Microwave your face mask to clean it? Here’s why that’s a really bad idea
Top health officials are encouraging people to wear do-it-yourself face masks amid fears over the spread of the coronavirus. However, misinformation on the best way to clean them is putting Americans at risk.
Viral social media posts advise people to zap their cloth face coverings in the microwave “for two to three minutes” as a way to sanitize them. Rachel Jackson of Belleville, Illinois, said she tried it this week after coming across what appeared to be a credible Facebook post on how to do it — and wound up nearly burning down her kitchen.
“I put it in the microwave on two minutes and turned around to do something (else),” Jackson, who runs a local nonprofit, told McClatchy News. “I turned back around, probably not even 30 seconds, and it was a fire. I’m not talking about smoke. I’m talking about blazing flames.”
She yanked open the microwave door, reached inside, then used the spray hose on her sink to douse the fiery, charred remains of her face mask.
“God, I’m so glad that I didn’t go too far,” Jackson recalled.
She isn’t the only one who’s been (nearly) burned by the microwave method. Countless others have taken to social media to share photos and videos of their burned face masks. Jackson also posted a video to Facebook Live to warn others about the dangers of heating them up.
Online posts recommended microwaving the masks in a plastic bag for a few minutes to clean it. The ill-advised method has even been touted by reputable health organizations like VCU Health, which, on its website, suggests people “microwave the mask,” wipe it down with bleach or soak it in soap and water.
Jackson took a different route and placed her mask on a plate in between two moist paper towels. But the outcome was the same — a fire.
“In this season, I think we’re looking for things to help us kind of navigate through staying healthy or just ways to avoid making mistakes and utilizing these resources,” she explained. “That’s really what I was looking for, so when I saw (the Facebook post), I was like ‘Oh, this is great!’ “
Jackson said she once worked in a hospital and knows surgical supplies and instruments are often sterilized with heat. She figured the microwave would do the trick for her fabric face masks.
“I trusted this knowledge based on what I already knew,” she added. “But I’m starting to think these things aren’t supposed to be microwaved at all.”
Officials warn about fire hazard
Health officials agree and are now strongly advising people against making the same mistake. The Greene County Office of Emergency Management in Tennessee is one of several safety organizations that have warned about the potential fire risk, especially with masks containing metals, plastics or flammable inks.
“All they were doing was setting them on fire,” Heather Site, emergency management director for Greene County, said at a Friday briefing, station WKRN reported. “We had also heard of people putting them in plastic bags, things like that, so of course that was just causing another hazard.”
“DO NOT place any face mask in the microwave for any amount of time,” Colorado River Fire Rescue wrote in a Facebook post, adding, “There’s no evidence that microwaving a face mask will sanitize it properly.”
How to properly clean and sanitize masks
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a hot spin in the washing machine is the best way to “sufficiently clean and sanitize” cloth face masks. Officials also recommend washing with a high-grade detergent and a small amount of bleach to disinfect the masks of any germs.
Jackson, who suggests having multiple face masks on hand, says that’s the way she’ll be cleaning hers going forward.
“I’ve just started back (washing them) the regular way; it seems much safer,” she told McClatchy News, laughing.
This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Microwave your face mask to clean it? Here’s why that’s a really bad idea."