How to Make Your Face Mask More Durable?
To answer the question,
we’d like to introduce how a mask works.
The middle layer of a mask,
a filter which is called the melt-blown non-woven fabric,
is made with static electricity to absorb particles in the air
such as dust, flying droplets, bacteria and viruses.
Now, can we clean a mask with disinfectant or heat?
Imagine a dirty filter.
Can we recover its function,
by merely disinfecting it without removing the thick dust on it?
Well, we guess not.
Even the scientists haven’t found the best way to clean a mask.
Now we know it is difficult to ‘clean’ a mask.
But if we avoid ‘contaminating’ it,
we can make it more durable, can’t we?
The filth, namely the particles that adheres to a mask,
comes from two directions.
A face shield can protect us from outside particles,
like the flying droplets, from the person coughing next to you.
With some plastic pieces, DIY of a face shield becomes easy.
It can be reused after disinfection.
The inner layer of our mask is usually contaminated by the particles
that fly from our mouth when we talk.
To keep more contaminants from the filtration layer,
kitchen paper can be put on top of the inner layer and should often be replaced.
But a disposable mask is not designed for reuse.
It’s going to be worn out after all.
Drastic times call for drastic measures.
But we still suggest, if feasible,
that you replace your mask with a new one every day.