WASH, IRON AND DRY MASKS TO CLEAN THEM, EXPERTS ADVISE

Experts say washing machines are good for cleaning masks but one must use a full or universal detergent in powder or granule form and set the machine to 60 degrees.

Officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health bodies have also underlined that 60 degrees is the vital threshold for washing a mask, Coman Hamilton reported for the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

“If you don't want to clean your mask in the washing machine, you can also do this by hand. Simply boil it in a pot with water for about 10 minutes. You can use a wooden spoon or something similar to move the mask around without burning your fingers. Once the water has cooled down, wring the mask out,” Hamilton added.

“While laundry pros advise drying your mask in the sun if possible, health experts say you should not rely on sunlight to kill off the Sars-CoV-2 virus,” dpa stressed. "UVC rays can slow the coronavirus," the American Academy of Dermatology said. "However, the sun's UVC rays cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere. This means that you cannot get UVC rays from sunlight." The WHO also says there is no research that has shown sunlight can be used to disinfect fabric.

“If the fabric can stand it, you can also clean your mask by ironing it or heating it in the oven. But be careful about putting it in the microwave - if it has any wire or other metal in it, this could be a fire hazard,” Hamilton counseled.