Editor’s note: This article was published on April 28, 2020. COVID-19 information and recommendations are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website or view our most recent COVID-19 blog posts.
Cloth masks have become a new fashion statement in 2020, as more and more people are creating homemade masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But, the benefit is not just uniquely-designed masks.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing a cloth mask in public when around people outside of their household, especially where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain like grocery stores, clinics and pharmacies.
CDC recommends wearing a cloth mask covering when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Benefits of a cloth mask
CDC advises the use of simple cloth face coverings, like a cloth mask, to help stop transmission of the virus by people who may have the virus and may not know it. Covering your nose and mouth keeps your germs to yourself. Because symptoms of COVID-19 may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus, according to CDC, wearing a cloth mask is a way to prevent the spread.
Wearing a cloth mask doesn’t guarantee that you won’t get sick because viruses can be transmitted through your eyes or by tiny viral particles. However, cloth masks are effective at capturing respiratory droplets, which is the main transmission route of COVID-19.
Cloth masks are more effective when you practice social distancing. If you are not feeling well or have symptoms of COVID-19, use Marshfield Clinic Health System online screening tool to check your symptoms before visiting a doctor’s office, urgent care or emergency department.
Wearing your cloth mask
Keep in mind that cloth masks or face coverings are not N95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must be reserved for health care workers, as recommended by CDC. Disposable facemasks are now readily available as another option for protection.
Additionally, cloth masks should not be placed on children under age 2, or on anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
When wearing a cloth mask, it should be placed over your nose and mouth. You also should remember to:
- Cover your mouth with a tissue if you cough or sneeze, even when wearing a mask.
- Wash your hands with soap and water if you touch the outside of your mask.
- Fold your mask to avoid touching the outside when you take it off.
- Store in a paper bag so it can dry out and not contaminate other surfaces.
- Wash your mask as often as you can.
Cleaning your cloth mask
Masks should be washed after each use, Its important to remove your mask correctly, and wash your hands after handling or touching used masks.
Masks can be cleaned either by a washing machine or by hand.
You can even include your masks with your regular laundry. Use regular detergent if using a machine and the warmest appropriate water setting for the material used in the mask.
If washing by hand, you can prepare a bleach solution by mixing 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) of household bleach per gallon of room temperature water. Be sure to verify that your bleach is intended for disinfection — some products that are safe for colored clothing may not be suitable for disinfection of masks. Soak the mask for 5 minutes in the diluted bleach solution, and rinse thoroughly with cool or room temperate water.
Be sure to completely dry your mask after washing. To dry masks, they can be placed in the dryer on the highest heat setting until completely dry, OR can be laid flat and allowed to air dry, if possible place the mask in direct sunlight.
Cloth masks should be thrown away if they are damaged or hard to breathe through.
Cloth masks are not considered biohazardous waste, so these can be washed in a normal washing machine or thrown away in a normal garbage can. In order for an infectious material to be considered biohazardous waste, it must be pourable, drippable, squeezable or flakeable.
Disposable facemasks are different than cloth masks. For more information, click here.
Masking guidelines
Download the handy chart below to make sure you follow the Do’s and Don’ts of wearing a mask.
Download PDFVisiting a Marshfield Clinic Health System facility
Patients and visitors are required to wear a mask when in one of our facilities. If you have a mask, please wear it to your appointment. If you do not have a mask, you will be given one at the entrance.
Learn more about how we are keeping patients safe by clicking here.
Additional Resources
Effectiveness of Cloth Masks for Protection Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
COVID-19 masks: The truth about oxygen and CO2
Glasses and masks: Tips for wearing both and being comfortable
Hearing aids and masks: Maintain your hearing and health
About The Team
Wellness Team
Our team wants you to be in the best health you can be. We’ll provide you with ideas for healthy living and ways to maintain balance, stay fit and take care of you and your family.
I agree with you
Why even have the "comments" option available? It only invites the anti-science yahoo's a soapbox. So very, very tired of ignorance and selfishness of these morons.
