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Scent free, cotton mask washing soap ideas?

 
r ranson
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I've been handwashing my cloth masks when I come home from the outing but I haven't found a soap I like yet.

Since the mask is next to my face, I find the residue from the soap bothers me either the smell or where it rubs on my skin.  I do rinse the masks many times after the soap wash, but it doesn't make a difference.  

Any suggestions on some scent-free soap that is good for washing masks?

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G Freden
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can you iron it instead, as a disinfecting method?  

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Judith Browning
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I throw them in the washer along with our used muslin alcohol wipes when we get home from town with either a little washing soda or borax in hot water but often times just hot water....lots of agitating and a rinse then hung in the sun.  I hope they are getting clean enough?  

I wonder if a bit of vinegar in your hand wash rinses would help remove soap residue?  I guess I would just leave off the soap all together and use lots of hot water, maybe a little hydrogen peroxide? and as G. Freden said, heat, whether from the dryer, sun or an iron.

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Anne Miller
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I have been washing my clothes in vinegar for at least four years. I rinse them in plain water with no softening stuff. I am happy with the results.  After hanging them in the sun the clothes have a nice fresh scent like line-dried items.

I use 1 cup vinegar to a load.

Acetic acid (aka white vinegar)is a disinfectant.

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r ranson
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Knowing my habits, the best way to get me to wear a mask and keep it clean is to wash it by hand immideatly when I come home.

Laundry is great, but I can't see waiting 2 to 5 weeks for the maks to be cleaned.  

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Have you considered boiling/steaming the cotton mask in water for 5 or so minutes and than hanging it up to dry?

This is how i sterilize my cheese cloth, that i strain my goat milk with everyday.

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r ranson
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I thought about steam and boiling.  I think this would end up being too much work for me and it would drive me to not wanting to wear masks less often.

My theory is that if washing my hands with soap for 20 seconds is enough to get off most of the germs, washing my mask for about a minute (plus rinse time) should be enough to get most of it off, especially if it's dried out completely before the next use.  

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Do you specifically want a "soap" or will a detergent do?  This may sound crazy, but Hubby bought a jug of "power-washer detergent" which he used once and after several years, the plastic bottle sprang a small leak in the bottom so I decided to use it up on little jobs. Since power-washing is done outside, I hoped it wasn't too toxic. The cool thing is that it has *no* smell!!! I guess they figure that people who are power-washing don't care what it smells like? Either way, I have a small squeeze bottle by the laundry sink and that's what I've used to wash my mask and then I try to hang it in the sun to dry as the sun is pretty good at disinfecting things.

I'm with you, r ranson, wash it as soon as I get in and then it will be ready when I need it again, and it also won't contaminate other things while it's dirty!

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Judith Browning
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Laundry is great, but I can't see waiting 2 to 5 weeks for the masks to be cleaned.  



Why wait?  I have a washer at home  and just put them and the muslin wipes in it as soon as I get home and do the small tiny load...I don't wait for a full load of clothes or anything. I figure all of that water helps clean them.  

I use seventh generation unscented dish soap for dish washing...seems like it might work fine for handwashing a mask although it sounds like it's really the rinse that's the problem?

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
"It's all one song!" -Neil Young

 
Anne Miller
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Hand washing with a little vinegar or even handwashing in just plain water would work fine, just hang outside on the line to let the sun do her magic.

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

 
Skandi Rogers
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I would put it in a saucepan and boil it, no soap just as I do with the jelly bag.
 
S Tonin
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According to Consumer Reports, vinegar alone won't destroy coronaviruses, since it doesn't rip apart the outer coating like soap or alcohol does.  Hydrogen peroxide will, so that might be your best bet.  Or, as others have said, a vinegar rinse after washing with soap.  Here's Consumer reports' article on what will and won't destroy the virus: https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/common-household-products-that-can-destroy-novel-coronavirus/
 
Heather Sharpe
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I hear you about the weird feeling residue and/or smells, I've had that issue a few times. We've been using Sappo Hill natural fragrance free bar soap for hand washing the masks and it seems good. Definitely no smells and no residue I notice. I am very sensitive to things like that.

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Joy Oasis
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I make our laundry soap with washing soda, liquid castille soap, and baking soda. For two large commercial detergent bottles I use 1 cup of washing soda, one cup of castile soap, and half cup of baking soda. The rest is water. I used hot to disolve washing soda, then add other ingredients, pour evenly between the containers and add more water to fill up. THat lasts us several months, has no smell, if non scented castille soap is chosen. But if you really want fresh smell, nothing beats laundry dried outside in the breeze.
 
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