Fabric face masks offer the advantage of being reusable multiple times. However, to ensure their hygiene and effectiveness, they need to be cleaned regularly. How can you properly clean and disinfect your fabric face mask?
Wearing a face mask in public places is still mandatory throughout Madagascar at the moment. COVID-19 and its new variants continue to circulate, prompting health authorities to increase recommendations to fight its spread. Many of us use fabric face masks daily to protect our faces. But how many know the proper way to care for them? Here’s everything you need to know to wash and disinfect your fabric face mask effectively.
SHOULD YOU WASH THE FABRIC FACE MASK BEFORE FIRST USE?
Whether you’ve made your fabric face mask yourself or bought it, it’s strongly recommended to always wash it before it’s first use. This precaution is valid even when the mask is packaged to prevent any risk of allergy caused by the fabric. Moreover, even when a mask is new, it may have been contaminated during transport or packaging. Remember to disinfect your hands with hand sanitizer before and after handling the mask!
This initial wash ensures you have a clean and safe mask.
HOW TO HAND WASH A FABRIC FACE MASK?
You can hand wash your fabric face mask with water and detergent. To make washing easier, let it soak for a few minutes in the detergent before rubbing it.
Then, swirl in the water for several minutes, but avoid scrubbing, as you may damage the fabric fibers and impair its filtration capacity.
Once this step is complete, let it soak for another 30 minutes in hot water at least 40°C, then rinse with clear water. Air dry in the sun.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR FABRIC FACE MASK?
Generally, a fabric face mask can be washed as long as the fabric is not altered, there are no holes or cuts, and the elastics are not stretched out. Some health experts believe this type of mask can withstand up to 20 washes without losing its effectiveness.
Warning! You should stop using and throw away your mask as soon as it is deformed, stretched out, or if it has shrunk.
CAN YOU IRON THE MASK?
It is highly recommended to iron the fabric face mask after drying. This step completes the disinfection process and effectively eliminates viruses.
To do this, use a hot iron at around 120°C, but first make sure that the fabric can withstand high-temperature ironing. If not, it could melt or shrink, rendering your mask unusable.
Also note that ironing does not replace washing the mask with detergent. Ironing a dirty mask is pointless and risks getting infected.
WHAT ABOUT SURGICAL MASKS?
Despite the fact that health authorities do not officially recommend washing surgical masks, tests have shown that they can maintain their filtration capabilities after 10 machine washes at a temperature of 60°C! If you have a washing machine, you can, therefore, reuse your surgical mask after washing it up to 10 times. It is also possible to hand wash it, but this operation requires more care to avoid tearing the mask, as the material is more fragile than fabric.
Autres Articles
HOW TO FIGHT HAIR LOSS?
