04/25/2020
A friend posted a wonderful set of questions about homemade masks that I felt were an awesome bit of info if anyone is looking to purchase from myself or anyone else making masks so I decided to repost with my answers specific to my masks. The more informed you are as a consumer, the better you are able to make decisions for yourself with regards to your purchases.
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To answer your questions (because I'm one of those people actually making masks for folks):
**What are they out of?
100% cotton material, everything from the masks ties to the thread is 100% cotton.
**Do they provide proper filtration that is in spec to help prevent a viral infection?
Because the CDC has authorized the use of homemade masks due to the shortage of N95s and other medical grade masks, they have added additional cautions. Homemade masks will not prevent someone from getting a viral infection due to the nature in which Covid-19 is spread: unless you have a mask that has a plastic covering to cover mouth, eyes and nose, homemade masks are not 100%. They have the possibility of preventing you from spreading Covid-19 or any other bacterial or viral infection by blocking the "spray" you release via a cough or a sneeze. Their efficacy cannot be 100% confirmed because they are not medical grade; that's the point. The CDC wants regular people to stop buying medical grade and other masks like that and allow them to be used by hospital workers and the immunocompromised or vulnerable populations. Covid-19 can be caught just by someone coughing and it getting into your eyes or you breathing it through your nose.
**Do they have replaceable filter media?
My masks can be made with a filter pocket to add your own additional filtration. I'm attempting to modify the design for a more secure pocket.
**Are your masks made of a material that can be easily be wash and sanitized with out compromising the integrity of the mask?
Yes. As per CDC guidelines, I've made all layers of mask with 100% cotton fabric.
**Are they properly fitted for you face? As in when you breath in, you don't feel air coming in from the edges of the mask and completely bypassing the filter media?
Since the masks that you see are more often created from templates that have been graciously provided by other pattern makers (as with all things in the fashion and apparel industry), one size may not necessarily fit all. That is up to the judgement of the consumer. However, to possibly alleviate that problem, I have made my masks with ties and not the elastic bands. I have been told thus far by my customers and clients that they like that option better as it gives them better control over the fit of the mask for their faces.
**Does the top of the mask not come into contact with your eye lids and/or eyes?
No. My masks are all cloth. That might be painful 🙃
**Does the straps of the mask cut into the back of your ears when in use?
No. My masks come with ties that are fully adjustable.
**Does the top of your mask have a metal bar or shaped in a way to better fit over the bridge of your nose?
I can include that if it is requested. However, many people have reported that the bar doesn't do much for fit as it still slides down their face or fogs up their glasses. If someone would like it, I absolutely would include it for their mask at no additional charge.
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Many of my masks have been sent to nurses (those were free for them as they are first liners; I charge regular folk so that the money I use can help me create additional masks to send healthcare professionals for free), who I specifically ask what they need for a mask. When they tell me their specifications, I try to incorporate that into the masks I make for everyone else. So, there's also that.
