Fire officials have a new warning for some of the COVIDiots out there- please stop microwaving your face masks to sanitize them. It doesn't work. Firefighters around the country are warning people of the proper ways of sanitizing and disposing of their PPE (personal protective equipment). One of the strange ways people are attempting to sanitize of their face masks is by microwaving them. That has caused fire departments across the US putting out messages letting people know this is NOT a way you can santize something. In fact, you could start a fire in your home.

The New Hampshire State Fire Marshall's Officer posted photos on their Facebook of some masks that were put into microwaves and burned and explained why even a simple cloth mask could catch fire:

"The NH State Fire Marshal's Office (NHFMO) would like to remind everyone that “microwaving their masks to kill germs” is a fire hazard and an extremely bad idea. Cloth masks can overheat quickly and catch fire. Disposable masks also have a metal nose wire and can cause sparks, a fire, and/or break your microwave."

The Guilford Fire Department also posted on their website about multiple fire departments across the country reporting fires from people putting face masks in the microwave. Fire Departments in Louisiana, Nevada, Virginia, and others also posted similar warnings on their social media pages. These departments all recommend following the CDC guidelines of washing your cloth masks in the washing machine with detergent. If possible, have multiple cloth masks that you can switch out in between washes.

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