How to Reuse a Mask

Hapless Bills Fan · March 20, 2020

I have debated posting this. This is highly unofficial. Judge the logic for yourself. Our HCW are pleading for supplies. Everyone may have a family member whose life will literally depend upon keeping HCW protected from disease and healthy. They are pleading for masks in NYC and will even pay.

Yet it is entirely reasonable IMHO for citizens to wish to protect themselves with masks. They are common part of the public health strategy in Asia. Thus, since face masks are in short supply, please consider reusing your masks, especially the more effective N95 kind. Keep two at most for each member of your family and donate the rest. Blessings will be Yours. The Health Care worker you protect could be caring for you or your loved one in future!

How to Safely Reuse a HEPA or other efficient filtration type mask

Mask filtration (including HEPA) is well known to actually improve with use. All filters have some larger holes. Larger holes block up first with particulates, and make the filter more effective during subsequent use. That's a Fact, Jack. Filtration wise, you can reuse a mask until you poke a hole in it, wet it, or can no longer pull air through it.

So why are face masks viewed as disposable items? The problem is removing a potentially contaminated mask, storing it, then putting it on a second time without transferring possible contaminants from the outside of the mask to the inside where they will touch your face.

The goal is to avoid touching the inside of the mask with anything that has been outside - the straps, the outside of the mask, or hands that have touched outside of mask.

Completely Unofficial "Been There Done That" Guide to Safely Donning a reused mask:

If previously worn, remember your hands are potentially contaminated as soon as you pick up the mask and should be double-scrubbed after donning. If you are wearing a cap to protect your hair, don it first.

-Pick up the mask carefully, being careful to only touch the contaminated outside surface and make sure the bands are against the outside surface. Insert your right hand from the chin (rounded) edge of the mask, between the bands and the outside surface of the mask.

-With your right hand, hold the top of the mask in place over your nose and mouth with the elastic bands dangling behind your hand.

-Pull the bottom elastic over your head and place it below your ears.

-Now pull the top elastic in place above your ear.

-Slide your fingers along each elastic towards the mask and use the elastic to gently adjust it into place if necessary using the elastic.

-1st use: pinch metal strip to form seal over nose if necessary. Tip: if you wear glasses, and your glasses fog when you exhale, your mask is not sealed well. Adjust the top of the mask to achieve a tight seal.

-Reuse: Assume your hands are now contaminated and scrub, dry, scrub again or deglove/scrub /reglove.

Removing a mask to reuse.

This will contaminate your hands or gloves. You should also assume your glasses, hair, and the back of your neck are contaminated (unless wearing hood and goggles). Wipe them/shower.

-Find a disposable container of a size to hold the mask but not too deep to allow you to reach in - (sandwich-size Gladware etc). Line with a piece of paper torn to fit – tissue paper, paper towel, crumple and unfold ordinary piece of paper several times until it’s soft enough to bend.

-Reverse the order of donning the mask - shift bottom elastic band above ears, remove top band while holding outside of mask in place with right hand.
-Be very careful not to touch the inside of the mask. The elastics should end up outside the mask, away from the inside.

-Place the mask into the tupperware bowl elastic first, contaminated side down, inside UP, taking great care not to touch inside of mask. Make sure elastic is below mask. Upon reuse, after donning the mask, discard the paper. Replace it before re-stowing the mask.

-Assume your hands are now contaminated and scrub/dry/scrub or deglove/scrub.

A recent study reports that covid-19 lives ~3 hrs on paper/fiber. Therefore if you let the mask sit for 24 hrs, you have gone through 8 half-lives and potentially reduced any surface contamination to 0.4% of the original level. You can further reduce any risk of reuse by alternating days.