Do It Yosself

Since I started making my masks there has been a lot more information that has come out. I have read soooo many articles, so here is my summary. 

Cloth homemade masks are not as effective as N95 masks, ever. Now N95 masks work well because they create a seal AND filter out 95% of particulate. For me, not so much I have a small head and face. I used a N95 mask while spray paining, and every place the mask covered was still streaked in spray paint. For me the best facial covering has always been a full professional respirator or a RZ mask. I have had to learn this from having aggravated Asthma and living where there are wildfires and going to Burning Man. The fit is so critical, you must make sure that  the mask creates a tight seal and covers your entire nose and extends below the chin!      

If used correctly and from good fabrics, homemade masks can be nearly or more effective than surgical masks. 

“The study used instruments that detected a fabric’s effectiveness at filtering small particles. Quilters’ cotton, a tightly woven high-thread-count fabric, can filter out some 70% to 79% of small particles including viruses, That’s better than surgical masks, which Segal said filter out 65% of particles. (N95 masks offer the highest level of protection — filtering out 95% of air particles.)” Read Article. (note this study has not been peer reviewed)

Fit and fabric make the difference between only protective for others, and protective for you. The best fabrics are quilter’s cotton or blue shop towels.  Though any cotton/polyester blend with a high thread count can also be effective.  To tell how well this fabric will work do the “light test” hold your fabric up to the light, if you can see  light and other things through it, probably not the best. However, studies also note that you have to be able to breathe comfortably. The best particulate filter is a vacuum bag, but you can’t breath easily through it so don’t use it.

So while four layers seem to filter more particles or two layers of cotton with a flannel filter, they are very hard to breathe in. If the mask is too hard to breathe in, you are going to try to take it off or fidget with it, making wearing it no longer effective for protecting you against the virus. So while you may not have the best protection out there, finding a mask pattern that fits well and is comfortable enough to keep you from pulling it down or touching it while you are in public, is better protection than something ill fitting or uncomfortable. 

Also, you need several homemade masks, because you have one wear per mask. Meaning, you wear it out, and as soon as you get home put it straight in the washing machine, or in a plastic bag to wash later (along with all the clothes you wore as well). If you take it off at any point you should do your best to not touch the fabric, but only the ties or elastic, and sanitize or wash your hands immediately after.

Don’t sew? the CDC has a no sew pattern here. 

Making masks to donate to healthcare workers? 

Kaiser has a pattern for you and you can mail them to them for their healthcare workers. Check out Kaiser’s pattern. Or make them with Joann’s fabrics they are working to get a million mask’s donated. They have a number of pattern’s and tutorials here. 

Also: elastic is gold right now, the elastic to make the ear loops are sold out everywhere. You can use hair elastics or elastic headbands if you can find them. If not you can make ties. Personally I like the ties they are easier to adjust. Ties can be made out of fabric, bias tape or ribbon. I have a ton of ribbon, so I’m using ribbon.