\u00a9 2021 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. For more about this see the researchers video on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhckSGPT9Rg. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. It's quite snug to the point of being a bit uncomfortable on a hot day. It can make the mask a bit hot but it has solved the issue of my glasses fogging. Use a hot glue gun to make your costume. Out of curiosity: during the Covid-19 pandemic, which medical personnel require N-95 masks--like what are they doing on the job--and which can use surgical or home-made masks. I also bought a Giftington mask that I found to be stiff and uncomfortable. The question is whether it would damage them - but some are cheap enough that it is worth a try. Most of my masks are quite thick and a little hard to breathe through depending on what I make them out of but I can tailor them to fit me or my family. We're back to using the KN95 masks, and happily so. The best way to tied the mask on tightly was using a pattern that made a casing on each side to allow a long strip of tie to loop around the bottom and then pull tight behind the head. 3 for $50 with free shipping. It’s called melt blowing. WAY less expensive than the mask tape. Consumer Lab...Thank you for your great work. The Vida mask I put a dart in it to fit my chin, but it would most likely fit a face that is a little bigger than mine. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Masks will fit each person a little differently, but they should provide full coverage for the chin. This is a way to make microfibers. Cloth masks should be made with two or more layers of a breathable fabric that is tightly woven (i.e., fabrics that do not let light pass through when held up to a light source). We aren't aware of any studies on the effectiveness of activated charcoal on mask efficacy for COVID-19. I tried extending the elastic to loosen the constriction, but where the fabric gathers on the sides, it's irritating. Dr. Peter Tsai (inventor of the N95 mask material) recommends against using coffee filter and paper towels: "You should not use a coffee filter, or you cannot use a paper towel, because coffee filters and paper towels are made of wood pulp. Just thought I would share (I have no financial interest in either company). We recently re-tested the masks reviewed above, wearing them with glasses in the cold. If you’re looking for a slightly simpler web shooter design, cut a length of 1 in (2.5 cm) PVC pipe into 3-8 5.7 cm (2.2 in) segments (depending on whether you want to make 1 or 2 web shooters), spray paint them silver and arrange them around a pair of Velcro wrist straps. Get thrifty and repurpose the sides of the red shirt that you cut out earlier as makeshift boot covers. It doesn't seem to affect breathe-ability and protects the integrity of the mask. The nose piece took a lot of experimentation but I finally discovered that the plastic strips that are used to close bags of coffee turns out to be perfect. My masks were manufactured in 4/2020. (It is very soft and cool on my face, but I am wondering...Does the bamboo viscose fabric offer as much protection as cotton? We leave them in the sunny car after use, or bake them as advised by ConsumerLab. As far as where to get a good mask, know that any mask is better than no mask if you are going to be within 6 feet of people with whom you are not self-quarantining. Because of their small size, when I wore them, I was always having to re-adjust them to cover my mouth AND nose when I talked. It did not fit my skinny-faced husband or young adult son. Regarding the Filti face mask material: Is there any reason to be concerned that this "nanofiber" engineered material might shed particles that can irritate the lung or cause some pneumoconiosis? You can make your own cloth face mask out of an old t-shirt by watching the video above and following these steps: Draw a line across the width of the t-shirt 20 cm up from the bottom hem. For more about this see https://www.consumerlab.com/answers/face-shield-protection-covid-19/face-shield-covid-19/#chu. It was more like a small child's mask that would not stretch to fit over my ears. FWIW, here is the product that worked for me: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017Q19UHY/ (I have no financial interest in any tape or mask product.). Please let us know how the men's large fits once you receive it. Gather your materials. Fold the face mask inside out.