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SARS Cov-2 infectiousness decays exponentially, with the time constant a function of temperature and humidity. A two-parameter calculator:

https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/sars-calculator

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Would it be wrong to infer from this that letting a face mask sit in room temperature for a week is almost guaranteed to make it safe for use again?

Not wrong at all. I do 3 days in paper bags. Reasoning for paper is that it breathes more than plastic and the half life of the virus is shorter on paper as well.

Sounds like wetting the towel first would be the way to go.

Cooking a wet towel would turn the water to steam, I'm guessing that would be problematic for the mask's durability.

Also, the humidity factor seems counter intuitive to me on that site. I thought the virus survived longer in the air in damp spaces, while sunlight dried out the virus rendering it inert.

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