View Full Version : Best type of masks
iris lilies
8-17-20, 6:43pm
I know we were talking about masks on the big long thread. But let’s have a separate thread for it because I need to keep track of what kind of mask is being recommended by you all. I don’t want to read endless Internet articles. I just want to know what kind of mask I should be buying.
We are using construction masks, N95, That we had lying around due to constant construction in our lives. But Roger said those are not recommended now?
Ackkkkk. I just want someone to tell me what kind of mask I should buy. I read that if you wash them that denigrates the germ catching material. But I don’t know if that’s true.
The ones with the valves are no good. Heard that on the radio today. Good if you’re working in a dusty environment, but they let everything you breathe out.
Beau Ties has a Stewart tartan mask.
I look for layers of closely-woven cotton with a filter pocket, a nose clip, and adjustable earpieces. if I were going to be in a crowd, I'd body glue it around the edges, or at least make sure it fit my face closely.
I heard machine washing is bad but hand washing is OK.
rosarugosa
8-18-20, 6:13am
We've been happy with the masks we bought from Prefix: https://www.shopprefix.com/. They are all-cotton, double layer, with pocket for a filter and metal nose wire. I prefer the disposable procedure masks if I'm going to be wearing for a long time in hotter weather, or when speech clarity is especially critical (e.g. wore one of these when I went with Mom to her neurologist appointment).
I bought one of those clear shield masks but the plastic is cloudy so disappointing. I tried to clean it with my eyeglass cleaner to no effect. With hearing aids, masks are a real pain. I use masks with tiebacks and I launder them in my washing machine. Why would laundering them make a difference?
To be honest, I think all this fuss about the right and wrong of masks is encouraging people to avoid them as it makes everything so frustrating. Get a mask, wear it and wash it regularly to use when out in crowded public settings. Just keep it simple!!!!
early morning
8-18-20, 9:14am
Overall I agree with razz - get a mask, wear it, keep it clean! We made some with an internet pattern, and have bought some. We also use the disposables sometimes - they are great to leave in my bag in case I forget, or someone else does - they are cheap enough to routinely share. I like a wire nose piece and a filter pocket. And recent tests indicate that neck gaiters - at least in the most commonly used fabrics - are really bad - apparently they don't catch droplets so much as break them into much smaller droplets which then stay airborne longer. N-95s WITHOUT valves are still the gold standard, from what I've read/heard.
I made mine from an online pattern and used old percale pillowcase material. I inserted a bendable wire at the top to fit tighter at the top of nose.
they let everything you breathe out.
As opposed to trapping the stale air around your nostrils for you to breathe in. Maybe we need a new campaign borrowing the title of the movie and book and Waiting to Exhale.
Yeah--your mask traps exhaled air, and soon balloons to the fullest extent possible, and then you fall over in a dead faint. I see that all the time. :D People around here are dropping like flies!
There was an accident in my area where a woman passed out while driving with a mask on and it restricted her breathing. It happens. But most people slip it below their nose or otherwise "sabotage" the mask to prevent this. I have also seen people lifting the mask away from their face with their fingers to let a gap where air can get in and fanning themselves in the gap.
early morning
8-18-20, 4:37pm
My Internet search resulted in many articles about ONE crash, and said this:
"Police clarified that "while we don’t know this with 100 percent certainty, we do know that the driver had been wearing an N95 mask inside the vehicle for several hours and ultimately passed out while operating the vehicle."
“We also know that nothing was uncovered at the accident scene that would suggest that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” police said. “It is certainly possible that some other medical reason could've contributed to the driver passing out.”
One incident, and not necessarily due to mask wearing. I wasn't able to find any followup stories. If it was local to you, you may have info I do not. But if this were a big problem, I'm sure Faux News would have done an expose.
There is no reason to wear a mask when alone. That’s sad about the driver. People get scared and don’t understand.
lots of people can’t manage an N95 - I’m one of them. Asthma, so I get dizzy after a few minutes with an N95. That’s why you should only use that type after being fit tested for it. Part of the fit test is whether you can tolerate it.
For all other masks, most people can tolerate them very well.
The guys at work are really suffering wearing masks 8 hours a day in sweltering heat in a physically demanding job. So I disagree that "most people tolerate them very well". I find that most people who say this have never worn a mask for an extended period of time.
That’s why you should only use that type after being fit tested for it. Part of the fit test is whether you can tolerate it.
