Wondering how to clean your cloth mask?
Disinfecting your protective mask after using it is very important.
But be careful, it is better to avoid bad reflexes to maintain your mask!
Otherwise, you risk damaging it and... your mask will no longer be effective.
Here are the 7 gestures to avoid to clean and disinfect your fabric mask at home... And what to do instead! Watch:
We've all heard that COVID-19 is not heat resistant above 60°C.
Under these conditions, why not put your mask in the oven to kill the virus?
A study of this kind was conducted by the Stanford School of Medicine (USA):the researchers put the masks in an oven for 30 minutes at 70°.
The problem is that this experience cannot be reproduced by individuals at home.
Indeed, for it to work, the masks must not be in contact with the metal surface of the oven.
It would be necessary to be able to suspend the mask in the oven... Not very practical therefore!
Putting your mask in the microwave can be dangerous.
Indeed, some masks have small metal parts, which can cause sparks in the oven!
Studies also show that the metal or plastic parts of the mask can melt.
The elastics of the masks may also be damaged.
Another problem:we don't know how long to leave the mask in the microwave, or what power to use.
This method is therefore not recommended at all.
It's a solution that seems simple enough to disinfect your mask.
To do this, boil water in a container and put your mask on top of the steam.
Then, you have to wait at least 10 minutes to properly disinfect your mask.
The risk of burns is therefore real and you have to be very careful when using this method.
In addition, this technique can only be used 5 times, depending on Que Choisir.
Beyond that, it risks damaging the mask, which may then be ineffective.
This is perhaps the most dangerous technique for disinfecting a cloth mask.
Why ? Because alcohol and bleach can damage the fibers of the mask and make it ineffective.
In addition, the vapors of alcohol like those of bleach persist, even after several washes.
And they can cause respiratory tract irritation.
Which is obviously not the desired effect!
In the laboratory, it's a technique that works!
But who has a UV machine with the right settings at hand?
And unfortunately, the sun's rays are not enough to disinfect coronavirus masks...
Again, this is a technique that is not feasible at home so avoid.
Using the iron does not seem to be enough to disinfect your protective mask.
Indeed, no serious study proves the effectiveness of this trick to eliminate the virus.
In addition, it can damage the elastics of the mask.
Know that the cold is not enough to kill or inactivate the virus.
Not to mention that humidity can damage the fibers of your fabric mask and make it less effective.
So, don't try to put your mask in the freezer to eradicate the virus permanently, because it won't work!
To discover: Coronavirus:8 Mistakes Everyone Makes With Their Mask.
There are 2 effective tips for cleaning and disinfecting a cloth mask:
- The best is to wash it in the washing machine at 60° for at least 30 minutes, with your usual detergent. If you don't have a machine, you can wash it by hand with soap. Then, dry it in the dryer or with a hair dryer within two hours of washing.
- If you can't wash it to disinfect it, just hang your mask in the open air for 5 days minimum . According to the magazine Que Choisir, the virus ends up dying on its own after a few days. In this case, the best is to have several masks to alternate.
To discover: Coronavirus:How To Properly Wash Your Homemade Mask?
As soon as your fabric mask is damaged, loose or has a hole, throw it in a plastic bag that you close carefully, before putting it in the trash.
Don't forget:paper masks are for single use only!
If you wear a paper mask, you must throw it in a plastic bag that you close, immediately after wearing it.
You cannot clean or disinfect it.
