Why are there too many and not enough masks in the car at all times? I always try to keep masks ready in case we need them, but I always seem to have the wrong size or not enough.
Organizing masks is a new task for moms and it is just another thing to remember when we are leaving the house.
The key to being organized with your family’s masks is to keep them in the car. This is where you need them! Having a spot for clean and dirty masks is the best option to make sure you always have the right ones.
When you are keeping track of masks for more than yourself, it can be easy to forget something.
I like to keep 2 fabric bags in the car for masks. One for clean, one for dirty. Then I keep a schedule for washing them.
How often should I wash my masks?
The CDC and everyone else recommends that you wash your masks after every use.
Every use
Although it is common practice for people to hang the masks from the rear view, this practice is frowned upon. After reading a few interviews the main reason you do not want to do this is because it encourages people to re-use masks too many times.
I am guilty of keeping a big pile of masks on the dash.
How many masks do I need for my family?
How often do you and you family leave the house? At this point we leave the house 2 times a week. My kids are not in person for school and we are not enrolled in any lessons. Take the number of times each person needs to use a mask and multiply it by 2.
So, I have 3 kids, leaving the house twice a week, I need 12 kids masks.
OR
I can plan to wash masks twice a week. I would still want to have 6 kid sized masks.
Running these numbers makes it much easier to understand why I am often scrambling to find a mask when we pull up to the store.
If your kids are out of the house more, the numbers are even higher! Do yourself a favor and make sure you have enough masks for everyone.
When you start using this system, keep enough masks for a week in each bag. In my family each bag holds 4 adult sized masks, and 6 child sized masks in each bag.
My Mask Routine
All my kids are under 6. I am the keeper of the masks. I pack extra masks in the baby bag and pass them out if we get out of the car, but it is equally important to collect the masks when we get back in the car.
If you let the masks live in the back seat, they are unlikely to get washed.
I keep 2 fabric bags in the front seat, one for clean masks and one for dirty/used masks. These are mine, very simple drawstring bags, but I think that using fabric bags from Dollar Tree is a really good option too.
This is going to make it so much easier to get masks from the car to the house and back to the car!
So, every time we get home and we have used masks I bring in the dirty mask bag, and throw it next to the washing machine. You do not have to take the masks out of the bag, you can just throw the whole thing in the wash then hang it on the door so you bring it back out to the car.
Making It Easier
Another solution for organizing masks in the car is to supplement with a few disposable masks. There are lots of very cute kids masks available, like this pack of 100 on Amazon.
I have used this pattern to sew all the masks I have for myself and my kids, and I found it pretty quick and easy. With four kids, even quick and easy is not always possible. Having a few disposable ones has been worth the investment.
The Perfect System
- Get the right number of masks
Take the number of weekly outings multiply it by 2
- Put them in 2 bags that are machine washable
These bags would work beautifully, or you could sew a few simple drawstring bags.
- Always collect any used masks when you get back in the car
Teach your family to put used masks in the bag when they get back in the car
- Wash masks every time you leave the car
Resist the urge to keep the masks in the car, put them in the dirty mask bag and bring it in and put it directly in the washing machine.
- Bring clean masks back in the car
Keep clean masks by the door and bring them back into the car so that you always have what you need.
My mom usually gets knocked down by the flu several times every winter. It has been very severe in recent years with her spending days in bed unable to function. This year, she is wearing a mask everywhere, even around family, at all times and she has not been sick! This is enough reason for me to wear the mask when we are at the grocery store.
I hope this system can help you reduce stress when you find yourselves out and about. The information we are given is constantly changing, but I do not think masks are going away any time soon.
