My Fave Way to Organize Face Masks – Because “Where’s Your Mask?” is the New Question.
Have face masks floating around everywhere in the house and/or car?
Face masks are now apart of daily life due to the coronavirus pandemic, and I have a growing collection of reusable face masks at home for myself, husband, and two kids. I noticed right away that my family was not being very efficient with storing them, and we were constantly looking for them in the car, in my purse, or pockets.
Today I’m sharing my new system for organizing face masks, and other helpful tips in case you can relate to this struggle!
“Where’s your mask?” has become the new “Where are your shoes?”
In general, we all have a few nice reusable cotton masks, and then I keep a pack of disposable face masks in the car in case someone accidentally forgets theirs. It only took a few times driving back home for me to figure out we need a better system in place for mask-wearing.
I purchased this pretty expandable coat rack for my laundry room to hang clean masks!
This new system in our laundry room of placing dirty masks in a separate bin and hanging them up once clean on my new ORLY rack from Amazon is working out much better for us! I placed it vertically next to the dryer, as that’s where it fits best, and I love how beautiful it looks in this small space, and also how functional it is.
Now that my family is on board with this mask organizing system, I’m not searching for masks last minute, and they are all clean and organized in one convenient spot in my laundry room next to the garage where we come and go.
I definitely appreciate small things like this that can make life a little easier!
Tips for washing reusable face masks:
- Ideally, reusable face masks should be washed after each use, according to the CDC guidelines. This can be done in the washing machine using hot water and laundry detergent, and you can either dry in the dryer or hang dry.
- Try to only touch the elastic part of the mask when removing it from your face to avoid bacteria that could be on a dirty mask.
- According to HopkinsMedicine.org, you can wash face masks by hand. They recommend scrubbing them for at least 20 seconds using hot soapy water and then using a hot clothes dryer to dry.
- Consider washing face masks together in a small mesh laundry bag for delicates so they don’t get lost among other larger items, and stay together.
- The blue disposable masks should not be laundered and instead thrown away.
Want to save on your mask storage? Here are 3 brilliant Dollar Tree options for organizing clean face masks!
1.) Over the Door Hooks
I do love my storage idea, however, above is a genius $1 hanging rack that fits behind the door as another more frugal option I spotted in-store at Dollar Tree.
2.) Belt & Tie Hanger
My smart sidekick Jen showed us how to hang up clean masks using a belt & tie hanger she found at Dollar Tree in this post! I think that is so clever and space-saving too.
3.) Large Suction Hooks
Dollar tree also has a great selection of individual hooks like these suction style hooks, as well as smaller ones similar to Command hooks.
Here’s a fun idea below if you want to get crafty and make a personalized mask hanging station using a vinyl cutting machine such as a Cricut!
This adorable option above is actually available for sale via Etsy.com in case you’d like to buy one instead! I think it’s creative and also functional at the same time!
Curious how other Hip2Save readers organize and store their masks?
Check out this entire thread of clever tips from our Facebook group!
Here are some of my favorite mask organizing tips readers have shared:
“I put our masks in baggies, individually by the persons name, in a container on the counter. Then each person also has one that stays in my car in a larger Ziploc bag. This is our “normal” but if a kid or someone needs to go without me, they just grab their bag and off they go.” -Stephanie
“We have a grab and go clean mask hanging station by the door, and repurposed an old Tide Pods container for the used ones as you come in to be washed.” – Amberly
“We use these mesh bags from Amazon, and each person gets a color. The zipper part has a tab that can be used to hang on hooks for storage.” – Christen
“I bought travel soap containers and can fit three in each. I have one in my backpack, purse and my kids have one in their backpacks for school.” –Stacy
“Dollar tree has those pencil cases with zippers and empty makeup bags work great if you want to put a mini sanitizer, a face mask, and a pair of gloves in there. I basically have little sandwich baggies all set-up for each family member for road trips or outings.” – Sara
On a personal note:
However you choose to organize masks, I hope everyone is staying healthy and positive during this unusual time. I also hope these tips are helpful in a small way!