This mask thing is ridiculous, and clearly far too many people have been unnecessarily freaked out and are literally being scared to death by the imagined threat of someone (who is not sick) not wearing a mask in their presence.
I will be deferring all non-emergency medical services and treatments until such time as masks are no longer mandatory for clinic patients, visitors, and staff.
Good. Staying home is better to not spread this, even if you feel healthy. It's selfish to not wear a mask, as well as childish, if you don't have a medical reason not to. I hope your choice to risk your health doesn't put anyone you or I care about at risk because you couldn't be a team player when the world needed it most.
While there is value for an actively sick person to slow (not stop) spread of disease by wearing a mask, there is miniscule to no value for a healthy person to do so – and there are dangers and health hazards to the wearing of masks themselves. Even the WHO has admitted that asymptomatic spread is not a significant spread vector, and masks ultimately may slow but will not stop something as small as a virus. Then there is the matter of proper mask type, proper mask fitting and the proper handling of the mask and changes in between contacts to prevent cross-contamination. It's really more of a visual feel-good propaganda exercise for the general public IMO, and you might as well be carrying around a chicken feather in your left hand with the confidence that it will ward off virus's as 99% of mask wearing by the general public will do you.
Are you forgetting that the people that are NOT sick can be carriers of the virus?
My husband was shocked that everyone did not have to wear a mask inside Marshfield Clinic when he went to an appointment recently. Aspirus Clinics and Hospitals require a mask to enter and Marshfield should do the same! We choose to wear masks when we go in anywhere but it was shocking that day when I picked him up from his appointment and he told me that others were not wearing masks inside the clinic!!!! That is outrageous in a Health Care Facility! I went to Menards while he was at his appointment and at Menards you are required to wear a mask (which I agree with), but at Marshfield Clinic it is not a requirement??????
Hello Joyce,
We are so sorry to hear about the experience you had at our clinic. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
If you would like to discuss this more, I can connect you with our patient experience team. I would just need your phone number which you could email to shine365@marshfieldclinic.org securely if you would like. They would then reach out to you learn more and take additional steps.
The safety of our patients is at the forefront of every decision we make. We do have a masking policy that requires patients and staff to wear a mask when inside our facilities. Please know that we are taking this seriously and will look into this. If you would like to learn more about the measures we are taking to keep our patients safe, including our masking policy, you can click here: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/patient-resources/covid-19-patient-safety/
Thanks,
Jake
I was at the Marshfield Clinic in Mosinee and also the one in Wausau recently, and everyone had to wear a mask and have their temperature taken and use hand sanitizer upon entering. All staff were also masked. I’m sure those standards apply to all their facilities.
We were at the Minocqua Marshfield Clinic site on 7/30. Everything seemed to be going well until my husband had to wait for an appointment on the second floor. There was a woman coughing and sneezing up a storm BUT she did have a mask on…for awhile. She then took her mask off so she could eat some snacks. No washing of the hands needed after grabbing her mask off or any other care taken. My husband never commented to her and I was not on that floor at the time. Maybe you people should have an employee stroll around the waiting areas to make sure everyone actually is compliant. I know I sound like I take this really serious and at my age I had better. The entire family across my street all tested positive BUT they never appeared to be listening to any rules to keep everyone safe.
I'm glad to see a clearly explained use of masks page (to download), since so many people mistakenly believe wearing a mask is the "only way" to prevent the spread of covid-19. I believe people should be made aware and reminded that washing your hands thoroughly and covering your sneeze or cough and avoiding crowds are the most important things you can do to prevent the spread. I've watched hundreds of people over the past couple of months not wearing masks properly and not taking them off by the ears. If people aren't taught to do it correctly, what is the point? It doesn't protect anyone. And hand sanitizer is only a temporary measure when you can't immediately wash your hands, yet I've observed many people using it incorrectly and believing they are protected and/or preventing the spread. How can you educate people who don't want to be educated?
