The YouGov poll was conducted among 3,221 people in Great Britain from 6-8 August, weeks after mask wear was made obligatory in most public settings across the country.
The proportion of Britons wearing face coverings went up from 38 percent to 69 percent in a matter of weeks, the pollster said, but this may have been negated by the failure to follow proper wear procedures.
The survey revealed that just a third of those who wear reusable washable masks wash them after every use. Of those, less than a half wash masks at above 60 degrees (140 Fahrenheit), the proper temperature that can kill the coronavirus.
This means that overall just one in eight of those wearing reusable masks maintains them in a way that contributes to stopping the pandemic.
The poll also found that most people who wear single-use masks have not grasped the idea of "single use," with only 44 percent throwing them away after one wear. Seven percent of respondents admitted they had never binned their disposable masks.
