Taming the Masks
Keeping our mask supply under control has required some extra thinking. The inventory issues were not too difficult to manage. We purchase masks in bulk and have a cupboard set aside for storing them. We keep a two-three month supply in a drawer in the laundry room for easy access. When the stock in the drawer starts to look low, we replenish it from our bulk storage.
Finding a solution to the day-to-day storage of masks required a bit more effort. In the early days, we hung them from doorknobs or set them on windowsills at home. In the car, we laid them next to us on seats or stuffed them into the storage compartments. This was problematic on so many levels! Clutter. Hygiene. Ownership.
In the early days, I was driving myself nuts trying to keep track of clean vs dirty, mine vs Peter’s, home supply vs car supply. The clutter was a constant irritation and distraction. The hygiene issues were a constant worry.
Then the solution emerged: gift bags!
Note: I am not a healthcare professional. The suggestions in this post are my personal practices, and do not constitute medical guidance on the storage and reuse of masks. The CDC provides a comprehensive guide to mask selection, usage, storage, re-use and disposal. That information is available here.
I purchased a package of small white gift bags, wrote our names on the tags, and gave two to each person. We each placed a few of our favorite masks in the gift bags and hung them in two places: one in the house and one in the car. They keep our masks accessible and neatly stored.
If we’ve used a mask heavily, if it is damp or stained or compromised in any way, we discard it. If the mask has only been used for a short time, we reuse them. We don’t worry about putting lightly used masks back in our bag with the fresh masks. Most masks arrive individually packaged to protect them from contamination. If they are not already individually packaged, I just pop them in a resealable bag to keep them clean until they are needed.
The little gift bags are easy to hang on a cabinet knob or doorknob. This keeps the masks easily accessible and keeps the house tidy.
In the car, we hang them on hooks behind the headrests. These clever hooks are perfect for our little bags of masks! They keep the masks easily accessible and eliminate the clutter and hygiene problems of masks on seats, in storage compartments, and on the floor of the car. We love them!!!
There are so many aspects of life that are challenging right now. And I don’t have all of them figured out!
But I will be honest: I need a clutter-free home to be at my best. And this mask storage solution is clutter control at its best: elegantly simple, visually pleasing, functional and inexpensive.
Solving the mask storage problem removed a distracting irritant and made my heart happy. When that happens, I work better, I serve better, I relax better.
I’ve linked to gift bags, hooks, and a few other masks storage accessories below. I have the simple white bags, and I love them! I’ve included a few other options that look cute and functional as well. There are options that work with an origination system based on color coding. There are options for people who love having a little sparkle in their lives! And if you have a large family, try Scout bags! You could place several mini-bags inside a larger Scout bag, which would be great for clutter control!
Of course, you can also re-purpose a small gift bag or shopping bag that you already have on hand. They work just as well. And they are free! And a re-purposing lifestyle is a kind lifestyle.
I hope these ideas help you find the right tools for managing masks in your home, in a way that works for you.
Kind regards,
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Here are few gift bag options.
If you are feeling crafty, you can add your own tag to personalize your mask bags. Get one of the gift tags sets below and have fun with your craft supplies!
We hang our mask bags on hooks in the car. We love the leather headrest hooks. We have the single-hook design. They also offer a double-hook option. Both designs are available in several colors.
Here are a few other handy items for keeping masks organized while on the go: a visor clip and small cases for individual masks. The masks cases look like they would be easy to wash, which is a big advantage. I haven’t tried any of these, but they are getting great reviews.