Caring for and washing reusable masks

A cloth mask is the one common kind that is meant to be washed and worn again. A surgical mask or a filtering respirator is built differently, and the guidance on it points the other way. This sheet covers how often to wash a cloth mask, what the sources say about water and detergent, how to store it, when to stop using it, and what is said about reusing respirators. It is general information, and cloth masks protect less than a well-fitted respirator whatever the care they get.

How often to wash

As at 10 March 2025, CDC's mask care page says cloth masks should be washed at least once a day or as soon as they become wet or dirty. WHO's December 2020 interim guidance, in its mask-use document, gives the same daily rhythm, and adds that a damp mask should be replaced with a clean, dry one as soon as possible.

Both sources set daily washing as the minimum. Wet or dirty masks are washed straight away, so a second mask makes the routine easier to keep.

Water, detergent and drying

WHO's guidance says to wash fabric masks in soap or detergent, preferably in hot water of at least 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). If hot water is not possible, it says to wash with soap or detergent in room-temperature water and then boil the mask for one minute.

The CDC archived page, last updated 11 May 2023 and now held in the CDC archive, says masks can be washed and dried by hand or in a washer and dryer. The pages opened for this sheet give no drying temperature and no detergent brand or additive advice, so none is stated here. Check any care label that came with the fabric or elastic, and see how to make a cloth mask for what a homemade mask is built from.

Storage between wears

1. If the mask is wet or dirty, put it in a sealed plastic bag until you can wash it. CDC gives this as a way to avoid spreading germs.
2. If it is dry and clean, store it in a breathable bag, such as a paper or fabric bag, between uses on the same day.
3. Do not hang it on your arm or wrist, or pull it down to rest on your chin or neck. WHO advises against both.
4. Clean your hands after taking it off and again after putting it back on, as set out in putting on and taking off a mask.

When to retire a cloth mask

None of the opened sources gives a number of washes after which a home-made or shop-bought cloth mask must be thrown away. WHO's annex, aimed at manufacturers, says reusable non-medical masks should keep their performance through a minimum of five wash cycles. That figure is a manufacturing test and says nothing about how long your own mask will last.

The practical signals come from the fit and condition of the mask. Replace it when it stays damp, when it is dirty after a wash, or when it is damaged. A mask with stretched elastic or gaps at the edges has lost the snug fit that fit and seal describes. Persistent skin irritation is a separate matter covered in mask-related headaches and skin irritation.

Single-use masks and respirators are not for washing

WHO says not to reuse a single-use mask, and CDC says disposable masks should be thrown away after one wearing or when wet or dirty. On CDC's N95 page (reviewed 12 March 2025) the instruction is direct: do not wash an N95 respirator or put it in the oven or microwave to try to sterilise it. Replace it when the straps are stretched, or when it is wet, dirty or damaged.

NIOSH has also published guidance on reuse and extended use in workplaces, in its 2018 publication Respirator Reuse and Extended Use. It defines reuse as wearing the same respirator several times in a shift, with storage in between, and extended use as wearing it for repeated exposures without taking it off. It says a respirator can be worn until it is damaged, soiled or noticeably harder to breathe through, that reuse should be limited, and that it should be reused only by the same wearer. It must keep its fit and function. This is workplace advice under a workplace programme, not a recommendation to wash or recycle respirators at home.

The short version

Wash cloth masks at least daily and whenever they are wet or dirty, in soap or detergent, with hot water if possible. Store them dry in a breathable bag, and bag them sealed if wet. Do not wash disposable masks or N95 respirators. When a cloth mask no longer fits snugly or is worn out, replace it.