theluckyrabbit
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
We also wash our cloth masks after each wearing, use scent free/sensitive skin detergent, rinse twice (with the white vinegar and on the SkinCare rinse cycle), and air dry. It really does seem to make a difference. Also, I noticed that the blue disposable masks give me more irritation from the fibers (and I read that they contain latex, too -- more allergies!), so only DH uses those now. My dermatologist was able to recommend some creams for soothing the rashes. For anyone experiencing a lot of mask irritation, it can be worth asking your dermatologist for help.I have family members who are struggling with this as well; one thing that has helped is that not only do we wash our masks in a small mesh laundry (lingerie) bag, but I wash them separate of all other clothing on the "mini" load cycle.
My hubby alone goes through 4 masks per day at work; he's a mechanic, and often has to work out on the ramp at the base where he gets sweaty and dirty, and additionally we have a strict "1 wear" policy at our house to help prevent maskne (or mascne or mask-acne). We keep our clean, ready-to-wear masks on the table by the door in a small covered hamper (it's not fancy - it's just a basket with a lid!) because, yes, like everyone else here... we have cats!
But... back to the laundry! I always run our masks through a second plain water rinse (no fabric softeners or additives other than 1 oz of white distilled vinegar) and then dry them on our folding drying rack that I set on top of the dryer (takes up zero floor space *and* takes advantage of the gentle heat that rises from around the dryer).
The extra rinse and air dry helps *a lot* with irritation - my hubs, for example, really found it unhappy to wear a mask outside when it is so hot and humid and it felt like all he could smell was laundry detergent. We don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets at our house to begin with; we switched to 100 percent wool dryer balls a couple of years ago.
I hope you find something to help your irritation!
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