BC Sisters Develop New Mask Washing Solution
BRITISH COLUMBIA – theMaskWash, a new portable mask washing system hits the Canadian market today. Developed by two BC sisters, this eco-friendly solution gives consumers a hygienic and time efficient way to single-wash cloth face masks at home or while travelling.
Sisters, Tammy and Rosana Sablic, co-founders of theMaskWash
“We wanted to develop a quick, hygienic and efficient way to wash our masks, without having to wait until we collect enough clothes to throw it in the wash machine,” says theMaskWash co-founder, Tammy Sablic. “You wouldn’t want to wear dirty underwear everyday and masks are essentially the same.”
“We saw a gap in the market and that’s why we developed theMaskWash,” says co-founder Rosana Sablic. “The silicone bag design is a mini wash station you can use at home or take anywhere in the world. We choose silicone over plastic, because it can withstand high temperatures of hot water.”
- theMaskWash System consists of the following components:
- theMaskWash silicone bag – food-grade silicone, BPA free, phthalate free, sealable, dishwasher safe, temperature safe from -70 to 220 C
- theMaskWash waffle weave microfibre drying towel – made from 80% polyester/20% polyamide for ultra absorbency.
- theMaskWash 100% cotton drawstring carrying bag – for easy storage and travel.
“It was around the time that Health Canada and the WHO recommended daily mask wearing in public. First, the struggle in the beginning was finding a well priced and well made mask. After buying one, thinking that I could throw it in the wash after a couple of wears, we soon found out that the guidelines for wearing one was to wear a clean one everyday. Yikes! That meant doing laundry EVERYDAY.
Even though we invested in a few masks, I found that they got dirty fast. They would accidentally fall on the ground outside, get stained with lipstick or just plain ‘get gross’ with the scent of my breathing on it all day long.
One night when I was washing dishes and thinking how I had to wash my masks because all three were dirty, I took a closer look at a porcelain oval bowl I was washing. It was the right size to act as a contained space to wash a few masks.
However, porcelain is too heavy and really not suitable for use in the laundry. I thought about a plain plastic container, but plastic doesn’t hold up to extremely hot water…it would probably warp.
After some more thinking and some research online, I thought silicone is the way to go. We found a manufacturer who was able to provide us with the shape and size we wanted and tested it out. It completely solved my issue of containing my masks in one spot so I can wash them frequently. My hands fit perfectly in the wash bag so I could give my heavily stained masks a good scrub and it could accommodate really hot water so I could even leave them to soak for a while. I thought, I can’t be the only person who has this problem.
I think anyone wearing a mask wants to wear a clean one. It’s basically like changing your underwear everyday. You don’t want to wear dirty underwear everyday…masks are essentially the same. It’s the right thing to do to stay clean and fresh without having to turn on the big laundry machine.
We at theMaskWash have always been sticklers for cleanliness. This is how my sister and I grew up. Washing our hands as kids morphed into something ‘next level’ as adults. Way before Covid times, we are the ones you have seen on planes, with our pack of disinfectant wipes wiping down everything before taking our seat (yes, we felt the stares and eyerolls). In our hotel rooms, every light switch, handle, remote control and bathroom fixture was also wiped down. Extreme? Maybe to some. But really it was a natural progression to where we are today.”
