How to Properly Wash & Dry Your Face Mask

by Dr. Jen Caudle

Face masks help reduce the spread of COVID and wearing masks is essential. That said, they will likely be a part of our lives for a while. So how can we best clean our masks?

1) Makeup Stain Removal

I love wearing makeup but I don’t like it to get on my masks. If you wear makeup, stains are inevitable but a few ways to try to remove make-up include the following:

- try 70% Isopropyl Alcohol

- try using shaving cream - try a makeup remover wipe

- use a stain detergent

Regardless of which method you use to remove make-up stains, you still have to wash your mask after removing stains

VIDEO: HOW MANY LAYERS SHOULD YOUR FACE MASK HAVE

2) Hand-Washing Your Face Mask

According to the CDC, you can hand wash your mask by using a simple bleach solution that you can make at home:

Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:

• 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) household bleach per gallon of room temperature water or

• 4 teaspoons household bleach per quart of room temperature water

Then wash according to the CDC. Just follow these instructions.

VIDEO: HOW TO STORE YOUR FACE MASK

3) Washing Your Mask in the Washing Machine

Probably the easiest way to wash your mask is to simply throw it in the washing machine with detergent and wash on the warmest setting possible.

4) How to Dry Your Mask

Good news here is that you can either tumble dry your mask in the dryer on the hottest setting, or you can lay your mask in direct sunlight to air dry!

VIDEO: IS IT SAFE TO BOIL SURGICAL MASKS?

I hope this is helpful!

Dr. Jen Caudle

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