Masking

How do I use, clean, and dispose of a mask?

When wearing a mask, you should:

• Wash your hands immediately before putting it on and immediately after taking it off (practise good hand hygiene while you are wearing the mask)
• Make sure the mask fits well around your nose and mouth
• Avoid moving the mask around or adjusting it often
• Avoid touching the covering while using it

Masks should be changed when they get damp or soiled. The main reasons for changing a damp mask are:

• moisture reduces filtration and allows droplets to pass through,
• self-contamination,
• harder to breathe through when it is wet, and
• skin irritation.

Do not share your masks with others.

When removing a mask, you should:

• Throw disposable masks out into a lined garbage bin
• Wash your hands
• Do not leave any discarded masks in shopping carts or on the ground
• Reusable face masks must be cleaned frequently. If your face covering is damp or soiled, you should:
• put it directly into the washing machine or a bag that can be emptied into the washing machine
• wash with other items using a hot cycle with laundry detergent (no special soaps are needed), and dry thoroughly
• wash your hands after putting the face covering into the laundry
• all masks that cannot be cleaned should be thrown out and replaced as soon as they get damp, soiled, or crumpled.
• If a washing machine is not available, wash by hand using soap and warm to hot water. Allow to dry thoroughly.

• • Non-medical masks: How to put on, remove, and clean - Government of Canada
  • How to Clean a Reusable Mask (PDF) - KFL&A Public Health
  • How to Clean a Reusable Mask - French (PDF) - KFL&A Public Health