I get officially tested many times a year, and the independent testing agency that fit tests, following protocols, only tests that it fits properly and does its job on your face. The test takes only a few minutes, and there is no evaluation of my ability to "tolerate" it. I mean, I suppose someone could pass out in the 2-3 minutes it takes to move around a bit and recite a passage from a 3x5 index card.
The guys at work are really suffering wearing masks 8 hours a day in sweltering heat in a physically demanding job. So I disagree that "most people tolerate them very well". I find that most people who say this have never worn a mask for an extended period of time.
You do realize that I’m a nurse who wears a mask since March? Sometimes for 12 hours a day.
I get officially tested many times a year, and the independent testing agency that fit tests, following protocols, only tests that it fits properly and does its job on your face. The test takes only a few minutes, and there is no evaluation of my ability to "tolerate" it. I mean, I suppose someone could pass out in the 2-3 minutes it takes to move around a bit and recite a passage from a 3x5 index card.
Interesting. We were like you in our testing until a few years ago. Then we added a 5 minute “wear this mask and sit here” after the fit test, and I that’s when I discovered that I get dizzy after 2-3 minutes.
Yeah--your mask traps exhaled air, and soon balloons to the fullest extent possible, and then you fall over in a dead faint. I see that all the time. :D People around here are dropping like flies!
Indeed. Except no. (Obviously). Everyday (well almost everyday. Everyday is the goal) I get out and aggressively do two or three trips up and down a ginormous staircase near us. Wearing a mask because there are always a few other people doing the same thing. Neither I, nor any of the other people, ever faint.
You do realize that I’m a nurse who wears a mask since March? Sometimes for 12 hours a day.
Yes, and I also realize it makes you dizzy after a few minutes and you "can't manage" certain masks. Thank you for proving my point that mask wearing is onerous.
rosarugosa
8-19-20, 6:03am
Jeppy: I don't think anyone would deny that wearing a mask is unpleasant. Those of us who wear them willingly don't do so because we like them or find them comfortable.
My first mask was a neck gator made from some sort of microfiber. I would wear it doubled up. This is supposedly not a good mask choice anymore, but it also was hard to keep in place, it pressed down on my nose and restricted some air flow while cycling. I also had some N95 masks that I would use in higher risk areas, like the grocery store or Home Depot. It fit my face really well and I felt rather secure with it, however the ones I'd stored in the garage have the exhalation valve, which again is not recommended. I didn't try it while exercising but I suspect the air flow would be restricted to a degree and they might be uncomfortable for all day use.
Then, I googled recommendations for people who bike or jog and ordered three masks from Adidas for $20. with shipping. Black was sold out but they had blue, the only color choices. The Under Armor masks were also recommended but were sold out. It's made from recycled polyester that is sort of a stretchy light neoprene like material with a inner layer that looks like a filter pouch that's a lighter material. These are pretty comfortable. Super soft, lightweight, washable, fairly cool, and doesn't restrict breathing as much as the earlier masks. They do not have the metal strip that fits around the nose, so I did not feel like they fit as securely around the face. What I like about them is that they are easy to pull down when not needed. Say you're out walking and want a mask only when others are around but not all the time, the stretchy material makes them easy to pull up and down below the chin or nose as the situation requires. I haven't tried disposable or cotton masks, but these seem like they would be relatively comfortable to wear all day, for what they are. They tend to fog sunglasses when exercising. There are a few uTube reviews of these.
Thinking I might want to try something with a little tighter fit I saw the forums recommendation for the Beau Ties with the metal nose band and adjustable ear straps. $12 dollars from Amazon and free shipping. I ordered a dark red color which might have some visibility when cycling in traffic, but there were several fashionable colors and patterns. I've not received it yet.
happystuff
8-19-20, 10:19am
Jeppy: I don't think anyone would deny that wearing a mask is unpleasant. Those of us who wear them willingly don't do so because we like them or find them comfortable.
Agree! And most of us do so because we care about ourselves AND others. And, while conversing about them - negatively and positively - is one thing, constantly bitching and moaning about them is something else.
Maybe gaiters aren't so bad after all (from the Seattle Times):
Both gaiters prevented 100 percent of very large, 20-micron droplets from splattering another foam head just 30 centimeters away. Both masks blocked 50 percent or more of one-micron aerosols. The single layer gaiter blocked only 10 percent of 0.5-micron particles, while the two-layer gaiter blocked 20 percent. Notably, when the single-layer gaiter was doubled, it blocked more than 90 percent of all particles measured. By comparison, a homemade cotton T-shirt mask, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blocked about 40 percent of the smallest particles.
