Interesting article about Covid prevention says washing cloth masks is essential

asp3

asp3

Senior Member
Location
Silicon Valley, CA
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid19-control-increasing-cases

The article discusses a study where hospital workers wore medical masks all the time, cloth masks all the time or follow their hospital's procedure which may or may not have required wearing masks. The interesting thing is the group that wore the cloth masks had the highest rates of respiratory infections.

The article recommends washing cloth masks in 60-90 C (140-195 F) water daily. That's too hot for hand washing.
 

asp3 said:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid19-control-increasing-cases

The article discusses a study where hospital workers wore medical masks all the time, cloth masks all the time or follow their hospital's procedure which may or may not have required wearing masks. The interesting thing is the group that wore the cloth masks had the highest rates of respiratory infections.

The article recommends washing cloth masks in 60-90 C (140-195 F) water daily. That's too hot for hand washing.
Click to expand...

Wash your mask by hand then use boiling water to pour over it as a final rinse. Wait for it to cool before handling.
 
asp3 said:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid19-control-increasing-cases

The article discusses a study where hospital workers wore medical masks all the time, cloth masks all the time or follow their hospital's procedure which may or may not have required wearing masks. The interesting thing is the group that wore the cloth masks had the highest rates of respiratory infections.

The article recommends washing cloth masks in 60-90 C (140-195 F) water daily. That's too hot for hand washing.
Click to expand...
To date I haven't worn a cloth mask, but the recommended daily washing of such cloth masks seems overkill to me.

I still think the standard issue paper variety masks are best. I wear mine for a month, then change the old out with a new, with a light spray of 99% isopropanol alcohol (with a hint of peppermint oil) before each use.

It's not like I'm out and wearing my paper masks daily, as I limit my trips out of the home to once a week, so for me, paper masks are ideal.
 

I only have the blue & yellow masks that seem to be made of some type of reinforced paper. I think they're considered "Disposable."
After using each one, I spray them on both sides with alcohol before using them again. So far, so good. The alcohol doesn't seem to damage them like I thought it would.
140-195 seems unnecessarily hot to me. My water heater is set to max & it's 135. 195 is practically boiling; ideal for coffee, but it seems excessive for a cloth mask. Besides, A doctor said any type of soap easily destroys virus. That makes sense to me; if soap didn't work on a virus, washing hands wouldn't do any good.
 
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Hubby and I have at least 20 cloth masks each. Plus surgical masks. Plus N95s.
Let's just say we have a very caring, sharing family and group of friends. :love:
Since we don't go out every day, there are always plenty of clean masks available, even though we both double mask for every outing.

We wear masks only once - or for a single group of errands - then place them aside for laundering. About once a week I prewash them in warm, soapy water in the sink, then put them into a laundry bag and wash alongside shirts or towels.

Pants, underwear and socks always get laundered in a separate load from other items.
(Dryer or no dryer, pandemic or no pandemic, I think it's gross to wash dish towels and underwear together.)

No way I'd pour boiling water on a mask or launder it in extremely hot water. That's a good way to damage the fabric and the elastic. Soap, warm water, 20 minutes of agitation, and a hot dryer are more than sufficient.
 
fmdog44 said:
Masks are causing "Mask Mouth". It is reported by dentists oral dryness, build up of bacteria, more cavities and gum disease.
The Fix: Drink water, reduce caffeine, use a humidifier, Rinse with alcohol free mouthwash, scrape your tongue regularly nd don't smoke.
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If I'm going to have a mask on for more than about 20 minutes I chew a piece of sugarless gum.
 
StarSong said:
Hubby and I have at least 20 cloth masks each. Plus surgical masks. Plus N95s.
Let's just say we have a very caring, sharing family and group of friends. :love:
Since we don't go out every day, there are always plenty of clean masks available, even though we both double mask for every outing.

We wear masks only once - or for a single group of errands - then place them aside for laundering. About once a week I prewash them in warm, soapy water in the sink, then put them into a laundry bag and wash alongside shirts or towels.

Pants, underwear and socks always get laundered in a separate load from other items.
(Dryer or no dryer, pandemic or no pandemic, I think it's gross to wash dish towels and underwear together.)

No way I'd pour boiling water on a mask or launder it in extremely hot water. That's a good way to damage the fabric and the elastic. Soap, warm water, 20 minutes of agitation, and a hot dryer are more than sufficient.
Click to expand...

The article recommends washing cloth masks in 60-90 C (140-195 F) water daily.

That's why I suggested it.

(Dryer or no dryer, pandemic or no pandemic, I think it's gross to wash dish towels and underwear together.)

I'm right there with you on that! I don't care if it saves time, or water. :rolleyes:
 
Forgive me for my ignorance but are you mandated to wear masks or a facial covering. We are only required to wear a facial covering which I assume can be as basic as a silk scarf or anything that covers the nose and mouth.
 
I have a reusable cloth mask of the American flag. I'm not in public much so it doesn't see much use. After each wearing I give it a good rinse under a running tap with water exiting out the worn side.
 
Jules said:
If masks aren’t being washed regularly, the problem can be with bacterial build up too.
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Just my way of thinking, but my guess is paper masks work better than cloth masks, because paper fibers would be much finer than cloth fibers, hence arresting more germs/bugs/bacteria.
 
StarSong said:
Hubby and I have at least 20 cloth masks each. Plus surgical masks. Plus N95s.
Let's just say we have a very caring, sharing family and group of friends. :love:
Since we don't go out every day, there are always plenty of clean masks available, even though we both double mask for every outing.

We wear masks only once - or for a single group of errands - then place them aside for laundering. About once a week I prewash them in warm, soapy water in the sink, then put them into a laundry bag and wash alongside shirts or towels.

Pants, underwear and socks always get laundered in a separate load from other items.
(Dryer or no dryer, pandemic or no pandemic, I think it's gross to wash dish towels and underwear together.)

No way I'd pour boiling water on a mask or launder it in extremely hot water. That's a good way to damage the fabric and the elastic. Soap, warm water, 20 minutes of agitation, and a hot dryer are more than sufficient.
Click to expand...
Plus add a bit of bleach. I laundry towels separate and never use the these things more than once.
 
I wear each cloth mask just once, and throw it in the wash. I also have a few packs of those paper masks, which I often wear, especially when major protection is not needed. (Going down for the mail, going out for a walk, etc.) If I've only had it on for a very short time, I will wear it again, usually I just throw it out.
 
Treacle said:
Forgive me for my ignorance but are you mandated to wear masks or a facial covering. We are only required to wear a facial covering which I assume can be as basic as a silk scarf or anything that covers the nose and mouth.
Click to expand...
So far where we reside (BC), no such mandated guidelines are in place for public wearing, but certain stores and places ask that masks be worn, and for those who don't have a mask, more often than not masks are available in those establishments.
 
asp3 said:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid19-control-increasing-cases

The article discusses a study where hospital workers wore medical masks all the time, cloth masks all the time or follow their hospital's procedure which may or may not have required wearing masks. The interesting thing is the group that wore the cloth masks had the highest rates of respiratory infections.

The article recommends washing cloth masks in 60-90 C (140-195 F) water daily. That's too hot for hand washing.
Click to expand...
You can pour boiling water on them and let them sit for a bit before hand washing.
 
StarSong said:
I don't want to breathe in bleach residue. Yuk.


Thanks for the great link. Very helpful!
Click to expand...
You can double rinse and buy a scented bleach. Bleach kills the virus. I, personally, would rather breathe in the scent of bleach than risk breathing in the virus. I use a paper mask, once, then throw it away. I can not breathe well in the cloth masks. They make me hot, as well.
 

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