I can't seem to find any useful info on this on the CDC website.
I have a handful of masks I grabbed from work. Not a "horde;" a handful.
Anyway, if I wear the mask to go grocery shopping, do I need to immediately toss it? Let it air out for a few days? Disinfect it somehow?
Paging DrHess?
At work, we are being told that we can reuse them as long as they don't get wet. Store it in a paper bag, not plastic.
I've got a couple that were in my shop. I've been thinking about this too. My plan was to spray them well with 90% isopropyl alcohol and put them in the sun to dry. If you've got multiples, try to go several days before reusing them. Viruses dont survive more than a few days on surfaces, so the longer you wait the safer it is.
Mind you, I havent tried this and am not a medical professional.
I'm actually going to sew some cloth masks today so that we can launder them. Slightly lower level of filtration but easier to sanitize. Should be reasonable for a once a week grocery trip.
THIS IS ALL SPECULATION ON MY PART IT IS NOT BASED ON ANY KIND OF FACT
I was thinking a misting with isopropyl alcohol could not hurt things but I would keep it off the rubber/plastic bits. I also wondered if a quick spin in the microwave would in sanitize them. My last idea is to bake them in the oven at a temp that would sanitize them but not damage them.
There has to be some info out there about this. I guess the first thing is to develop a list of techniques that kill the virus then which of them can be used on the mask that don't damage the mask. It would be great if a 30 second spin in the microwave would sanitize them.
I think misting with isopropyl may be the most viable as that is what everyone seems to be doing at the entrances to stores and what not but I can see a problem if people don't let them dry completely before using could be dangerous.
Anyway just my rambling thoughts on this as it would be a game changer if someone could make the originally designed disposable masked reusable even if it was only for the original user.
This is an interesting article I saw a couple days ago: https://www.fastcompany.com/90479846/the-untold-origin-story-of-the-n95-mask
It's well worth the read but relevant section for the question asked: "The longer you wear an N95 respirator, the more efficient it becomes at filtering out particles. More particles just help filter more particles. But breathing becomes more difficult over time as those gaping holes between the fibers get clogged up with particles, which is why an N95 respirator can’t be worn for more than about eight hours at a time in a very dusty environment. It doesn’t stop filtering; it just prevents you from breathing comfortably."
Stanford has been looking into using heat to disinfect these masks - https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/03/31/stanford-researchers-develop-potential-method-to-reuse-n95-respirators/
And others are looking at taking that further to implement using commercial ovens - https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/group-looks-into-resterilizing-n95-masks-in-commercial-ovens
You're not going to get enough heat for sanitization without destroying the masks. Same for microwaves. Chemical sanitizers are your best bet but they are harsh and can damage some fabrics and plastics. I think the rubber elastic straps are most vulnerable. This is the whole reason they are usually disposable.
can you just put it out in the sun ?
stay safe
I would recommend using concentrated hydrogen peroxide vapor and gassing the masks for about two and a half hours.
At least, that's what The Battelle Memorial Institute came up with and got FDA approval for.
My question s are
Do the chemicals being sprayed on the used masks hurt the polymers used in the construction of the filtering?
Does applying chemicals reduce the electrostatic charge put into the filter material?
Will putting the mask material in a microwave cause harm to the filter material?
Would very high heat of say a traditional oven diminish effectiveness?
Any chemical engineers familiar with polymers used in construction of the N95 masks a member here?
I have almost a full box of N95 masks, got them years ago from an employer that was throwing them away because they were expired. I gave two to my In laws, in their seventies, and used one during my scare the other day, hopefully we won't need them. I also have a box of Fluidshield masks, I think we are going to start useing those when we go out.
We are putting them in open ziplock bags and laying them in the sun on the dash of the fire engine between calls. I'm sure there are some experts who can systematically give reasons why this is wrong, but shortages are shortages and desperate times call for desperate measures.
As a person who has regularly had to use N-95 masks as part of my work, I am astonished at how many people I see misusing N-95s while we let our healthcare workers die.
Let me just say this... face masks are to protect other people from YOU. Not generally the other way around.
Current federal recommendations for the general populace are to use cloth covers (like bandanas), not N-95s.
The Superintendents from my company collected all the N-95s from our jobsites (49 different jobs). We donated them to a hospital.
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
Like I said, I have a handful. I doubt the trouble of trying to donate a handful, from a pack that's already been opened...by me...who, could just as likely be infected as anyone else, is gonna do more good than my wearing one to the grocery store.
In reply to poopshovel again :
I'm not suggesting you donate them, nor that you are doing anything wrong.
I am saying that of the several hundred N-95 masks I've seen worn in public recently, I am quite confident that less than 3 were worn correctly.
Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:We are putting them in open ziplock bags and laying them in the sun on the dash of the fire engine between calls. I'm sure there are some experts who can systematically give reasons why this is wrong, but shortages are shortages and desperate times call for desperate measures.
That's exactly what I have been doing - With a surgical mask for asymptomatic patients to protect them from me and an N95 for the suspected patients to protect me from them. Unmask with disposable gloves and try not to handle the outer surface. I have a foam covered mic boom that rests against my mask that I douse with hand sanitizer when I unmask.
Any former military? Think of it like decon after contamination in MOPP Gear.
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to poopshovel again :
I'm not suggesting you donate them, nor that you are doing anything wrong.
I am saying that of the several hundred N-95 masks I've seen worn in public recently, I am quite confident that less than 3 were worn correctly.
For N95s we were all 'fit tested' at work about 6 months ago (annually) before any of this was even on the horizon. I just got an email saying that just because we are changing the STYLE of N95 they are fit testing everybody again asap. I expect average citizen on the street is very likely better off with a bandana on their face than a random N95.
I have heard that UV light is Kryptonite for most micro-organisms. So the dashboard in sunlight might be pretty good, but how much UV is filtered out by the windshield? Better to put it outside in direct sunlight I would think. Alternately, get a UV bulb for a strip light fixture and park the mask under the lamp between uses?
AAZCD said:SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to poopshovel again :
I'm not suggesting you donate them, nor that you are doing anything wrong.
I am saying that of the several hundred N-95 masks I've seen worn in public recently, I am quite confident that less than 3 were worn correctly.
For N95s we were all 'fit tested' at work about 6 months ago (annually) before any of this was even on the horizon. I just got an email saying that just because we are changing the STYLE of N95 they are fit testing everybody again asap. I expect average citizen on the street is very likely better off with a bandana on their face than a random N95.
Exactly.
Seen where they are doing uv chambers, but also read something. About 170 degrees F for 30 min will take care of the viral.
As noted masks are mostly to protect others from you ( talking produced spittle is likely the primary concern ). Cleaning the inside seems unnecessary (unless you share, which you shouldn't). Drying out the inside seems like a good idea. Cleaning the outside might be useful, but, if everyone wears one, that's almost unnecessary also.
If you do or do not clean the outside, you should be careful taking them on and off (try to avoid touching the areas most likely to have been infected).
An N-95 is technically a particulate mask, not a biological one. They are the LOWEST level of particulate respirator identified by OSHA.
They filter 95% of particulates WHEN PROPERLY WORN. Their effectiveness for biological is unclear, and unaddressed by OSHA. Plus, a 5% ineffectiveness rate is probably unacceptable with COVID 19.
They MUST be fit-tested to meet their level of effectiveness (which is only 95% when fit tested). For those of you who have facial hair, fit testing is NOT possible.
They are useful as a sneeze barrier, but that's about it. 6' of social distancing accomplishes the same goal more effectively.
Wear a bandana. It's a more effective sneeze barrier (especially without fit testing). And maintain social distancing.
And wash your friggen hands.
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