Face masks have become a normal part of our daily lives as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as you wouldnt leave the house without your keys, phone and wallet, these days you wouldnt walk out the door without a face covering in tow, too.

By now, we know which materials work well for face masks , and how to properly wear them and wash them . But what should you do with your face coverings when youre not wearing them?

We asked infectious disease experts to share advice on how to safely store your cloth masks at home.

Designate a clean, dry place to keep your masks.

It could be in a separate drawer, breathable container or bag. Keep them away from other objects you touch frequently, potentially with unwashed hands, Peter Chin-Hong , an infectious diseases doctor and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco , told HuffPost.

For example, I wont keep them in my underwear drawer or area where you handle kitchen towels, he said. Dont go nuts about ensuring absolute sterility like if you are in a biosafety laboratory. The most important thing is to keep the clean cloth masks in an area that does not normally see a lot of hand traffic.

If you have trouble remembering to bring a mask when you leave the house, you may want to keep clean ones near the front door, said Amanda Castel, professor of epidemiology at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Hang them on hooks by their ear straps so you can just grab one and go.