Here is some data from Japan on masks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...Qa4-VBMBca4jpnRbLFbo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...nqYi-YAa70BoOsCvCp74

https://diymask.site/?fbclid=I...wP9qmaB10WTWr5nDySos

Bonnie found elastic at Quilt in a day in So. Cal , last wednesday .
Link : https://www.quiltinaday.com/retail/

While I understand that the N95 or P100 masks offer adequate protection and these home-made masks offer protection to a lesser degree; you would be silly to tun a cloth mask down if it was all that was available. It does offer a degree of protection that COULD save you from contracting COVID-19.

If you were going into a gunfight with an opponent possibly armed with a rifle, would you turn down level IIIa soft body armor or would you take advantage of the vest?

quote:

Originally posted by MattW:

quote:

Originally posted by was0311:

quote:

Originally posted by MattW:

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:

quote:

Originally posted by MattW:these masks won't offer much more protection than peace of mind. I

. Will CC this to the 300 sewers and the medical professionals who are clearly dillusional ,
(Roll eyes)

You do realize that a N95 filters particulates at 95% efficiency down to the size of .3 microns, right?

Pollen spores range in size from 10-1000 microns, mold spores range in size from 10-30 microns. You can't see either one of those individually with the naked eye. Viruses you ask, range from .004-.2 microns.

So please, do pass that info onto the 300 delusional medical professionals you speak of. I'm all for innovation and new technology to help in our time of need, but don't pretend that coffee filters and used t shirts can stop the spread of viruses.

While I don't think the sewing of masks at this necessary.

1. They are effective, given it the virus requires a carrier, ie moisture. No they are not a N95, and no they are not as effective, and no they do not last as long.

2. I find no reason to belittle people who do.

I do agree, please don't take it as belittlement. Also, you are correct that viruses require a carrier, that is what the HEPA filter properties of a N95 will capture along with the virus. N95's also have a static electricity property to them to assist in capturing.

I really wish there was something off the shelf that would help in the time of need, but I'm not aware of it. Makeshift masks out of common fabrics isn't it, again they have to be better than nothing, but they shouldn't be mistaken as equals.

I don’t believe anyone here has stated that homemade masks are the equivalent of N95 masks.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Mike Lindell of "My Pillow" fame has re-tooled his ENTIRE manufacturing line to produce N95 masks for health care professionals. He said they can produce up to 40,000 masks PER DAY!!

Need a "LIKE" button for that!!!

That's great, but he sure isn't doing it for cost.

One of my customers is making them in their factories in NC and SC, they specialize in women's clothing (large factories), they have one in Florida and he asked me my opinion since Miami is a hot spot for the virus and and they had that factory closed for the virus and he's worried about the employees. I told him to leave it up to the employees and almost all employees said yes (without mentioning higher pay). They plan on paying all employees double pay, and 20% plus profit is what they'll end up making on them...…… they can make 400,000 a week in that 1 factory.

Since this is the Mask Thread: It's nice to see some people were working on these problems and not just talking about them.

quote:

Seattle is one of first in nation to receive powerful new mask decontamination system

"The system was designed by researchers at Ohio's Battelle laboratories in July 2016 after a group of federal agencies recommended that protective masks for health care workers should be capable of being repeatedly decontaminated during a crisis."

"The crisis is now here, and Battelle quickly began manufacturing the systems in March for use across the nation."

https://komonews.com/news/coro...contamination-system


The cloth masks- They're for you to wear to protect me. For me to wear to protect you.

We’ll probably s start, now that there is a general recommendation that everyone use masks, reserving the N95 for the pros. I’m the cloth cutter and my wife the seamstress.

Many HEPA vacuum cleaner bags are .5 microns.

You can easily make several masks out of one cannister vac bag.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc H.:
My wife as well (she's a pretty accomplished quilter). Hers have a pocket for a HEPA filter and are washable. I'm using over an N95, and she's sending a couple of dozen to our daughter and her nursing staff in another state. They're not replacements, but cover and protect the N95, and can be washed and reused (which the N95 cannot).