Here are our picks for the 7 BEST reusable face masks for kids!
Great post! I’m trying so hard to ward off the “sock gnomes” who may be discontent with socks and invade the new mask world! This helps!
Yes lol I know exactly what you mean! 😀
Super cute ideas! I just wanted to let someone know in case they hadn’t seen it… that there was a recent study done that showed neck gaiters are not effective in stopping transmissions, and may actually be worse than no face covering at all. Stay safe out there!
Link to article: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/11/study-bandanas-and-neck-gaiters-not-effective-as-surgical-face-masks.html
Link to study: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/08/07/sciadv.abd3083
I would imagine that people touching their mask to adjust it all day and then touching every other surface would also be worse than no mask….
Thanks Sarah!
I saw that study and just wanted to add the why part: they stated the gaiter actually broke up larger particles into smaller ones, which hang in the air longer-that is what made it worse than no mask at all.
Thanks Stephanie!
Yes I saw this article too Sarah.
My husband had been wearing a neck gaiter but once he read the article, he said “no more”!
All the articles I saw talked about the neck gaiter that was tested was made out of fleece so I wonder how other types of material would work.
Great post as always, Lina. I was just thinking of where to put a similar vintage rack I have for masks! LOVE your embroidered mask! Where is it from? Also I just saw an article yesterday about the neck gaitors and our school is not allowing students to wear them.
“The high droplet count could be linked to the neck gaiter’s porous fabric breaking up bigger particles into many little ones that are more likely to hang around in the air longer”
https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/08/11/neck-gaiter-coronavirus
Thanks Maria! Yes, saw that too and we’ve already switched away from those.
The embroidered ones are handmade in Mexico. They can be found in Mexican goods shops or check the online shop Lolo Mercadito is where I bought mine.
Thanks for this- these are gorgeous and I love supporting small merchants.
So much love for Mexican culture. Thank you, I’ve been looking for a store like this!
Oh good. Yes my grandfather was from Oaxaca and that’s the design mask I am wearing 🥰🇲🇽 I was excited to find them too.
Thank you!! Getting one for all the ladies in my family!
Reused a glass jar and put them all in there. I like having them in a container because it keeps them clean and free of dust or falling on the floor.
I just boil mine in a pot of water for 3-5 minutes, then hang them by the window to dry!
Thanks for sharing Toni!
Great ideas! I have magnetic hooks on the side of the refrigerator by the back door. We each have our own hook and grab a new clean mask as we leave. Glad you are taking this seriously. 😷
Oh that’s a great idea too on the magnetic hooks! Thanks for sharing.
Humm, soon to come, designer labels and monthly auto ship?
Lol! Was thinking the same! Instagram be like: Sporting my Hermes Mask, LV mask etc. 😆
Exactly
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If you can get your hands on it Lysol Laundry Sanitizer kills the bad stuff. It is very valuable if you work in health care, warehouse, retail or live with the elderly or immune compromised.
Thanks for sharing!
Gotta wonder how we’ve survived with soap and water for this long 😉
Lysol site says it kills 99.9 % bacteria, nothing about viruses.
A Star Hip2Saver is a recognized member of our Hip2Save community hand selected by our team for demonstrating a long history of engagement with helpful & friendly comments across Hip2Save.com and our social channels. Our Star Hip2Saver badge acts as a verification for readers who know the ins and outs of all Hip2Save sets out to accomplish — assisting our community to live extraordinary lives on ordinary budgets. Readers cannot pay or provide any sort of exchange in order to earn this badge. Rather, they are invited to participate by a member of the Hip2Save team and opt to have the Star Hip2Saver badge added to their profile & comments.
The EPA reg number is 777-128. You can easily verify whether a product is rated to kill the corona virus by checking the EPA N list on line. The following is directly from the product label: Kills Influenza A virus (H3N2), Human Corona virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in pre-soak
I hope that helps.
