Homemade masks are coming

[scruff]

Here's the next big thing: masks. More people are wearing masks now. The U.S. government is about to recommend everyone wear masks in public. Trump even said yesterday that wearing a mask is a good thing, and that a scarf or bandanna is better than nothing. I'm giving it a week - most people will be wearing face masks, and those who don't will be scorned. Businesses may require all of their customers to be masked. And then we'll start seeing fashion masks.

I'm going to try my hand at sewing some cloth masks, for the challenge of it. The web is cluttered with patterns and how-to videos. People who haven't sewn anything in years are dragging their sewing machines out. I went to Walmart to buy materials. There was a steady stream of people in the sewing department doing the same. Elastic is the new unobtanium there. I found some stretchy 7/16"-wide Avia headbands in the fitness gear section that'll make nice ear loops. I also bought a roll of Oly*fun polypropylene non-woven fabric that the Interwebz says is a decent filter media.

This lady makes it look easy. I think I can do this, even with my almost non-existent sewing skills that consist of sewing on patches and doing minor repairs.

[Emptymag]

“For cloth masks, my mask protects you, and your mask protects me.”

- secretary (that guy in a dress) of the Pennsylvania Department of Health


I will say that until this newest propaganda campaign, everyone wearing bandannas and pulling their shirts up over their noses, were NOT trying to protect anyone but themselves.

[scruff]

“For cloth masks, my mask protects you, and your mask protects me.”

- secretary (that guy in a dress) of the Pennsylvania Department of Health


I will say that until this newest propaganda campaign, everyone wearing bandannas and pulling their shirts up over their noses, were NOT trying to protect anyone but themselves.

I'm guessing a decent homemade mask will be 50% effective, and a lame-ass bandanna will be 10% effective. That's actually fairly significant, considering that each case that's prevented also prevents countless cases down the line.

[Emptymag]

I'm guessing a decent homemade mask will be 50% effective, and a lame-ass bandanna will be 10% effective. That's actually fairly significant, considering that each case that's prevented also prevents countless cases down the line.

Effective at what?

[Gunsnwater]

You know if you piss on your home made mask, when it dries it’s twice as effective. It’s like a k&n filter.

[DukeConnor]

You know if you piss on your home made mask, when it dries it’s twice as effective. It’s like a k&n filter.

It also makes it effective for mustard gas

[eatmydust]

You know if you piss on your home made mask, when it dries it’s twice as effective. It’s like a k&n filter.

I'll be happy to increase the effectiveness of anyone's homemade mask for the price of a six-pack.

[fallenleader]

“For cloth masks, my mask protects you, and your mask protects me.”

- secretary (that guy in a dress) of the Pennsylvania Department of Health


I will say that until this newest propaganda campaign, everyone wearing bandannas and pulling their shirts up over their noses, were NOT trying to protect anyone but themselves.

i'm out of rep.

when my department requires it, i will mask up. until then, all my stuff sits idle. including the broken sewing machine i've been too lazy to fix (or to finish some of the sewing related "honey do" projects... or hemming.)
i do like seeing this "wow, i can help" wartime mentality with everyone doing their arts and crafts. i'd like to see even more healthy young people filling the demand that all the "from home" shopping, eating and etc have created. instead of waiting for muh gubbamint checkz.
even pa liquor should be hiring pickers and shippers right about now... although gov, so they are probably fine NOT making money so long as they can control the flow of booze.
they are saying now, like it was the most groundbreaking science discovery ever, is people are speaking, breathing, sneezing and coughing are spreading the contamination to others. they are worried about immune carriers and asymptomatic people spreading it like typhoid mary.
suddenly 6' is well within the cone of danger 27' or so feet out that everyone has in front of them.
...seriously wouldn't surprise me if they soon say this spreads in a mist cloud that leaves nothing but death and destruction in its wake as it slowly rolls through low laying areas.

this sanitizing thing i've been wondering about for a while, especially as mask demand increases and more and more get ill. how do you know the mask you pull out of the clamshell or box is clean?
what does the company do to ensure they are sterile?
does china (our main supplier of everything) give two shits if what they ship out is clean?
would UV, ozone, liquid oxidizer or time be valid methods?
of course almost any method of sanitizing a mask could cause serious harm if one were to challenge darwin with household chemicals and other hazardous materials.

also, don't many of the n95's have an exhaust port which will render wearing one as effective in limiting "your" spread as a bandanna?
my respirator would also only be effective on intake not exhaust without modifications.

[rckeystone]

If you don't sew like me you can try No-Sew ones. This link shows how with a handkerchief and hair bands

http://blog.japanesecreations.com/no...f-and-hair-tie

[Emptymag]

If you're that worried about me breathing on you, maybe you should stay at home like you tell everyone else to do.