Washable Cloth Masks Effective In Filtering Viral Particles Even After A Year Of Use

Reusable cloth masks maintain their ability to filter out viral particles, even after multiple washes over a year-long period.

Reuters

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This is according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder. To test out the efficacy of reusable face masks after multiple washes, they created double-layered squares of cotton, put them through repeated washing and drying (around 52 times signifying them being washed once a week for a whole year) and testing them every seven cleaning cycles.

The masks weren¡¯t really tested on humans but were attached to the end of a steel funnel through which researchers released a constant flow of air and airborne particles. They tested the fabrics using almost realistic conditions including higher humidity levels and temperatures to simulate the impact on the mask from human breath.

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Marina Vance

Even though researchers saw the cotton fibres falling apart over time after repeated washing and drying, researchers saw that they didn¡¯t affect the filtering ability significantly.

Lead author Marina Vance, assistant professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering explained, ¡°It's good news for sustainability. That cotton mask that you have been washing, drying and reusing? It's probably still fine¡ªdon't throw it away."

The major noticeable change was that the inhalation resistance had gotten higher indicating that it became a little difficult to breathe for the wearer.

It is important to note that the testing was done using a ¡®perfect fit¡¯ in the laboratory. Basically, there were no gaps between the mask material and the person¡¯s face, resulting in a snug fit.

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Cloth + surgical mask still better

Researchers further tested on kinds of face masks and their effectiveness and found that a cloth face mask filtered out around 23 percent of the smallest particle size at around 0.3 microns on which the virus can travel. Bandanas were poorer at this filtration with just 9 percent success.

On the other hand, surgical masks managed to filter 42 to 88 percent of tiny masks, and cotton masks on top of surgical masks reached around 40 percent of filtration efficiency. The best performance was by KN95 and N95 masks with filtration of 83 to 99 percent of the aforementioned particles.

Vance added, ¡°I think the best mask might be the one that you're actually going to wear, and that is going to fit snugly against your face without being too uncomfortable."

Have you been using a washable cloth mask all through the pandemic? How was your experience with non-surgical or non-N95 face masks? Let us know in the comments section below, and keep reading Indiatimes.com for the latest science and technology news and updates.