Originally Posted by
Quiltwoman44
I don't handle the outside of my mask. one i made. i lift it off with the elastic over my ear. always. makes me so unhappy to see people, especially children, pull on their masks touching the center right where they breath in. My son doesn't think it is bad but then he hates masks. sigh.
now they are saying fabric masks are bad. What are masks made out of they approve of- metal? Oh well, we all will work it out.
I have read studies that actually show how well fabric masks work varies greatly depending on what quality of fabrics you use, the number of layers, how well they fit, and if they are washed between usage. you do want to use closely woven fabrics....so good quality quilting cotton, not the bargain stuff with the loose weaves. Of course if you can afford to use the N95 and KN95's they are better, but they do cost more and you need to dispose of them after use..I do think some of the other masks made of fabric sold commercially also can be pretty good. Trouble is, we really haven't developed a rating system for the fabric masks like there is for the official ones. also, the officials are still in shorter supply but are starting to show up for the public