Most common nose mask cleaning mistakes

It is not just important to wear a nose mask when you are out and about in order to protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is also just as crucial to clean it once you get home. But not just any method works, and there are certainly some dos and don’ts when it comes to sanitising your nose mask correctly.

To keep yourself and others safe, here are three nose mask cleaning mistakes to avoid—as well as how to clean it properly.

Only cleaning your mask once a week

If you’re only cleaning your nose mask once a week, you could be putting yourself at risk. Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, MD, MPH, told Johns Hopkins Medicine you should be washing your nose mask after every use. That way, you’re always wearing something clean every time you leave your home. “It’s a good idea to have at least two. This way, you will have a fresh mask if one is in the wash,” she says.

Spraying with disinfectants

Spraying your nose mask with disinfectants such as Lysol or Clorox is never a good idea. Sure, you may kill the virus, but you’re left inhaling whichever cleaning product you used, not to mention allowing those chemicals to rub onto your skin for hours—two things that are a recipe for disaster. Save them for your countertops instead.

Washing with cold water

While washing with water—warm or cold–can kill the virus, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend using the warmest setting you can for whichever material your nose mask is made of every time you wash it.

How to clean your nose mask properly

Cleaning your nose mask properly is actually really easy. Dr Lockerd Maragakis says they should be cleaned after every use to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, and you can do that by washing it like you would any of your other clothes.

Cloth masks should be washed in the washing machine in hot water and detergent, then dried in the dryer on a high setting. “You might consider using a non-scented laundry detergent if you’re sensitive to perfumes so it’s easier to wear the mask,” she says. And if you prefer hand washing your nose mask, you can do that too. “Scrub the mask for at least 20 seconds, and dry them in high heat.”