I have a rather dumb sounding question: Would spraying the front of my mask with Purell

[CTyankee]

be extra helpful? I ask because I do have to go out and food shop once a week and I wondered if this would be a good idea.

[mr_lebowski]

1. No because you won't be able to breathe through it then

And what breath you got would smell horrible.

[Vivienne235729]

2. Lysol spray would be better

[lagomorph777]

14. OMG the stench would asphyxiate me and would linger. Use plain isopropyl then let it evaporate.

Spray AFTER you shop, if you have to re-use the mask.

Don't attempt to breathe through a mask with any spray residue still on it.

[LAS14]

3. Get a KN95 mask on line. Chinese version of an N95 mask. I use mine...

.. when I have to go in stores and interact with clerkes, etc.

[TheBlackAdder]

13. I get NOISH N95 masks from Texas Safety Supply. They have elastic cloth straps and last a long time.

.

Every once in a while I mist them with alcohol, but keep a rotation going.

I buy the 20 pack boxes. KN95's were not as effective as N95's when tested earlier this year.

.

[phylny]

49. I looked on their site and everything seemed to be out of stock.

I did not see NOISH listed. If you have a link, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

[sir pball]

15. Sorry, but KN95s are generally as useful as paper masks.

They're theoretically certified by China to the same standard as the US N95...HAHAHA! Even if you get one that isn't outight counterfeit, it's likely not up to spec. If you insist, search for "FDA Authorized" KN95s; those have been independently tested and do meet the standard.

If you're truly serious about protecting yourself, get a half-face respirator and some P100 filters. That's as near to absolute protection as you can purchase, for about $25 total.

[moondust]

27. Angela Merkel wears KN95.

I saw her in a TV shot a couple weeks ago with mask on that had "KN95" visible just like this one:

https://www.medicalexpo.com/prod/hubei-yjt-technology/product-126671-948214.html

Google images shows her in a variety of different masks.

[sir pball]

32. They CAN be up to spec, as I said.

The KN95 is a fine standard, equivalent to N95, and if they've been tested by a 3rd party like the FDA-approved ones, they're fine.

But if you trust a Chinese company's self-certification, especially with a high-demand product that's easy to fake, I have a lovely bridge to sell you.

[LisaL]

41. The respirators have exhalation valves.

Which means you aren't protecting people around you.

[sir pball]

48. It's trivial to cover the valve with a square of fabric

Which then provides the same protection to others as any other mask, while still offering the wearer true protection.

Of course, it's bulky and unwieldy, you can't tuck it away in a pocket or purse (though far more comfortable than a fabric mask) - but if your main concern is protecting yourself, as many here are, it's by far the best route. And cheaper than disposable masks, to boot.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Probably not.

https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/sanitizing-masks-with-alcohol-degrades/

[CTyankee]

7. thank you for the science behind this. It is very enlightening.

I wash my hands after I return from shopping, using just soap and water. I used to spray down the groceries but that is just too laborious.

[tanyev]

5. I tried Lysol a couple times and then I switched to this stuff.

No odor. Is it effective? I don't know. I use it on my KN95s and filters and let them hang on a line in the garage for at least 7 days before I use them again.

[LisaL]

43. That could be decreasing the filtration ability of the masks.

NT

[Boogiemack]

6. I don't care what anyone says, I spray my clothes and outer wear with Lysol before stepping outside

to the grocery store. I wear a head covering that is sprayed also. It's never a saturating spray but enough to make me fell comfortable. Many say wash your had frequently, I wash my hair every time I shower. There are too many cases of unexplained infections where people say they were wearing masks, gloves and washing hands. Airborne means in the air. Wherever air is the virus can be. If it is in your hair, the pillow case you sleep on may harbor virus. As well, wherever a contaminated hair falls the virus will fall also...ever get a hair in your eye? So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Blue_true]

11. I see some people that wear a face mask and a face shield.

That is likely the safest choice. Virus particles can enter through the eyes, so in theory, if you walk through a viral cloud and some got to your eyes, you could get infected. One technique that I use when coming up on a person who is not wearing a mask is to create as much distance between them and me as possible, then turn my face completely away from them and stay that way for several feet more.

