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If you are using a cloth reusable face mask this might be of interest:

 You wash your hands more than you wash your face mask—and new research shows maybe that's not such a good thing. "A new report from an Italian health authority explains that SARS-CoV-2"—that's the coronavirus—"can survive on the interior of face masks for as long as 4 days, which is an important reminder that masks have to be handled with care, especially if you're handling them for a loved one who is infected," 

Yes, you read that right: 4 days on the interior.

"The ISS says that SARS-CoV-2 particles have been detected on the interior side of the mask as long as 4 days after a mask was worn, and up to 7 days on the exterior," continues the website, quoting a report from HuffPost Italy. "A separate study a few weeks ago also explained that the novel coronavirus can survive up to 7 days on the surface of face masks."

Although the CDC recently said the transmission of COVID-19 on surfaces is unlikely, the agency added that there was still more research to do and urged you to clean surfaces you touch—including your mask—to protect yourself and others from catching the virus.

How to Clean Your Face Mask

The CDC offers comprehensive advice about how to keep your face mask germ free:

"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.

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13 minutes ago, mudgirl said:

If soap and water kills the virus on your hands, it doesn't make sense that it woudn't kill it on a mask. I don't understand why you'd need to use bleach.

I do not understand either. Soap and water and sun kill the virus. Wash in soap and hot water, then hang in the sun. I see no reason to use bleach. I keep seeing articles that make things more complicated (and scary) than they need to be.

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22 minutes ago, RVGRINGO said:

Soap does not "kill" a virus, which is not a living thing. It simply removes it, and it goes down the drain.

I"m wondering where you heard that.  My understanding is that 'soap' attacks the outer 'protective shell' of/on the virus and it cannot survive. 

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4 minutes ago, RickS said:

I"m wondering where you heard that.  My understanding is that 'soap' attacks the outer 'protective shell' of/on the virus and it cannot survive. 

Yes, but that does not mean that a virus is a living thing, in a biological sense.  Soaps and detergents are 'wetting agents', which do as you suggest, mechanically, and can render the virus rather harmless, by removing the structures which attach to the host's cell..

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2 hours ago, RVGRINGO said:

Yes, but that does not mean that a virus is a living thing, in a biological sense.  Soaps and detergents are 'wetting agents', which do as you suggest, mechanically, and can render the virus rather harmless, by removing the structures which attach to the host's cell..

Okay, fine. The point remains that soap, water, and sunshine deal with (better?) virus. So why must masks be washed in bleach when hands are not?

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15 minutes ago, Xena said:

Okay, fine. The point remains that soap, water, and sunshine deal with (better?) virus. So why must masks be washed in bleach when hands are not?

Since the recommendation is from the Centers for Disease Control maybe your question is answered on their website. 

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6 hours ago, Mostlylost said:

If you are using a cloth reusable face mask this might be of interest:

 You wash your hands more than you wash your face mask—and new research shows maybe that's not such a good thing. "A new report from an Italian health authority explains that SARS-CoV-2"—that's the coronavirus—"can survive on the interior of face masks for as long as 4 days, which is an important reminder that masks have to be handled with care, especially if you're handling them for a loved one who is infected," 

Yes, you read that right: 4 days on the interior.

"The ISS says that SARS-CoV-2 particles have been detected on the interior side of the mask as long as 4 days after a mask was worn, and up to 7 days on the exterior," continues the website, quoting a report from HuffPost Italy. "A separate study a few weeks ago also explained that the novel coronavirus can survive up to 7 days on the surface of face masks."

Although the CDC recently said the transmission of COVID-19 on surfaces is unlikely, the agency added that there was still more research to do and urged you to clean surfaces you touch—including your mask—to protect yourself and others from catching the virus.

How to Clean Your Face Mask

The CDC offers comprehensive advice about how to keep your face mask germ free:

"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.

Since your OP carried the  recommendation, I wrongly assumed you got the information from the CDC  and might know. I’m not looking it up because I have no intention of bleaching my masks. Perhaps someone who read your OP and intends to follow the recommendation might want to know the reasoning behind it. 

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"Nobody knows nuthin": Yogi Berra...sage, world class philosopher, psychic, 20 year All Star baseball catcher and many year successful NY Yankee manager. RIP Yogi..and thank you for your wisdom! I would give anything to hear your thoughts on this situation. 

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5 hours ago, RickS said:

I"m wondering where you heard that.  My understanding is that 'soap' attacks the outer 'protective shell' of/on the virus and it cannot survive. 

From the New York Times science section (link below):  The soap dissolves the oily membrane of the virus.  This is the layer that, when combining with the oily membrane of a cell, allows the virus to work its way inside a cell. Once there, it releases its RNA coding and away we go.  It is not that the soap "attacks" a virus so that the virus does not survive.  It is, indeed, not alive.  It is simply rendered unfunctional.  Here is a great but simple explanation of how Covid-19 works:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/11/science/how-coronavirus-hijacks-your-cells.html?auth=login-google1tap&login=google1tap

This is a later understanding of how covid works with the cell`s structure, from MIT:

https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/04/15/999476/explainer-how-does-the-coronavirus-work/

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4 minutes ago, bdmowers said:

The soap dissolves the outer mucousy layer of the virus.  This is the layer that, when combining with the mucousy layer of a cell, allows the virus to work its way inside a cell. Once there, it releases its RNA coding and away we go.  It is not that the soap "attacks" a virus so that the virus does not survive.  It is, indeed, not alive.  It is simply rendered unfunctional.

Yogi...where are you when we need you??? This is insane!!!! I hope that this is a parody...if so it is good! 

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11 minutes ago, gringohombre said:

Yogi...where are you when we need you??? This is insane!!!! I hope that this is a parody...if so it is good! 

It is called science.  Do you recognize the word?  S - C- I- E -N- C- E.  Look it up, you may find it illuminating.  Or not.  Sadly, by your posts, I would guess most likely not.  Or, of course, you may be one of the most decidedly not illuminated folk who is trying to claw their way back to a time before science.  Good luck with that.  Once out of the box and all that.

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32 minutes ago, Ian Greenwood said:

There is no one as blind as the person who doesn’t want to see....

Yes, I can see extremely well (I recently had successful cataract surgery by Dr. Claudia, but that is another story). Have you read this thread? It is hilarious!!! Yes there is a serious situation going on, but surely (don't call me Shirley) you can see the humour?  

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That study is over six weeks old, and a million things have happened since then. Not the least of which are the many scientific reports showing that the virus RNA may still be there on various surfaces, but completely innefective. Perhaps even more to the point, the study did not look at whether the traces of the virus on the face mask could even be infectious.

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