How to Clean Your Reusable Face Mask at Home

Article By: The Kids Mask

Depending on usage it is recommended to wash your mask daily.  A minimum of 56C / 132.8F is a good temperature to kill bacteria. Here are some ways to clean your mask.

Boiling water:

An easy way to sanitize your face masks is to let them sit in boiling water for five minutes. It’s as simple as that. Masks are going to have a lifetime naturally they deteriorate the same as your bed sheets fall apart. To ensure your mask remains functional after boiling, you’ll need to inspect it closely—hold the mask up to a light source and check for any thin areas where a small hole might be forming. Viruses are only 60 nanometers across, which means they can slip right through any loose-woven or damaged fabric. To be on the safe side, we recommend not boiling your mask more than 10 times.

Washing machine:

A hot-water laundry cycle is a great way to sanitize them. Just as hand soap disintegrates the virus by breaking its exterior, your trusty detergent will be enough to leave your face masks ready for another use. Pay special attention to temperature it’s an added layer of protection.

Some modern washing machines have internal water heaters that can push water beyond 120 degrees, but if you don’t have one of these, we still don’t recommend you change your water heater’s settings. No matter what your machine is capable of, you should call for reinforcements. This is not the time to try doing your laundry without detergent.  Make sure you load your machine with the appropriate amount of soap and complement it with your laundry booster of choice: Chlorine, color-safe bleach, or OxiClean will provide some extra oomph.

Bleach and hot water:

Soak your face masks for five minutes in a solution of one teaspoon of bleach for every quart of hot water. Temperature doesn’t really matter the bleach is doing the sanitation work but it’s an extra layer of security.

You’ll need to be careful, though using a higher concentration of bleach or leaving any of the corrosive chemicals on the fabric after soaking could damage your mask. Also, since your face mask will be directly over your nose and mouth, you’ll want it to be clear of bleach when you put it on. Inhaling any residual fumes from it could damage your airways or worsen any respiratory condition. To make sure you get rid of any leftover bleach, take the mask out of the solution and rinse it under a tap for 10 to 15 seconds—any temperature. After that, soak it in clean water for another five minutes. You can hang your masks to dry or put them in the dryer for some extra sanitization.

Storage is everything:

Sanitizing your mask won’t change a thing if you don’t store it properly. Once you have a clean mask, put it in a closed plastic container or in our close bag by itself our packaging is made that you can place the mask back in the bag.

If you want to go the extra mile, write on the bag or stick a note to the container with details about when you last sanitized the mask and the method you used. This will prevent cross-contamination and you’ll be able to tell for sure if the mask is safe to use or not.