On edit. I honestly believe that the people that get infected, who say that they did everything right, made critical mistakes. Some people consider wearing a face mask to be a situation where they only have the very tip of their noses covered along with their mouth - that is useless, they are sucking in a lot of unfiltered air - the mask should cover their nose at least up to the nostril nose bones, and then a nose wire should be compressed to form-fit around the nose and adjoining face.

[hamsterjill]

37. We got some simple, cheap face shields at Costco

I use mine a lot along with a face mask. These are not PPE grade, but I do think they give added protection. They certainly don’t hurt anything, so why not. Visibility is not limited.

[Blue_true]

39. I tried safety glasses early on, but most fog up, even when I

double check my mask and insure the nose wire is set well. A face shield should eliminate that problem.

[Ms. Toad]

59. Your nose wire probably isn't the right grade.

A lot of people have been making them with twist-ties or pipe cleaners. Neither of these is sturdy enough. I'm not sure what "wires" in the surgical masks are - but they don't snug up enough.

22 gauge floral wire is just about perfect. Light enough that you don't notice you're wearing it, but stiff enough to conform to your nose

[Blue_true]

61. I have fogged up while wearing an N95 mask from 3M.

My guess is that I am a heavy exhaler.

[Ms. Toad]

64. If you don't have a tight seal, your glasses will fog.

I don't have experience with N95 masks - but I do with a lot of others - and (as a general rule) the problem is easily solved with a 22 gauge threaded though (or with a mask made with the wire to start with).

Based on looks in their advertsing materials the nose clip is too thick to give you a snug fit around the contours of the nose/cheek.

[Blue_true]

66. N95s do have a heavy nose wire, it made imprints in my face. nt

[Ms. Toad]

67. I'm suggesting it is too heavy to bend to conform to your face.

All nose bridges/cheeks are shaped differently - to get a tight seal the wire has to conform to your unique shape. Paper clips are another favorite of maskmakers on the too heavy end (the opposite of the pipe cleaner/twist tie) - they just don't bend easily to your personal shape.

When they don't bend easily, you get an inconsistent seal - some parts painfully tight(creating an indentation), and gaps in other places where the wire is straight but your face isn't.

[hamsterjill]

60. These don't seem to fog.

They are lightweight and easy to clean.

[Blue_true]

8. Depends.

In theory, the contact residence time of a viral particle may not be long enough for the Purell to dissolve the capsid (the lipid cover of the viral particle).

I think that you are better off taking the Purell to use on your hands immediately after touching things in the store, and finding a form fitting face mask that passes both the light and candle-blowout test - then keep that mask clean, and replacing it after a few months. I have a wonderful mask that I have been using since March, until I unfortunately discarded it with some trash. I washed it frequently and when ever I was in a dicey situation like going outside my home, I had it on. Fortunately, there are a bit of really good 3-ply masks available now, I bought two new ones to replace my lost mask.

[moonscape]

9. What is the light test? n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

17. I found this:

Or you can also just hold your mask up to a bright light source or use your phone flashlight. "Stretch it," Price recommends. "Can you see right through it?" If you can, that's a bad sign.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/07/24/895090627/coronavirus-faq-what-does-it-mean-if-i-can-blow-out-a-candle-while-wearing-a-mas

I use the KN-95 masks. I couldn't see the light through it, just a glow.

[Blue_true]

18. Take the mask, hold it up to a bright light source and look through the part

that contacts your face. If you can make out the light source and see the threads of the mask, the mask won’t give you top virus filtering performance.

I use the test to decide whether to keep a mask. You should be able to look up techniques for doing it online, use the string “facemask light test”. In my case, I use my kitchen lights as my test points.

