Spraying hand sanitizer or hand sanitizer on the mask with the aim of making it more hygienic, is actually dangerous for the mask wearer.
Based on the results of a study by scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Australia, exposure to alcohol-based hand sanitizers actually reduces the effectiveness of masks.
The habit of spraying masks with hand sanitizer is usually due to the limited supply of masks and the thought of reusing them instead of buying new ones. To prolong the service life, people spray hand sanitizer on the surface of the used mask.
"Disposable respirator masks were able to maintain their effectiveness after four hours of continuous exposure to rubbing alcohol vapor or one direct cleaning spray. But further exposure has the potential for more serious degradation," the researchers said as quoted by 9News, Friday (25/2/). 2022).
In addition, exposing the mask to high concentrations of alcohol vapor also makes the mask no longer offer protection from harmful particles and viruses in the air.
The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, is believed to be the first in the world to investigate the impact of vapors from alcohol-based hand sanitizers and cleaning solutions on the performance of KN95 and P2 masks.
"Disposable face masks will continue to be a part of many of our lives as they provide us with defense against COVID-19, its variants and any future pathogens, but we have heard stories of people trying to extend the life of masks by cleaning them, " said lead author and CSIRO researcher Dr Jurg Schutz.
"We started thinking about the types of products that more people are using during the pandemic, such as alcohol-based hand sanitizers and cleaning solutions, and realized that this could affect the electrostatic properties of face masks."
He explained that this mask relies on electrostatic charges that attract particles and trap them like sticky spider webs. But we also know that this charge can be destroyed by very concentrated alcohol vapor.
The researchers found that masks worked well in three common scenarios used to prevent the spread of COVID-19: using hand sanitizer when wearing a mask, cleaning tables while wearing a mask, and spraying the mask with hand sanitizer or alcohol-based cologne once.
However, they also found that spraying hand sanitizer on the mask more than once was actually dangerous because it made the mask no longer protect the wearer.
Prolonged exposure of the mask to highly concentrated vapors by sealing it in a container with an alcohol-based sanitizing solution, for example to clean a disposable mask before a second use, will completely destroy its function.