USA TODAY US Edition

If you have a homemade cloth mask:

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To clean your mask, run it through the washing machine and dryer after use. The water doesn't necessaril­y needs to be hot but make sure to use a laundry detergent. If you don’t have access to a washing machine, you can hand-wash using soap.

When you are wearing a homemade mask, you are not wearing the mask to protect yourself, but to minimize the spread of virus particles to others. Homemade masks are less effective at protecting the wearer because most have voids, or spaces near your nose and cheeks where the tiny droplets can be inhaled, and the pores in the fabric alone are generally not small enough to trap tiny aerosolize­d droplets.

Some materials make better masks than than others. According to a study published in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedne­ss, homemade masks made from a kitchen towel proved to be the most effective at removing particles.

On the other hand, T-shirts or pillowcase­s may be the best choice as they can provide a better fit by stretching.

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