is full of people who have conniptions if you wash your towels less than once a week but putting a bit of fabric over your face that you haven't washed once in 15 months? You're sticking it to the man.

Absolutely pathetic. Try harder.

Skank central here. Although I don't need one often as not really going anywhere indoors, each one gets washed after use. I made quite a few three layer ones, actually not that hard. You can buy them too for a lot less than the cost of the lipstick that no one can see.

@everybodysang

oh here we go again. This is so weird. MN is full of people who have conniptions if you wash your towels less than once a week but putting a bit of fabric over your face that you haven't washed once in 15 months? You're sticking it to the man.

Absolutely pathetic. Try harder.

Wtf’s it got to do with “Sticking it to the man”?

everybodysang

oh here we go again. This is so weird. MN is full of people who have conniptions if you wash your towels less than once a week but putting a bit of fabric over your face that you haven't washed once in 15 months? You're sticking it to the man.

Absolutely pathetic. Try harder.

Wtf’s it got to do with “Sticking it to the man”?

Well, the argument is always, always THEY DON'T WORK I'M ONLY DOING IT BECAUSE I HAVE TO @Blossomtoes - that's what I mean by that. Nobody ever says, I don't wash my mask because I'm just filthy by nature.

I was late for a birthday and dashing out the door. Noticed I'd somehow gotten bronzer on my mask making it look really dirty. I shrugged and thought ehh no one will care. How wrong I was.

I do see the point of masks, haven't you seen those spit/sneeze particle videos. Grim. I will continue wearing them when I'm sick, long after the covid madness.

I don't understand why so many people on here go on about dirty masks when the vast majority probably willingly put willies in their mouths that will almost definitely have traces of poo on them. Or let dogs lick their faces. Or even eat without washing their hands.

My mask has been in my bag for months. I wear it to go into the supermarket once a week for 15 minutes tops. It's never been washed. I honestly don't care. I wear it because I have to.

@murbblurb

Skank central here. Although I don't need one often as not really going anywhere indoors, each one gets washed after use. I made quite a few three layer ones, actually not that hard. You can buy them too for a lot less than the cost of the lipstick that no one can see.

Well I do have to go indoors, alot. I am also bloody busy working full time and looking after my 3 kids, like alot of people. The last thing on my mind most days is my bloody mask with a bit make up on. They get changed when I remember. So no need to be all superior with your spotless, 3 layer mask.

@everybodysang

everybodysang

oh here we go again. This is so weird. MN is full of people who have conniptions if you wash your towels less than once a week but putting a bit of fabric over your face that you haven't washed once in 15 months? You're sticking it to the man.

Absolutely pathetic. Try harder.

Wtf’s it got to do with “Sticking it to the man”?

Well, the argument is always, always THEY DON'T WORK I'M ONLY DOING IT BECAUSE I HAVE TO @Blossomtoes - that's what I mean by that. Nobody ever says, I don't wash my mask because I'm just filthy by nature.

It's not about 'sticking it to the man', it's about doing what you need to do to live as normally as possible, and go into places you want to go to. When I grab my mask out of my bag I don't think FUCK YOU I HAVENT CLEANED IT AND YOU CANT MAKE ME, I just think 'mask on!' because it's a requirement to go into that shop, which is what I want/need to do at that time.

I am not 'filthy' either. Do you wash your trainers every time you wear them? Your jacket? I doubt it. If you're just popping into the shops once a week it doesn't make you 'filthy' to just cover your face with a piece of fabric you've covered it with before.

I think it shows a lack of self respect.
It is like people who wear smelly crumpled pyjamas to the shops. Sure you can do it, but awful.
I wash hats regularly that we wear during cold weather and they arent going on my face. But anything that touches your skin should be washed regularly.
MN though has taught me how dirty some people are.

@RoseRedRoseBlue

Perhaps she, like countless others, doubts the efficacy of masks and is doing it because she has to.

Why would that lead you to use a filthy mask? What does breathing in dirt and mould achieve in the cause of mask "freedom?"

It's not about 'sticking it to the man', it's about doing what you need to do to live as normally as possible, and go into places you want to go to. When I grab my mask out of my bag I don't think FUCK YOU I HAVENT CLEANED IT AND YOU CANT MAKE ME, I just think 'mask on!' because it's a requirement to go into that shop, which is what I want/need to do at that time.

But why would that make you put something on your face that is probably harvesting a healthy crop of mould spores and worse due to being stuck away in your bag having had your damp breath on it?

I am not 'filthy' either. Do you wash your trainers every time you wear them? Your jacket? I doubt it. If you're just popping into the shops once a week it doesn't make you 'filthy' to just cover your face with a piece of fabric you've covered it with before.

The difference is, unsurprisingly, that we don't breathe through our feet or our torsos.

I'm certainly no clean freak, but it's really no trouble to stick a couple of masks in the machine with my normal laundry.

Agreed Zzelda. This isnt about whether masks work, this is about basic self-respect.
I do not wear pants to stop STD's, I still wear clean ones every day.

I don't understand reusing them at all. I have a big bag of them in the car and at home so I can use a fresh one for each outing, then put them on a hot wash with the towels a couple of times a week.

*It's not about 'sticking it to the man', it's about doing what you need to do to live as normally as possible, and go into places you want to go to. When I grab my mask out of my bag I don't think FUCK YOU I HAVENT CLEANED IT AND YOU CANT MAKE ME, I just think 'mask on!' because it's a requirement to go into that shop, which is what I want/need to do at that time.

I am not 'filthy' either. Do you wash your trainers every time you wear them? Your jacket? I doubt it. If you're just popping into the shops once a week it doesn't make you 'filthy' to just cover your face with a piece of fabric you've covered it with before*

No. I don't do any of those things. But I don't put them over my face. I don't care if someone's got some make up on their mask. Actually, I don't care if your mask is filthy either. But I don't really get the double standards and why it's always about 'I don't think they work so therefore I'm never going to wash them'. Don't you all get spotty faces? Isn't it a bit smelly? Do what you like. But don't claim it's some moral victory.

Also I am lazy as fuck, I change my sheets and towels way less than average according to the many threads on that on here, but I just have a few masks and I chuck them in the washing machine when I get in and they dry really quickly because they're only small so it's not at all difficult either. So it doesn't impede my busy working life or stop me living normally. It's easy. But maybe I'm more puzzled by this because I have quite spot-prone skin so am confused as to why you'd stick a filthy mask on every day.

DONT! I hate seeing people in dirty masks, get a fresh one or wash it if it’s fabric. I see it all the time, to me it’s akin to walking around with food stains all over your top. The same with fluffy disposable ones, worn so much they’ve started to turn into cotton wool. 🤢

Mine are gross. They get covered in make up, sun cream, sweat, I sneeze into them etc. I do wash them but not as often as I should.

I also took mine off on the bus the other day as thought I might puke into it.

@Thewiseoneincognito

DONT! I hate seeing people in dirty masks, get a fresh one or wash it if it’s fabric. I see it all the time, to me it’s akin to walking around with food stains all over your top. The same with fluffy disposable ones, worn so much they’ve started to turn into cotton wool. 🤢

Totally agree. If you would not walk around with food stains on your top, then wear a clean mask. Basic self respect. And anyone who can manage to get kids to school on time can manage the tiny self organisation needed to have a clean mask. We have a bag of them in the car. Then wash them in the evening. They dry overnight. It takes about 5 minutes tops a day to do this.

And yes I do judge people who wear filthy face masks. I am thankful that my friends have more self respect.