August 17, 2020

How to Safely Launder Face Masks

Wondering how to safely launder the masks in your home? A quick laundering or washing is necessary to keep masks in tip-top shape and to keep them clean. We like to do this in the evening and hang dry so they are ready for the next day. Like everything right now, I feel like we need new routines for everything. I can’t believe that we need a routine for face masks but when I talked about where we are storing our masks, you guys wanted to see how I was cleaning them too. I thought you might like to see some details around what we are doing. Here’s the post where I talk about going back to school during a pandemic.

Keep reading for a sale on the Laundry Bundle and the 5 Day Home Refresh.

I set up a small basket in the mudroom by the kids’ coats and backpacks – this is where they grab a mask before heading out. I also have a couple masks stashed in their backpacks in case they need them during the day.

I pulled the backpacks off the rack so you can see this system in detail. I have a mesh laundry bag hanging up in the mudroom (this one – it comes in a pack of 3 and has a sturdy zipper and a loop for hanging) for them to put their masks in before they come in and wash their hands. This is an important step – the face masks need to be put in here and then they need to promptly wash their hands – we remove shoes and head straight to the powder room around the corner to wash hands thoroughly.

With a family of 5 and the possibility of multiple masks in day, this little mesh bag is filled up in a day or two. The beauty of this system is that once the face masks are in the mesh laundry bag they don’t need to be touched again.

I simply zip it closed and toss it in the washing machine on the warmest setting possible.

The most important thing to keep in mind when laundering masks? Safe laundry detergent. A mask covers your face and you breathe in that little bit of air that’s between you and your mask all day long. You don’t want your kids or yourself to be breathing in and recirculating air that has chemicals in it from your detergent or fabric softener. The only laundry detergent we use is Clean Mama’s Laundry Super Powder – it has enzymes to clean the toughest stains and smells, it’s non-toxic, smells delightful (lemon + clove) and cleans better than any other product I’ve used (and I’ve tested hundreds!). I’m running a little Back to School Sale this week on the Laundry Bundle – Laundry Super Powder and Oxygen Whitener.  The regular bundle discount is $2 off but for this week it’s $5 off – stock up!

SHOP CLEAN MAMA LAUNDRY BUNDLE – ON SALE NOW!

I just put in one scoop of Laundry Super Powder in the load and run it on warm. Of course, you could add other things to this load, but I have just been washing a super small load (I can adjust how much water goes in the washing machine) with just the face masks – that’s my preference.

Once they are removed from the washing machine, I put the masks and the mesh laundry bag on these hooks on our laundry room drying rack and let them air dry overnight. You can find the drying rack we have in our laundry room here and the face masks here and the smaller kid-sized face masks here.

Where are you storing your masks? Have you figured out a system for them?  I hope that this is helpful for you too!  Want to see my Laundry Room Tour?  Go to this post.

DON’T MISS THIS!
I’m introducing something brand new in my shop – Clean Mama’s 5 Day Home Refresh. I am so excited to share this do-able program with you – it’s just what we need to give us a little re-frame and refresh in our homes before this next season.