When COVID started, I was thankful my friend Shirley sewed masks. I heard the surgical masks were better and when I found them, I stocked up. When I tried on an N95, I stopped wearing the surgical masks because the surgical masks gaped at the sides. The N95 masks I have are a much better fit and it's all I use now. I thought this article was very interesting:
CDC guidelines recommend wearing your N95 and KN95 mask for no more than five uses, however, some experts offered tips on how to prolong your mask wear and keep them clean.
Dr. Joseph Gastaldo, a physician who specializes
in infectious diseases with OhioHealth told USA TODAY he recommends each person
purchase a pack of N95's and rotate when they wear each mask.
"If
you're rotating your masks, washing your hands and storing them well, you can
get five to a little bit more uses with them," Gastaldo said.
Gastaldo
said sanitizing your hands before touching the mask is crucial and storing them
outside or "in heat" will help keep the mask dry and clean. Dr. Sabrina
Assoumou, an infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center, echoed
Gastaldo's recommendation.
“For
an N95, we’d recommend you switch (the mask) every day,” Assoumou told USA
TODAY. “But, you can rotate them. If you have three masks, (for example), you
could number them and switch them around.”
Assoumou
added you can catch signs of when to throw out your N95 or KN95 mask such as
“fraying, stretched out straps or a deterioration of the mask.”
The
CDC said each time you wear and take off your N95 mask the straps weaken and
eventually they won't be able to “generate enough force to create a tight
seal with the face.”
How should you store your masks?
Heating
is one of the best strategies for cleaning an N95 mask, according
to the CDC – the mask can be heated at a maximum of 158
degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes. It recommends hanging the mask in your oven
using a wooden or plastic clip.
The
N95 masks can also be steamed and boiled if the plastic straps are not exposed,
it's not recommended to use soap or water to clean the mask.
"Lots
of people will store their mask in a brown paper bag to keep it away from dirt
and germs on surfaces. Others will store it outside in the heat to kill off any
germs and keep it dry," Gastaldo said. "All of this cleaning will
ensure you can use your N95 and KN95 mask for longer."
