Mask washing

Certainly in London many people are refusing to wear masks on public transport and in shops. Many still have the attitude it will not happen to them. I have no desire to chance it.

If anyone can do a link (I can’t on this computer) DrJohn Campbell’s latest blogpost says that although a mask won’t necessarily stop you from catching the virus the viral load will be so low that if you do catch it you will most likely be asymptomatic or will have it very mild. Which also means that, with more people wearing masks there are likely to be a lot of asymptomatic people around.

Please save your anti-bacterial handwash or anything. Hot soapy water will kill a virus.

A bacteria is a single-celled living organism whereas a virus is not live and requires a host cell to survive long term.

I hand wash mine in hand hot tap water, disposable or reusable, with antibacterial handwash, every time I use them.

I make Liberty tana lawn face masks which are super fine. I wash all fabric before making and steam iron. If they are a pleated style they do need ironing to retain a crisp look. Shoving them in with usual wash and then a good steam iron is fine. Ironing takes all of half a minute for those with an iron phobia.

I too chuck it in a bowl and cover with boiling water and a dash of Bold. When dry, stick it in a self seal plastic bag and put in my bag ready for the next time. I have 3 or 4 on the go and keep disposables in the car in case of emergency. The elastic pinged on one outside Tesco yesterday so I just used one of the disposables (although they are very uncomfortable & keep riding up over my eyes ?)

Non medical grade masks are mainly to protect those around us but it is now believed that they do protect the wearer also albeit not to the same extent. The more layers the masks have the more protection to the wearer.

Ironing helps. I wash my cotton (home made double layer) mask every time and then make sure to iron it as this helps to sterilise. No problem - in fact it fits better when newly washed.

As usual,I feel very inadequate. I Wash mine quite often but not religiously after each wear. I just do them by hand in v hot water, but then I don’t isolate my post etc either.

I hand wash mine every couple of days when I change the filter. That’s what was recommended on the instructions. Then I hang them on the line. The latter wasn’t in the instructions but I like to think that’s a sensible thing to do.

They were bought from Boots.

Interesting range of views here, many thanks. But Why? Have I missed something else? I thought we wore masks to protect other people from us not the other way round??? That was constantly dinned into us only a few weeks ago.

We have reusable paper ones which you have to sterilise by putting them in the oven at 60°. The hand made cotton ones get washed with the next, hottest possible wash. Then I steam iron them to sterilise them.

Usually only 1 wear per mask each time (we have quite a few) but sometimes will use again if I've only had it on for 5 minutes or so.

There was an interesting article in the daily mail today, for once. There was a professional look at different types of masks, with the outcomes of how they let bacteria through the different types. As far as I can remember fabric ones of two layers aren’t very good and the reusable had to be washed at 60 degrees. It was an interesting but alarming article with only one blocking 100%. The test was for bacteria getting through the various types as viruses can’t be grown in a Petrie dish and measured. The article is in the health section of today’s mail.

Good point, westendgirl.

I wash all the reusable masks in the house twice a week in very hot soapy water (in my salad spinner ) and hang them in the sun (when there is sun).

So far no problems.

Not about laundry, but if you have disposable ones please cut through the ear tapes. I've seen some dreadful photos of birds entangled in them . Hope you don't mind my saying this.

Thanks Spice , they look fine , so I am going to wash the next ones !

aggie I also wash and reuse my disposable masks.

If you make your own masks out of discarded and well-used sheets or pillow-slips they won't shrink irrespective of whether you wash them at 60 or 90 degrees centigrade or scald them in boiling water.

You may find you need to renew the elastic though after a number of washings.

I wasn't sure how long the germs stay on the fabric. I thought the covid germs only stay on material for 2 or 3 days, longer on hard surfaces?

So if you hang them somewhere airy after use, germs dissipate? Seems I was wrong.

Like the idea of boiling water poured on or the hot iron. Some of mine I don't think would stand up well to a 60 degree wash.

I’ve got several types of mask and completely confuse myself as to how to wash them: they’re all different. However, as I hardly ever go out these days I tend to use the single use medical grade mask. One of mine is cold wash only, the others are 40 degree wash. At least I know the routine with the single use mask and I do feel safer wearing it.

My cotton masks do not shrink, because I always wash the fabric first before making them. Get all the shrinkage out the way before sewing anything. I have measured fabric before and after washing and been amazed at how much it can not only shrink, but on occasion distort as well. Needlecord is great for pulling out of shape in the wash - I'd be pretty miffed if that happened after I'd made the garment!

Machine washing shortens the life so I hand wash mine with antiseptic disinfectant in the hot water.

A couple of the blue disposables ended up in the wash accidentally, they came through unscathed! Is it ok to use them ? It would be less landfill if we could use them for a couple of days!

My mask is not meant to be machine washed, so I wash it by hand in the hottest water I can.