How to Care for Your Face Mask
How to Care for Your Face Mask, the last thing you want is to suffer breakouts from using your mask without care. Since face masks or any form of face-covering have become a part of our daily lives when going outdoors, it’s important to properly care for them.
Don’t fret about not knowing how. Here’s a comprehensive guide to keep you even safer and keep your face masks clean and functional.
First, it’s important to know that you need more than one face mask. This way, when one is been cleaned you would still have fresh options to help stay protected outdoors.
When and how to take my mask off?
It’s safe to take your mask off once you are away from others and in your car or at home. Use the following steps to take off a used mask;
- Sanitize your hands with an alcohol-based sanitizer or wash them.
- Avoid touching the front of the mask or your face once you’ve done this.
- Your face mask or covering should be secured at the ears. Untie any knots/ties starting with the bottom ties. If your face mask is hooked with simple ear loops, take off the mask from the loops.
- Throw away filters if your mask has them.
- If you are ready to wash the mask, put it directly in the laundry or bowl with hot water.
- Wash or sanitize your hands again.
How to store your mask after use
If you intend to store your mask for reuse outside or before washing, take these steps;
- Using the steps above, take off the face mask
- Now, fold the mask by turning the contaminated side inward against itself. This way, the sides outside are the inner parts that usually touch your face.
- Place the mask this way in a clean paper bag or separated space. Not in your pockets or squished in your handbag.
- Wash or sanitize your hands again.
How to clean a face covering
Your face masks or covering should be cleaned after every use. The more often you can clean your masks, the better to stay protected and reduce the risks of spreading the virus or other nasty germs.
If you have masks made of fabrics–
Masks made of fabrics are the most common option. They include bandannas, cotton loop masks, face scarves, and so on.
- Wash your fabric masks by hand or with the laundry machine using hot water and unscented soaps/detergents.
- To wash with hands you can also add bleach safe for colored clothing or any disinfectant to the hot water. Soak the mask in the soapy solution for a few minutes before washing.
- You can dry the masks in the dryer or air dry them.
- Store your masks in a clean place after washing.
If you have blue surgical masks–
Blue surgical masks cannot be cleaned and should be thrown away after every use (a full day’s use).
The best detergents for washing your masks
To aid your cleaning process, you need gentle, hypoallergenic, and antibacterial detergents. Some detergents have added benefits like being great for sensitive skin and so on. Our top picks are;
- Arm & Hammer Free & Clear
- Tide Free & Gentle
- All Free & Clear
Read more from I On The Scene: HERE.
