Keep your respiratory droplets to yourself.
By: Rachel
Do you remember when you were little and your mom would say- keep your hands to yourself? I see face masks as the same concept- keep your respiratory droplets to yourself. Face coverings block the spread of respiratory droplets from traveling in the air and can protect those around you when in public. Side note- if you believe that face masks are a political or religious topic- you should probably stop reading right now, this isn’t the site for you.
Here in Guatemala it has been mandatory to wear face masks out in public since early April so we have grown quite accustom to it. One thing we’ve learned is that washing your cloth face masks is CRUCIAL to your health. We’ve broken down the best ways to care for your cloth face masks and to keep yourself and the people around you safe. (please note: this is no way medical advise. If you are experiencing COVID'-19 symptoms, please see a doctor immediately)
How to best wash your cotton face masks:
Information collected from the CDC site.
1. First things first- Wash your hands before removing your mask. After you’ve removed your mask, make sure you wash your hands again and do not touch your eyes, mouth or nose before doing so. Place used masks directly into the washing machine or in a separate laundry basket for future washing.
2. Wash your masks with like colors in regular cycle. We like to put 1 part white vinegar and 2 parts laundry detergent to help kill any additional bacteria on the masks. (Apple cider vinegar is fine too!)
3. Tumble dry on high heat or hang to dry. Do not use the mask until it is completely dry and if it can dry in direct sunlight- even better!
4. If your masks has pleats (like our Casa Flor masks), you can use a hot iron to press out the pleats so that it lays more comfortably on your face.
It is recommended to wash your masks after every use, but if you’re like us, laundry isn’t our favorite. So we keep about 10-14 masks in rotation and do a batch of mask washes once a week.
Skincare tip:
I have pretty sensitive skin so I don’t wash my masks with a detergent that is highly perfumed because it will irritate my skin. Also I am prone to acne breakouts and wearing (and sweating) in face masks has significantly increased those breakouts (especially around my chin, jawline and cheeks). Washing your face masks can help decrease those breakouts as well as washing your face with your daily cleanser after wearing your mask for a long amount of time (especially if you’ve been sweating!).