Washing reusable masks

Today, the topic of wearing face masks is very relevant. Some people use disposable ones, while others prefer to save money and wear reusable masks. So the question arises, how to properly wash reusable masks? How to disinfect and iron them? Everything will depend on the material from which they are made. Let's figure it out.

How to care for a reusable mask?

People prefer a reusable mask because you can wear it for a long time, you just need to wash and iron it in time. These masks are made from different materials that protect the respiratory tract. In addition, they come in a variety of designs, shapes and sizes.

But remember! Any mask can be worn for no more than 2 hours. Accordingly, you may need from 4 to 5 masks per day, which will need to be washed at the end of the day.

All reusable masks that can be washed come in two types:

• Made from fabric. They can be washed either by hand or in a washing machine.
• Sewn from gauze. These masks can only be washed by hand. Otherwise, the mask will fall apart, lose its integrity, and you won’t be able to put it on again.

A universal way to wash any masks is to soak them in a disinfectant (for example, Almadez or MultiDez laundry detergent) for 10 minutes. After soaking, just rinse the product under running water and dry.

Is it possible to clean a medical mask?

Despite the variety of reusable masks, there is a category of people who wear disposable medical masks. They are cheap and available in every pharmacy. And yet some people manage to wash even disposable masks. Although doing this is strictly prohibited! After washing, the mask loses its protective properties and becomes unsuitable for subsequent use.

An ordinary disposable mask is made from synthetic material - spandball. This mask consists of three layers, of which the third layer is a filter. Spandball is difficult to clean from dirt and bacteria using soap and water. Such material cannot even be ironed. The material simply collapses. Therefore, after wearing a disposable mask for 2 hours, you need to throw it away.

How to properly wash a mask?

How to properly wash a protective mask? If you change the mask on time after 2 hours, then regular treatment with hot water and laundry soap may be quite enough to clean the mask of bacteria. You can also use gel or powder for washing, preferably without fragrances. You are unlikely to like wearing masks that smell of powder or other chemicals during the day.

Masks should only be washed in hot water. In the case of hand washing, the water is heated to 60 degrees or higher. In the case of machine washing, choose a long cycle with high temperature. Boiling the product will be effective in the fight against germs and viruses. But reusable masks with rhinestones must be washed only by hand.

How many times can you wash protective masks in the machine or by hand, you ask? Everything here will depend on the condition of your mask. If, after wearing and washing for a long time, the elastic bands have stretched out and the mask does not cover the face well, then of course it’s time to throw away such a mask. How often should I treat and wash? Everyone just wore them for two hours - put on a clean one, and at the end of the day wash all the worn masks. There can be no other options.

Drying and treatment with a disinfectant composition

You can dry reusable masks in any way.It is not prohibited to dry them on a hot radiator. Can be dried in the sun as a source of ultraviolet light, which disinfects. After drying, you can iron the mask with a hot iron.

But you shouldn’t iron a worn mask without first washing it. Such a procedure will not completely kill bacteria; in addition, some materials should not be ironed at high temperatures at all. It is also not recommended to clean and treat the mask with antiseptics, because this also does not give 100% results. But sterilization under ultraviolet lamps is another matter; this procedure is especially suitable for those masks that cannot withstand washing at high temperatures.

Remember that by neglecting the rules for using disposable and reusable masks, you increase the likelihood of getting sick. A huge number of bacteria accumulate in the tissue and enter the respiratory tract. Be reasonable!

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