[moonscape]

57. Thanks! n/t

[ProfessorGAC]

20. For Alcohol...

...mere contact time isn't sufficient.
Some mechanical action is required to actually remove the solubilized lipid from the surface.
Otherwise, as the alcohol evaporates, the lipid just seeks it's own surface level again.
If the lipid is gone, and there are enzymes present (unlikely on a fiber surface) any carboxyl groups in the protein can be transesterified with the ethanol. This effectively denatures the protein.
But, a little mechanical action removes the dissolved lipid, exposing the surface protein the oxygen. That's quite a slow denaturation reaction, but a little goes a long way in disrupting the virus' ability to reproduce.
That's why the lab efficacy testing for hand sanitizers involve a controlled friction source. Simulates the rubbing hands together.
Then the surface is plated or gelled for the challenge test. (Saw this done in their lab.)

[Blue_true]

22. Thanks, I didn't know about the agitation effect.

I though that just opening the capsid on one side (the contact side to what dissolves it) would be enough if the contact took place over a long enough time.

[ProfessorGAC]

25. If It's Long Enough, It Would

Give it enough time, and diffusion would take place.
The mechanical action speeds it up a couple orders of magnitude.

[Runningdawg]

10. OR mask guidelines

Yes I know its not the OR, but the mask has to work the same. Anytime a mask becomes wet, even if afterwards it dries, it is less effective. The best thing you can do is keep your mask clean and handle it as little as possible.

[Demonaut]

12. and get a DUI in the process

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Not For Long

Once the alcohol evaporates, you just a mask with emollients on it. Those won't help the virus.
Plus, the fragrance will become overwhelming, because it only takes a couple ppm for us to smell the fragrance.
Inside the mask, you'll get 2 or 3 hundred times that. Could get annoying.
Lastly, the alcohol destroying a virus includes a little bit of mass transfer effect.
Like rubbing your hands together, or wiping a surface with a paper towel.
That mechanical action helps remove the lipid sheath, and exposes the protein to oxygen more readily.
So no, it won't really work.

[Yavin4]

19. I wear a face shield and a mask for extra protection.

For extra, extra protection, I wear goggles and gloves as well.

?v=1598889359

[Blue_true]

24. I have been thinking about adding a face shield.

I use one of my 3-ply masks every time I leave home, but my eyes are unshielded.

[LisaL]

42. You really should protect your eyes with face shield, goggles or glasses.

Eyes also have ACE II receptors which covid uses to ender the cells.

[CTyankee]

56. Good. I wear glasses.

[LuckyCharms]

35. Same here...

[Buckeye_Democrat]

21. It might cause more air intake along any gaps.

And I definitely wouldn't apply anything to an N95 mask either, if that's what you're using.

[Rice4VP]

23. I think that people keep forgetting how this

virus is spread. The supermarket is safe because you aren’t going to get close enough to anyone to get their aerosols. Just wear a mask and stay 6 feet away.

During the height in April I would go to the supermarket once a week with a bandanna folded in about 6 layers. When I got back to my car, I’d use hand sanitizer and leave the bandanna on the seat for the week and then use a new one if I went out. It helps if everyone else in the store is wearing a mask.

[Blue_true]

26. I don't understand the anti-mask people.

After wearing a mask on public since March, I instantly stop if I get out of my vehicle without one one. The situation sort of feels like not wearing a seat belt to me now, I feel like I am walking nude without a seat belt on.

[ProfessorGAC]

30. I Keep 2 On My Gear Selector

And, I've got three more I keep in pockets of 3 jackets. And one more in my golf bag.
I don't go anywhere without a mask, even if I don't plan on going in anywhere.
Seems prudent.

[Thekaspervote]

28. Oh please don't do that!! Talk about irritation to the mucous membranes of your bronchial tree

[GoCubsGo]

29. A square of paper towel on the inside would be better.

Or, some other type of filter. I saw that nylon panty hose is one option. Or, get a neck gaiter to wear over your mask.

[ProfessorGAC]

31. Nylon, At That Molecular Density...

...isn't likely to create much adhesion. Nylon has a very low coefficient of friction and with fibers as narrow as pantyhose use, the surface area to total area of exposure is very low. I wouldn't try that.
I think your paper towel idea is better. Paper towels are an amorphous amalgam of course fibers. There is far less void space, through the thickness. Much more likely to provide an extra layer of protection.
The surface chemistry of this is pretty straightforward.

