Product Description

Additional Keywords: COVID-19 FACE MASK WASHABLE COTTON

Additional Technical Information

Notes about the cloth mask from the Centers for Disease Control, CDC:

About Cloth Face Coverings

A cloth face covering may not protect the wearer, but it may keep the wearer from spreading the virus to others.

COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Studies and evidence on infection control report that these droplets usually travel around 6 feet (about two arms lengths).

Wear Cloth Face Coverings

Wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations.

• Cloth face coverings may slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.
• Cloth face coverings can be made from household items.

Prevent Spread by Those Without Symptoms

While people who are sick or know that they have COVID-19 should isolate at home, COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected.   That’s why it’s important for everyone to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people) and wear cloth face coverings in public settings. Cloth face coverings provide an extra layer to help prevent the respiratory droplets from traveling in the air and onto other people.

Who should wear 

- People older than 2 years of age in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain

Who should not wear

- Children under age 2

- Anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance

How to Wear Cloth Face Coverings

Cloth face coverings are an additional step to help slow the spread of COVID-19 when combined with every day preventive actions  and social distancing  in public settings.

• Who should NOT use cloth face coverings: children under age 2, or anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance
• Cloth face coverings are NOT surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Surgical masks and N-95 respirators must be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended in CDC guidance.

Wear your Face Covering Correctly

• Wash your hands before putting on your face covering
• Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin
• Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face
• Make sure you can breathe easily

Use the Face Covering to Protect Others

• Wear a face covering to help protect others in case you’re infected but don’t have symptoms
• Keep the covering on your face the entire time you’re in public
• Don’t put the covering around your neck or up on your forehead
• Don’t touch the face covering, and, if you do, wash your hands

Follow Everyday Health Habits

• Stay at least 6 feet away from others
• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Wash your hands often, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds each time
• Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available

Take Off Your Cloth Face Covering Carefully, When You’re Home

• Untie the strings behind your head or stretch the ear loops
• Handle only by the ear loops or ties
• Fold outside corners together
• Place covering in the washing machine (learn more about how to wash cloth face coverings)
• Be careful not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth when removing and wash hands immediately after removing.

How to Wash Cloth Face Coverings

Cloth face coverings are an additional step to help slow the spread of COVID-19 when combined with every day preventive actions and social distancing in public settings.

Cloth face coverings should be washed after each use. It is important to always remove face coverings correctly and wash your hands after handling or touching a used face covering.

How to clean

Washing machine

• You can include your face covering with your regular laundry.
• Use regular laundry detergent and the warmest appropriate water setting for the cloth used to make the face covering.

Washing by hand

• Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
  • 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) household bleach per gallon of room temperature water or
  • 4 teaspoons household bleach per quart of room temperature water

• Check the label to see if your bleach is intended for disinfection. Some bleach products, such as those designed for safe use on colored clothing, may not be suitable for disinfection. Ensure the bleach product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.
• Soak the face covering in the bleach solution for 5 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly with cool or room temperature water.

Make sure to completely dry cloth face covering after washing

How to dry

Dryer

• Use the highest heat setting and leave in the dryer until completely dry.

Air dry

• Lay flat and allow to completely dry. If possible, place the cloth face covering in direct sunlight.

Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission

CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States.  We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.  This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.  In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies)  especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus.  CDC is additionally advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.