Now that the corona virus is spreading rapidly around the world, we all need to do our very best to protect ourselves and others as much as possible. For example, you have now seen hundreds of photos or videos on Instagram about what you have to do to protect yourself: wash hands, wear mouth caps, disinfect and of course stay at home! This blog focuses on the importance of wearing face masks and how to make sure you always have one with you. Buying hospital masks is not the solution, because there is a shortage of it and it should only be used by professionals who really need it, such as doctors. That is why a self-made mouth mask is the perfect idea and activity to spend this time in your home effectively.



How safe is a self-made mouth mask?

A mouth mask that you have put together yourself is of course never as good as a hospital mouth mask, so it can never be used as a replacement. This also means that the self-made mask does not ensure that you are allowed to walk the streets with symptoms of COVID-19, or that you are fully protected against others. With a virus like corona, a homemade mouth mask has about 50% of the effectiveness of a hospital mouth mask. That is certainly better than nothing and therefore also a very good option for when you go shopping.

What kind of material do you use?

Fortunately, research has been done for this. The best materials you can use (from the things you have around the house) are either an old T-shirt or a pillowcase. This is shown in a case study by Cambridge University, in which they saw that a 100% cotton T-shirt stops 51% to 70% of the virus. A tea towel even held back 73%, which is quite good if you compare it to 89% holding a hospital mask. The only problem is that this makes it difficult to breathe, which is why the University recommended making the mask from a t-shirt or pillowcase (stops 57% of viruses).

I hope we've made you curious enough to actually start designing your own face mask. No worries! We can also arrange that for you. Keep an eye on our website for part 2 which will explain in detail what steps you need to take and what you need to make your perfect mask!