How to Clean a Gas Mask

To properly maintain a gas mask, you must ensure that it is clean and serviceable. This procedure is not particularly difficult, but it is vital. A gas mask that is not clean can become damaged over time and fail you in the moment you need it most. Following these steps will ensure your gas mask is capable of protecting you in the event of a chemical or biological attack.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Germicidal cleaner
• Dry clean cloth
• Warm wet cloth
• Bowl or sink

1. Detach the hood from the gas mask face mask. The hood can remain serviceable even with a light coating of dust, but if you want to clean it as well you can do so with a warm wet cloth.
2. Remove the outer eye guards and place them to the side. These can be cleaned by wiping them with a dry and clean cloth.
3. Remove the nose guard and gently pull the snorkel piece from its position. This is the piece that allows you to drink water from a canteen while wearing the gas mask.
4. Fill a basin with a warm water solvent that includes a concentration of bleach. This is the solution you will use to clean the face mask portion of your gas mask.
5. Submerge the face mask in the solution and gently splash water around its exterior and interior surfaces, making sure you dislodge any debris that might cling to crevices in the molding.
6. Remove the face mask portion and hang it from a clothes line to dry, ensuring that the area is not surrounded by loose dirt or sand that can blow into the face mask portion while it's drying.
7. Reassemble the entire gas mask and store it in an approved and clean carrying case, placing it in a cool and dry area.

Tips & Warnings

• Repeat the cleaning process at least once every six months.

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