Lysol products are full of chemicals and horrible for your lungs and respiratory system!
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I also use CleanWell and Benedict products. Everyone makes decisions for their own families based on their own research and situations. I do think it is worth pointing out that I think you mean synthetic chemicals because literally everything is a chemical. Air, water, food, plants, our human bodies are composed of chemicals and can be broken down by chemical composition. We all do the best we can in our individual lives as we make our individual choices. For me I use a mix of standard Lysol products and botanical products for the next person it is something else.
We’re using the Dollar Tree belt/tie hanger. Love it. Got them for my kids’ families too
Nice! Thanks for sharing!
As soon as we wash our masks they go into individual zip bags that are stored in the car so we always have clean ones on hand. I also purchased lanyards for my children so when they go to lunch at school amd remove their masks they are not putting their masks down on the cafateria table.
Lanyard idea is good for work too. I always have to walk back to my desk after I have forgotten it.
Oh great idea!
i Keep mine individually in sandwich bags and have 2-3 of them in an ipsy bag. I keep extra in my bag in case they get yucky or I forget to grab one. Then I put the dirty in the ziplock sandwich bag.
Normal means it’s going to stay… I hope no one hopes that masks become normal in the long term because that would be very very sad 🙁 hopefully by this time next year no one will be able to find their mask because we don’t use them anymore. That should be what everyone is hoping
Well said!
These are good tips to make dealing with a temporary problem easier. The Etsy sign is cute but a little much (in my opinion) unless the wording is easy to change out or the buyers have more disposable income than I do. 🙂
I will probably be getting one of the scarf/belt hangers for my daughter now that she’s going back to school in a couple week. I’ve been working from home and we don’t go out much so we haven’t needed a system so far.
Absolutely right.
I have a similar set up for hanging clean ones on hooks. For dirty masks I put a command hook up in the laundry room and hung a mesh laundry bag from it. Everyone throws their dirty masks in the laundry bag and then I just toss the whole bag in the wash.
That’s a great idea to keep them all together! THANKS Kelly.
I must own 20 or so,I made some and my clients made some they are reversible. It’s important to wash daily.I’m a hairstylist and of course I match them to all my beautiful clothes.My eyes have become my best feature,I really enhance them wildly with colors I wouldn’t play with before,if I must wear them I might as well be fashionable. 💜💗🧡💛💚💙
I love this! Thanks for sharing Tina <3
I also 💜 this Tina!! My masks I handmade too and I always match the color with whatever I’m wearing. Like you, I have quite a few lol. I’ve always worn bright eyeshadow alot, so now I have a mask to go along with it 😊💚🧡. Thanks for making this comment, now I know I’m not alone with the matching idea.❣
Also – the masks with the valves are a NO GO.
Sorry, face masks are not “normal” people. They may be “required”, but it is not normal for our entire world to be wearing face masks.
This is just an organizing tips post meant to be helpful. Thanks.
Agree!! I own 0 !!
Yay!! I am not the only one with 0 masks!!
I agree too!! Silliness and madness!
Thank you! People just need to wash their hands and take shoes off before entering their house! Masks are useless! Makes me wanna throw up when I see people using public restrooms and NOT wash their hands, but wait they have masks on!
It is when there is a pandemic
Still not wearing masks!! I’m surprised so many people are still buying into this!
nice
I agree!
Masks are useless! What a coincidence that in WA they pretty much forced old experienced Doctors to retire 🙁 in the last few years.
Where are those embroidered mask from the white and the teal with flowers??? I love them!!
Lina got them from here.
Many of us may not need masks, but we still need to store them for backup. How to keep them hygienic is a problem, I bought the VOCUSONU brand mask storage bag on Amazon, do you have any other good suggestions?
(order link if you need: https://www.amazon.com/VOCUSONU-Anti-Pollution-Portable-Organizer-Waterproof/dp/B08CDRXQHJ/ref=sr_1_32?dchild=1&keywords=mask+storage+bag&qid=1600408775&sr=8-32