-Line up the bottoms of each side. I am very grateful for this website, and all the work that you do to help keep us safe! wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Thanks for all your work on evaluating these masks. It took much longer than the shop thought it had for the shipping department to label the package, and it came in a Tyvex bag, not a box.. Hi Carol22011,Apparently the shipping was bad?, but how was the mask? One study in healthy adults found that coughing into the elbow was not very effective in blocking droplets from coughing, particularly small droplets (less than 1 micron) (Zayas, BMC Public Health 2013 -- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3846148/). However, as noted in that study, the fabric combinations were not tested at normal air flow rates or as a fully constructed, fitted face mask -- so there could also be air leakage around these masks that might not occur with an N-95 mask. With this, the store associate was able to lead me to the aisle with all the "silky stretch chiffon," as it is called on the website. The use of a wide range of products not designed to be worn over the nose and mouth is a huge concern in the mask maker community. I called the ER in excruciating pain, and they said to return, and I had no way back and I felt like someone splashed acid in my eye. In addition, one large manufacturer of vacuum cleaner bags and filters, Shop-Vac, has issued a warning to consumers that its products should not be used for making masks, stating, in part: "First, the filter materials used in the vacuum cleaners are for no purpose other than to protect the end users of Shop Vac products from particles or debris being expelled back into the ambient air during operation. the little rubber knobs that are supposed to be used to adjust them are cheap and useless. Require all passengers and drivers to wear masks on buses. I’ve been using fusible (Pellon brand) interfacing in my homemade masks. I live in Puerto Rico. Thank you. Is there a website or source of information I can share with her please? We've added a note about the filter to the review. ConsumerLab was told by a Filti company representative: "Our material does not contain fiberglass or any material that is harmful to inhale and the nanofiber is one continuous strand so there is no need to worry about inhaling individual fibers.". We are not sure if there is a way to tell by looking at the mask, but we will reach out to the company and let you know if they have any suggestions. Bear that in mind. Second, direct contact or coverage of the human mouth or nose with the filter materials are strictly forbidden for any purpose. We have several of the Vida masks, and I think for myself they are okay if I put in a filter. (In addition, the CDC notes that, due to their electrostatic charge, materials such as polypropylene may enhance filtration efficacy and fabrics such as silk can help to repel droplets. I have no financial interest in this product or any other anti-fog spray. Do you have any information on or experience with Outdoor Research masks and filters? You can then actually see the threads, and count them, in both directions, and add the two numbers. If it’s a plain t-shirt, it doesn’t need to be inside out – we were just hiding the design. You can often find plain garments with no distracting logos, graphics, or patterns at places like thrift stores and consignment shops for just a few bucks. Is there a way I could tell which version I have? Thank you for sharing your experience with this mask. When they thought it had shipped, the tracking number reported that it had been received by them but not labeled. Is it true that magnesium can make coffee taste better? Thanks, CL. Have you seen the type of mask made of soft silicone with a replaceable filter that is given for KN95 filtration, such as: https://www.stsofficial.com/collections/protective-masks-kn95or https://www.gatapack.com/collections/masks/products/gata-mask-adult-grey. In addition, the filters they provide do not cover the entire area that air might flow in/out of the mask. Sew around and out. Yes, face shape definitely plays a role, Victoria. You can then pull the toggle on the bottom strap to tighten. Hello,Since chiffon (90% Polyester, 10% Spandex) comes with the following care instructions : "Hand wash cold, no bleach, line dry, cool iron reverse side", what would be the recommended method to sanitize a mask made of cotton and chiffon as suggested?Regards,-Debs. There is some very preliminary research from Missouri University suggesting that coffee filters, Hepa or furnace filters, and even vacuum cleaner bags, may make homemade cloth masks more effective, but researchers caution that cutting some materials, such as furnace filters, may create small fibers of material that should not be inhaled because they can irritate and damage the lungs. This feature is restricted to active members. Here is the page for Chiapas, Mexico: https://news.google.com/covid19/map?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen&mid=%2Fm%2F01zlx, Facebook group COVID19SMA is being produced by first rate epidemiologists and infectious disease professionals. I've also seen a hepa air purifier, small enough and made to hang around your neck, that I wondered about wearing on a plane. I have not bought any via Regular Ship. Filti's website currently lists the material at $30 for 21 sqft (2.3 yards, & $1.40/sqft). According to the link to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) letter provided on the company's website it is "... is approved for protections against particulates at a N95 filter efficacy.". wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. While I don't agree with the whole critique of the CuMask+ being distributed in Hong Kong, the concern about copper inhalation seems validhttps://www.dimsumdaily.hk/experts-sceptical-of-the-effectiveness-of-cumask-given-free-by-the-government/.