Reusable cloth mask - Government releases video on how to wash it

Recently NHK News On-line reported the following:

繰り返し使える布製マスク 政府が洗い方の動画を公開

2020年3月20日 10時00分

新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大の影響でマスクの品薄な状況が続く中、政府は、洗って繰り返し使える布製のマスクを介護施設などに配布することにしていて、衛生的に使い続けられるよう、布製のマスクの洗い方を紹介する動画を公開しました。

厚生労働省と経済産業省は、ガーゼなどでできた布製のマスクを繰り返し使うには１日１回洗うことを勧めています。

動画サイトのユーチューブで公開している動画では、衣料用の洗剤を入れた水に10分間マスクを浸したあと、繊維を傷めないようもみ洗いではなく軽く押し洗いをするよう勧めています。

汚れが気になる場合は塩素系の漂白剤を入れた水にマスクを浸してから水ですすぎ乾燥機は使わずに陰干しするとよいとしています。

ただ、洗うたびにマスクの性能が落ちる可能性があるとして、政府は、傷みの程度などをみて適切に取り替えてほしいとしています。

政府は、布製のマスク2150万枚を一括して買い上げ、全国の介護施設や保育所などに１人に１枚行き渡るよう、今月下旬から来月上旬にかけて、順次、配布します。

一方、使い捨てのタイプは、メーカーが大幅な増産に乗り出すなかでも需要が供給を大幅に上回り、品薄の状況がしばらく続くとみられることから政府は、布製のマスクを有効に活用してほしいとしています。

Translation

As masks continued to be scarce due to the spread of the new coronavirus, the government had decided to distribute to nursing homes and other facilities cloth masks that could be washed and used repeatedly. A video was released to introduce how to wash the cloth mask so that it could be hygienically used in a continuous manner.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare together with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry recommended that, in order to use it repeatedly, a cloth mask made of gauze should be washed once a day.

In the video released on YouTube on a video site, it was recommended to soak the mask in water containing clothing detergent for 10 minutes, and then to do a light washing instead of rubbing it hard so as to avoid damaging the fibers.

If dirt was a concern, soaked the mask in water containing chlorine-based bleach, rinsed it with water and dried it in the shade without using a dryer.

However, the government said that the performance of the mask might deteriorate every time when it was washed, and that the government wanted it to be replaced appropriately depending on the degree of damage.

The government would purchase 21.5 million pieces of cloth masks in bulk and distribute them starting from the second half of this month to the beginning of next month to nursing homes and daycare centers nationwide so that each person could receive one.

On the other hand, for the disposable type, the demand for the disposable type had significantly exceeded supply even as the manufacturers started to increase the production substantially. As the shortage of goods was expected to continue for a while, the government wanted the effective use of cloth masks.

              It is good news that reusable masks will be produced soon in Japan. I always believe that wearing masks could help slow down the spreading of COVID-19.