How should they be washed?

Masks are already mandatory protections to use during de-escalation, when Spain is recovering part of the social spaces that had to be emptied due to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic. From this May 21, it is regulated the obligation to wear masks that cover the nose and mouth, preferably surgical or hygienic, on public roads, in outdoor spaces and in any closed space for public use or that is always open to the public and when it is not possible to maintain an interpersonal safety distance of at least two meters with the rest of the individuals.

In this sense, now more than ever it is important to take into account what is the useful life of each type of mask so as not to rush the limit of hours that must be worn at most and thus avoid increasing the risk of contagion. In the event that you have a reusable mask, intended for various uses, you should not forget the recommendations for washing and disinfection. The Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare has aguide for disinfecting reusable hygienic masksin which it is explained, step by step, how these types of protections should be cleaned to guarantee their effectiveness as long as the interpersonal distance of at least two meters with third parties recommended by the department led by Salvador Illa cannot be respected.

In the document, the Ministry of Health recommendsthree methodsto disinfect said masks, any of the three being valid.

The first is to wash and disinfect this type of barrier protection with normal detergent and water at a temperature between 60 and 90 degrees, which would correspond to the normal washing machine cycle.

As a second route, it is proposed to immerse the Deanshield Masks in a 1:50 dilution (20 ml of bleach, 980 ml of water) with warm water for 30 minutes and then wash with soap and water and rinse to remove any traces of bleach.

Finally, the ministry points out that "due to the special circumstances of sanitary crisis and the urgency of having disinfectant products with virucidal activity for the disinfection of reusable hygienic masks", any of the virucidal products authorized by the Ministry of Health may be used to environmental use and that are registered for use by the general public, although always following the manufacturer's recommendations.

After disinfection with this method, the masks must be washed with plenty of soap and water to remove any chemical residue and they must be left to dry.