Hi Rebecca,
We're glad to hear that you found this article helpful – thank you for reading Shine365!
Our patients' safety is always at the top our minds. If you'd like to learn more about the various steps we are taking to keep our patients safe, you can click here: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/patient-resources/covid-19-patient-safety. We have also posted numerous blog posts on COVID-19, covering the latest information and steps that people can take to stay safe. You can click here if you would like to read more of these articles: https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/?s=coronavirus
Thanks,
Jake
My family has gone to the main clinic in Marshfield since April 18, and each time we were told (at the entrance) that we didn't have to wear a face mask. We chose to be safer and wore one. There were some staff that were not wearing masks and many patients, also. In the newsletter above, it states masks are required at MCHS. Why is this not being enforced? Very troubling.
Hi Robin,
We are so sorry to hear about your recent experience at our clinic. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Please know that we are taking this seriously and will continue to take steps to ensure safety remains top of mind. Here is a link that includes more information: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/patient-resources/covid-19-patient-safety. We do have a masking policy for our employees that requires them to wear a mask inside our facilities. We will look into this.
Thanks,
Jake
There needs to be better information on what a mask is. How big should it be, length and width? What should it be made of? How many layers of cotton/ flannel? Are disposable masks with string ties, like the ones the clinic used to distribute at the door (yellow) more or less effective than a single layer cotton mask? It should be stressed to wear the mask over the nose too. Even on TV, some people just cover their mouth. I have found, putting on the mask, then my glasses, reduces fogging up my eye glass lenses.
Hi Sara,
Thank you for your feedback.
We do have additional resources about cloth masks that you may find helpful.
We have blog posts with tips for wearing Hearing aids and masks (https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/wellness/hearing-aids-and-masks/) and Glasses and masks (https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/wellness/glasses-and-masks-tips-for-wearing-both/)
There also is blog post on PPE need during COVID-19: https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/wellness/ppe-covid-19-primer/
We also have a web page that includes information on how to build your own sewn masks and what materials you can use: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/giving
Thanks and I hope those resources help,
Jake
Great info on masks thanks. Have an appointment on june 3 at east clinic we wear masks
Hi Lillian,
We're glad to hear that you found this information helpful!
Thanks,
Jake
We visited the EC Marshfield Clinic on Monday morning. We were worried about coming for our appointment because my husband is on a medication that weakens his immune system. We had our temperature taken at the entry and of course we had our masks on. We waited in line on the marked out x’s 6 feet apart for social distancing. While in line a staff member without a mask walked in along side of us and he turned in front of my husband less then 2 feet away. After that a lady did the same thing without a mask on. She went behind the plexi glass and set her back pack down. I asked the lady who was checking in my husband if they are not requiring masks she told me yes it’s monitory but I told her that lady doesn’t have a mask on and she walked right past us. She told me yes she should worn her mask. I said if I would have known this we wouldn’t have come into the clinic today. As we sat down to wait we seen others coming into work without masks on. Why aren’t the staff wearing masks as they come into the clinic? This really has bothered me. Maybe this virus isn’t such a threat after all?
Hi Kris,
We are so sorry to hear about your recent experience at our clinic. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have notified the appropriate team.
If you would like to discuss this more, I can connect you with our patient experience team. I would just need your phone number.
We do have a masking policy for our employees that does require them to wear a mask inside our facilities. We are committed to providing a safe environment for both patients and staff. Please know that we are taking this seriously and will continue to take steps to ensure safety remains top of mind.
Thanks,
Jake
Thank You
Hi Jeni,
You're welcome and we're glad you found this information helpful.
Hope you stay safe and healthy,
Jake
Great information, thanks!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for reading Shine365! We're so glad to hear you found this article helpful.
-Jake
Are you forgetting that the people that are NOT sick can be carriers of the virus?
Why can I NOT reply to other people's concerns/experiences? I only have one chance as you can see here because I already replied once and now a second time and both of my responses are in the same body of text.