VERIFY: Sanitize your cloth masks in the washing machine, not the microwave

[Disaffected]

16. Depends on the shape of the metal.

If the metal piece does not form a loop or two pieces separated by a small gap, nothing bad will likely happen.

I have tried it with my N95s (that have a metal nose piece) and the masks have emerged unscathed (as noted in a previous post, I first sprayed the mask with a little water). Now, the trick is not to leave the masks in too long as the fabric & plastic in the mask will eventually overheat. The best way is to try it for a few seconds at first followed up by longer stretches. I'm thinking that 30 seconds to a minute would be adequate but, keep an eye on it until you get a feel for what is OK.

Edit to add: As I understand it, N95s should not be washed in soapy water as it will remove an electrostatic coating that is on the filter fabric.