The Department of Homeland Security wants you to put your N95 mask in your Instant Pot

(Image credit: iStock)

published 19 June 2020

Hey, here's a fun project you can do with that Instant Pot your in-laws gave you for Christmas, and has been gathering dust under your counter for the past six months! The Department of Homeland Security has published a recipe — er, a decontamination guide — for cleaning N95 masks using your multicooker.

You can't make this stuff up:

The DHS provides a video illustrating how the home chef can reuse their N95 masks, which are one of the most effective protections against the coronavirus, albeit in short supply. The process seems straightforward enough: Cover the bottom of the pot in half an inch of water, put the mask in a paper bag and then staple it shut (handling it carefully all the while with disposable gloves on), and then place the bag on a jury-rigged platform that keeps it elevated out of the water. Then select the "sous vide" function, set the cooker to 149 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour, and … voilà?

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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