I’ve cut and pasted this information so many times I decided to make a blog post about it.
How to make a better homemade mask to protect others and yourself from COVID19?
Read on …..
New York Times: “What’s the Best Material for a Mask?”
Scientists decided to test what commonly available materials make better and worse masks for stopping COVID19. It turns out cotton bandanas are the least effective for making a mask. Cut up HEPA filters are very effective, but can cause health problems by making it hard to breath or if the filters have fiber glass strands in them. Quilting cotton was better than ordinary cotton, and layering fabrics increased effectiveness. When in doubt hold the material up to a bright light. Better materials will block the light, but still let you breath. No mask is completely effective, not even the much coveted N95 masks. If you get close enough to a sick person’s breath, you will get infected. Only the combination of social distancing AND masks will prevent the airborne spreading of COVID19.
Business Insider: Using blue shop towels in homemade face masks can filter particles 2x to 3x better than cotton, 3 clothing designers discover after testing dozens of fabrics
Two particular brands of shop towels, Scott and ToolBox, can make surprisingly effective masks. Between 60% – 90%, if you the mask fits snugly and two layers of shop towels are used.
Youtube: The man at the JimHappy Youtube Channel shows you how to make a shop towel mask with staples, two rubber bands, and a paperclip. No sewing required. This is the short version, look at his channel for a longer version with more background information.
NPR: “Adding A Nylon Stocking Layer Could Boost Protection From Cloth Masks, Study Finds”
It isn’t just the material or the mask combined with social distancing that makes a mask effective. A snug fit makes a mask more effective. This NRP article describes how you can make a cloth mask more effective by wrapping nylon around the mask after you put it on.
Not a mask: Fingernail brushes
COVID-19 can not penetrate your skin. People get infected when they touch openings to their bodies on their face. A mask can help you prevent getting infected by blocking you from touching your face. So can a pair of goggles. People most often touch their faces with their fingertips. A fingernail brush can help you get your fingertips completely clean.
What surfaces do you need to worry about touching to avoid becoming infected with COVID19? This reassuring New York Times article will tell you how to keep safe.