Fashionable, too....

Just made a couple like that out of a thick cotton tshirt for that 1 time a week I go to the store.

https://www.instructables.com/...-Out-of-a-Tee-Shirt/

I can’t find N95 masks for sale anywhere, no surprise at all.

I was thinking I had some dust masks in the garage from sawing and sanding.

Rammed around in my garage work area and found them! And the pack says N95!

I don’t remember how old they are, probably at least 6 years.

The elastic bands are old and not very stretchy, but I was able to gently stretch them one inch at a time and put one on and mold around to fit my face.

Are they still good, being not of recent manufacturer? My garage is hot in the summer and cold in the winter so that’s that.

I guess they’re better than nothing.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
I can’t find N95 masks for sale anywhere, no surprise at all.

I was thinking I had some dust masks in the garage from sawing and sanding.

Rammed around in my garage work area and found them! And the pack says N95!

I don’t remember how old they are, probably at least 6 years.

The elastic bands are old and not very stretchy, but I was able to gently stretch them one inch at a time and put one on and mold around to fit my face.

Are they still good, being not of recent manufacturer? My garage is hot in the summer and cold in the winter so that’s that.

I guess they’re better than nothing.

You can always augment that mask with a bandana or cloth wrap. (which can be sterilized/laundered after usage)

Is this better than nothing for a quick trip to the market?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c-Kmeb_16o

^^^^^^ thanks

If I’m not involved in health care, just making the occasional grocery grab & get out, is there any reason why I shouldn’t spray the N95 with Lysol ? And reuse it?

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
Is this better than nothing for a quick trip to the market?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c-Kmeb_16o

I would think better than nothing. It wouldn't filter out true aerosolized virus, but it could reduce larger droplets. And it would also protect others if you yourself were a contagion. Also a good reminder to not touch your own face.

Pretty quick and easy for those of us otherwise unprepared.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
^^^^^^ thanks

If I’m not involved in health care, just making the occasional grocery grab & get out, is there any reason why I shouldn’t spray the N95 with Lysol ? And reuse it?

The people at my wife’s hospital are putting used N95 masks in ultraviolet light for one hour to sanitize before reuse, though I’ve read that as little as ten minutes will kill the virus. They recommended that homemade cloth masks be washed in hot water in the washing machine. Make two or three and always have one clean and ready to go.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
^^^^^^ thanks

If I’m not involved in health care, just making the occasional grocery grab & get out, is there any reason why I shouldn’t spray the N95 with Lysol ? And reuse it?

For a home-made mask, I would think it OK. I would NOT use a liquid (Lysol, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide) on a true N95, as it would damage the substructure of the material (much of the filtering is based on the material's electrostatic properties).

When it gets to decontaminating masks at home (I wonder if it will get to that), I think I'd use dry heat. I'd avoid an oven where food is cooked for obvious reasons. I'd probably use a hair blow dryer, or alternately a 30 minute cycle in the clothes dryer at a low setting.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
^^^^^^ thanks

If I’m not involved in health care, just making the occasional grocery grab & get out, is there any reason why I shouldn’t spray the N95 with Lysol ? And reuse it?

For a home-made mask, I would think it OK. I would NOT use a liquid (Lysol, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide) on a true N95, as it would damage the substructure of the material (much of the filtering is based on the material's electrostatic properties).

When it gets to decontaminating masks at home (I wonder if it will get to that), I think I'd use dry heat. I'd avoid an oven where food is cooked for obvious reasons. I'd probably use a hair blow dryer, or alternately a 30 minute cycle in the clothes dryer at a low setting.

Safer alternatives:

If you go out 1x per day, have/make 4 masks and rotate them. New England Journal of medicine reported that lives 72 hours on plastic.

Make washable masks with a filter pouch. Take out the HEPA filter, and wash the mask. Have 4 filters to rotate between.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

I heard my neighbor wanting to sew his wife's mouth shut.

Today I learned how to make a mask from a pair of Boxer Briefs. Clean ones.

Gotta love Korean YouTube!