Can a single-use surgical mask be disinfected and reused?
Since Monday, wearing a mask has become compulsory in enclosed public spaces.
As a result, we are constantly putting on a mask and taking it off to protect ourselves from the coronavirus.
If you use disposable surgical masks, you may be wondering:can you wash and wear a disposable mask more than once?
And the answer is not so obvious, because we read a lot of contradictory things. So here is the clear cut answer:
A single-use surgical mask cannot be washed, disinfected or reused.
As soon as you put on a single-use surgical mask and take it off, you should throw it in a trash can.
So you don't have to take it off and put it back on, or pass it under your chin or hang it on one ear.
As soon as you do one of these gestures, your mask becomes unusable. You must remove it, throw it in a trash can and put in a new one.
Why ? Because from the moment you have worn a mask, it is potentially contaminated.
If you touch it or reuse it, you can contaminate yourself or transmit the virus.
Similarly, a single-use surgical mask cannot be worn for more than 4 hours.
After wearing it for 4 hours, you must throw it in a trash can and put in a new one.
But you may have read that there are technical solutions to disinfect your mask:in an oven, in the microwave, with UV rays or even with bleach?
Be aware that health authorities do not validate these assumptions.
None of these options is satisfactory to disinfect a mask for reuse.
The only thing to do after wearing a single-use surgical mask is to throw it in the trash (and not on the street!).
- The Stanford School of Medicine tried to disinfect masks by putting them in a 70° oven for 30 minutes. The mask is indeed disinfected. But the problem is that it is a special oven . Nothing to do with the one we use in our kitchens! This experience should therefore not be reproduced at home. It is ineffective, even dangerous.
- Same observation with a microwave oven. According to a survey conducted by UFC-Que Choisir, putting your mask in the microwave can disinfect it. But we don't know how long it must be left in the microwave to have an effective result. In addition, surgical masks contain a small metal bar. And we know that microwaves and metal don't mix. Enough to create sparks, blow up his oven and ultimately render his mask unusable! So this option is not valid.
- Can UV rays be a solution? The answer is always no! Because after being exposed to UV, masks become ineffective :they lose their ability to filter viruses. So they are no longer useful. Not to mention that we don't have a UV machine at home!
- What if we wash them with alcohol and bleach? Again, disinfecting them with bleach or alcohol may remove viruses. But this damages the masks which lose their ability to filter . In addition, alcohol and bleach vapors remain on the masks even after several washes. And breathing the fumes of these chemicals is toxic!
The only solution is therefore to throw away your surgical mask or FFP3 after having used it once.
The only masks that can be reused are fabric masks.
If you wear a cloth mask, then you can reuse it many times.
You still need to clean and disinfect it properly after using it. Find out how here.
Don't have a cloth mask? Don't panic, here is the tutorial to make one easily without a sewing machine.
And even easier, find out here how to make a fabric mask in 1 minute!
