A Doctor Explains Whether You Can Wash Your N95 Mask
When it comes to masking up, we all want to be as safe as possible. That's why many people are switching from cloth masks to N95 masks in the wake of new CDC recommendations. But these protective disposable masks are expensive, often costing upwards of $1 per mask, not accounting for price gouging.
It's understandable that you may want to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to using an N95 mask—but what exactly is the right protocol for washing and reusing an N95?
To provide some expert insight, Dr. Jen Caudle recently posted a YouTube video addressing the best way to get longevity out of your mask. And, no, that actually doesn't include washing your mask with soap and water or disinfecting with alcohol.
According to Dr. Caudle, using alcohol to disinfect your N95 mask is not a good idea, as it can impact the efficacy of your mask.
"The number '95' after the 'N,' that stands for the fact that these masks filter out at least 95 percent of particles that you breathe," Dr. Caudle says. "One of the ways they do that is through an electrostatic charge that is present in some of the materials that are used to make the N95. Using alcohol [to clean the mask] can deactivate this charge that is definitely needed to help filter out particles, which is not what you want."
But don't reach for soap and water in lieu of alcohol cleanings just yet. Dr. Caudle says this cleaning method is also a "no-no."
"[Washing with soap and water] can potentially disrupt any charges that your mask needs to conduct the business it needs to conduct," she says. "It also may change the fit or the shape."
Instead of washing an N95 mask, Dr. Caudle recommends killing off any potential contaminants between uses with what she calls "the paper bag method." The doc says to keep about five masks in constant rotation, putting each mask in a closed paper bag for at least a day or longer after wearing it.
"The paper bag basically keeps this mask from being out in the environment and contaminating other surfaces or things in your home," she says. "The other thing is it gives it a place for other contaminants—viruses, bacteria, whatever—to die off and have it in an enclosed space to do that. These bags also tend to be breathable, which I think is a really good thing."
She says that though some studies say steam-cleaning a mask may help disinfect an N95, she doesn't recommend the process as can be complicated, dangerous, and easy to get wrong.
You may also be wondering how long you can keep your N95s in rotation. In a separate video, Dr. Caudle explains that in an ideal world, N95 masks, KN95 masks, and KF94 masks would be single-use only. However, that is often the guideline for a hospital setting, not the general public. For the general public, she says most experts are of the belief that it is OK to reuse N95, KN95, and KF94 masks. But the CDC recommends only reusing a single mask up to five times—as long as it isn't soiled or damaged—before throwing it out.
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