You'd think we'd all be experts at wearing face masks by now. But here are five mistakes you might still be making . . .
1. Using the wrong material. The best reusable face masks are made of breathable fibers with tight weaves, like lightweight denim or cotton bedsheets. A thread count around 100 is ideal. If you can see through it when you hold it to the light, it's too thin.
2. Putting your mask on too late. Ideally, you should put it on before you leave the house, or at least before you get out of the car. If you wait until you're walking into a store, you might be exposing yourself to the virus without knowing it.
3. Taking it off too early. For the same reason, you should leave it on until you get in your car, or until you get home.
4. Accidentally contaminating it. Touching your mask to adjust it, or even just wearing it around your neck could contaminate it.
5. Never washing it. Cloth masks should be washed after every use on the hottest setting possible. Or if you only wear it once in a while, you can let it sit in a bag for a week to make sure any virus on it dies off.
(Reader's Digest) Image (c) 2020 Getty Images