Tests show wide variation in how much protection cloth masks provide. Some homemade masks perform far better than the gaiters tested in the Virginia Tech study, and some perform worse. Overall, tests of fabric masks have shown that two layers are better than one, and that a snug fitting mask with no gaps is best. Most experts agree that the average mask wearer doesn’t need medical-grade protection, and that any face covering, combined with social distancing, probably offers adequate protection for the average person against spreading or contracting the coronavirus.
“I’ve been recommending neck gaiters, and my kids wear neck gaiters,” Dr. Marr said. “There’s nothing inherent about a neck gaiter that should make it any worse than a cloth mask. It comes down to the fabric and how well it fits.”
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/save-the-gaiters-scientists-say-fear-over-their-virus-protection-is-unwarranted/?utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning+Brief+8-19-2020_8_19_2020&utm_term=
Jeppy: I don't think anyone would deny that wearing a mask is unpleasant. Those of us who wear them willingly don't do so because we like them or find them comfortable.
It is good to see this acknowledged after some people in these forums have written that wearing a mask is no big deal, isn't bothersome and my favorite, is just another item of clothing. Maybe if you're into S&M and like your breathing restricted, or to see others suffering, it's just another item of clothing.
iris lilies
8-19-20, 2:20pm
I don’t even know what a neck gator is. I had to look it up.
iris lilies
8-19-20, 2:22pm
Another area of discomfort is steamy glasses. My brother,,who treats Covid patients, showed a product on his Facebook page That keeps eyeglasses from steaming up.
I don’t even know what a neck gator is. I had to look it up.I didn't know what it was either until I started searching for face masks online. We ordered a couple of the gaiters and used them during our vacation this summer without much complaint other than several comments along the vein of "You look like a bank robber."
Now competing forces are telling me that they're bad or they're better than simple cloth masks. My wife starts school again tomorrow and the gaiters have been banned from use there so we've bought several different types of face masks that all make my glasses steam up every time I exhale. I hate them.
This is a neck gaiter: https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/103596390_10217437952556045_732841201534283861_n.j pg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=J8y5f0Lb9f8AX-BNO15&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&oh=4b76477e6f7d873a283bc06fae9f199f&oe=5F644343
I talked with a local small business retailer who said some of his employees quit when they started having to wear masks. I'm a little out of touch with the work a day world, but for most places around the country I don't know where else they could go. Either you working at home or in some sort of work isolation, or masks are probably a big part of the work day? I've heard of see through masks and ones you can have printed with the lower portion of you face from a selfie, but none that look terribly comfortable to wear for long periods. It just is what it is.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html
Yes, and I also realize it makes you dizzy after a few minutes and you "can't manage" certain masks. Thank you for proving my point that mask wearing is onerous.
The N95 makes me dizzy. All the others don’t. We wear paper masks almost exclusively,
In my neck of the woods, everyone is required to wear a mask inside or with limited spacing except for those reasons and situations that are included in Bae's link above. It is simple common sense and few disregard the requirements. Canadians are not so individualistic in general society, it seems. Just do it!!!
In my neck of the woods, everyone is required to wear a mask inside or with limited spacing except for those reasons and situations that are included in Bae's link above. It is simple common sense and few disregard the requirements. Canadians are not so individualistic in general society, it seems. Just do it!!!
Is it correct that Canadians don't have to worry about wearing a mask 8 hours a day because they can sit at home and collect $2000.00 per person per month?
Is it correct that Canadians don't have to worry about wearing a mask 8 hours a day because they can sit at home and collect $2000.00 per person per month?
This reminds me of an old quote - have you stopped beating your wife?
Most of the countries who are successfully fighting this off have--or have had--some kind of stipend so people can stay home. But we're rugged individualists...:help:
ApatheticNoMore
8-20-20, 12:55am
I have a ton of masks now, N95s (if you have those with valves you could wear a cloth mask over), cloth masks with and without filter pouches (one is just a wrap around of cotton with ties - probably not the most heavy duty), KN95s with ear loops (these are not medical), the Korean version of such etc.. I don't like it but I figure covid is going to be around awhile.
This reminds me of an old quote - have you stopped beating your wife?
?? You didn't answer my question.
It just occurred to me that both types of my reusable masks have a pocket for a carbon or other filter. My quick search came up with a couple of general interest articles suggesting they help, but I didn't see anything that looked official and involved testing. They are cheap on Amazon and I suppose single use. I assume they reduce breathablility. Undecided if I want to order some, but they would not be much of an issue for quick shopping trips.
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