[Fabric Masks] Starting this as a resource for suggested patterns, fabrics, tips from crafters, and places you can donate. Please replurk! And first advice ALWAYS WASH YOUR FABRIC BEFORE CUTTING FOR PRE-SHRINK AND NOW FOR GERMS, always launder before giving away, and don't use elastic as that will degrade when sanitized.
When laundering the finished product to give away, wash in warmest water the fabric allows, with dye- and perfume-free detergent. When moving from washer to dryer and when removing from dryer, clean your machine handles, wear your own mask, and touch the laundry with freshly washed hands or gloves. Move from dryer directly to fresh Ziploc bag.
Also make sure that there is some way to differentiate each side of the mask, so that if it has to be removed and then put back on, it’s possible to tell which side was facing toward the public and which side was against skin!
sincere question: I'm really bad at sewing, but I'm good at crocheting and knitting - would it be feasible to make a crochet or knitted mask that'd be safe?
Yuff
: I'm not sure you'd be able to crochet or knit tight enough. (I just had someone else posit making masks by crochet/knitting.) From what I understand, the masks have to be a certain tight-enough weave to be effective. They should, ideally, certain fabrics too...
Yuff
I have crochet the edges of blankets to finish them, and I theorize that cutting appropriate fabrics (cotton or otherwise) and finishing the edges with a basic crochet is totally feasible, as well as doing the straps in a crochet.
I've found a video-tutorial on how to make/fold a face mask out of a scarf and two hair ties. Like obviously this is more for emergencies, but would it be alright to share here?
if you want to avoid the ear pain, see buttons to a fabric headband so the button sits next to the ear. you can hook the mask to the button and not your ear with the same positioning
If you have none of those things, let it line dry in the cleanest room of your home, then hang it outside in direct sunlight for 30 minutes on each side. Sunlight is extremely sanitizing.
Watching the video, she says the material she suggests can be cleaned in an autoclave safely. Great. Wonderful. Wish she'd say how to clean them if, you know, you lack access to one.
For patterns that have cloth straps! I had a couple jelly rolls sitting around and they are super easy to make into straps! And a lot more cost effective than ribbon or bias tape. bonus: many patterns call for 40" strips and they're precut at 42"
when it comes to the washing machine, it's not the heat that will harm fabric, it's the agitation. so if you have a machine with a delicate cycle, that agitates more gently.
for people who are stuck hand-sewing, you can cut the corner off a pillowcase and you'll only have two edges to sew to get a double layer. the tie attachments on one side will look a little janky, though
kind of a nice one stop shop for info, I've vetted most of the links and while some are outdated in terms of which health care facilities are accepting what, overall it's still good
I would cut up some old t-shirt material into a half inch wide strip, then pull on the ends to make it curl into a tube shape. You can then use that as ties.
it's worth pointing out that the CDC recs are also for normal day-to-day humans practicing social distancing. They're not meant for health care professionals
which is why using elastic for those masks would be fine. They are not masks that are going to be washed 10 times a day or autoclaved, they are masks that are going to be used like once a day, once a trip out
I've been making masks specifically not for heath care workers but for general folks going out to grab groceries who want the extra help to keep from touching their faces and yeah. two layers of preshrunk cotton and a couple elastics is good enough for that purpose.
I've found a video-tutorial on how to make/fold a face mask out of a scarf and two hair ties. Like obviously this is more for emergencies, but would it be alright to share here?