[LisaL]

44. Panty hose is supposed to go over the mask to seal gaps.

NT

[ProfessorGAC]

45. I Know

I don't trust that it works.
The % void space is too high to do any filterin..
And if it is meant to hold the mask seams closer to the face, a coating of Vaseline would be better.
In vacuum sealing applications, nylon gasketing is almost never used. Silicone sealants and gasketing is used.
If it makes someone feel comfortable, fine. I don't go in for false sense of security.

[GoCubsGo]

65. Yep.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/22/840146830/adding-a-nylon-stocking-layer-could-boost-protection-from-cloth-masks-study-find

[LuckyCharms]

33. When I go to a high risk area,

I wear a large cloth mask that has a piece of metal to conform around the bridge of your nose, and then I wear a 3 layered surgical mask over that.

Finally, I wear a plastic face shield over that.

I go through this routine when I go to the hospital lab for bloodwork.

When I go for a walk with my dog and am not sure if I will encounter anyone or not, I just carry a surgical mask with me and put in on if someone approaches.

Even with the mask(s), I maintain a larger than 6 foot distance whenever possible.

[IcyPeas]

34. either add one of those plastic shields (which I see for sale in the drug store now)

or.... I often see people wearing 2 masks. as long as you can breath that would be another option.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

36. Alcohol (the main ingredient in Purell and other sanitizers) evaporates very quickly,

which means it's going to kill only the viruses and other germs that are already on the surface when you apply it (which is the purpose of hand sanitizers and other disinfectants). If you spray it on your mask it might kill the viruses that have already settled on the mask, but once the alcohol evaporates - which takes only a few minutes - there's no disinfectant left on the mask to kill any new viruses you might encounter. So I don't think it would be useful at all, and would just irritate your nose and throat.

[ProfessorGAC]

46. Spot On!

See post 16.
Also, since the fibers absorb the ethanol, the surface contact time with viruses stuck to the fibers is very short.
Soaking in 70% isopropanol would work superbly, but the efficacy of surface disinfectants is not tested against a scenario where the active agent is wicked away from the target microbe.
I have serious doubt it would even be 50% efficacious.

[Maru Kitteh]

38. Are you able to expose your mask to unfiltered sunlight

in between trips? I think that would be a more effective and less compromising method of disinfection.

[LisaL]

40. As far as I can tell, no.

You shouldn't be getting your mask yet, especially N95 type.

[denbot]

47. I spray both sides my cloth masks with 70% alcohol between uses.

My cloth masks have pockets for a nose wire and filters, in which I insert blue hydro woven “shop towels”.

I’m guessing a fumigation between uses keeps the viral load on my mask down. Since I’m a long haul trucker I can’t avoid entering high travel areas to do anything, all I can do is hope my precautions are good enough.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

50. No. Many chemicals can damage the fiber matrix of NIOSH approved masks.....

such as N95s and N100s and perhaps change their filtration characteristics.

I would only use lab-tested methods to clean or enhance a mask.

Best to just have spares and rotate between two or three masks, allowing a few days of "rest" time between uses to allow any captured virus particles time to be rendered neutral.

If you're using cloth masks, it's possible a light coating of the fabric with an oil-based compound could improve filtration, similar to techniques used in industry (even in the home, that's used for some lawn mower air filters), but such methods should be lab tested for effectiveness with sub-micron virus particles. If not done properly, coatings can actually reduce filter effectiveness.

KY

[cwydro]

51. Why don't you use pick up or delivery service?

Many, many stores do this.

And no, don’t spray your mask with Purcell. Do you think medical folks do that? No, they do not.

[zooks]

52. It evaporates so not useful. What you can do for

extra protection is put a paper towel or kleenex between your face and the mask. If you can find them, buy the blue shop paper towels as they have been shown to be very good filters, in fact 2 sheets folded accordion style is an effective mask.

Honk Kong scientists back in March were testing regular paper towels and tissue so all this is solid info. They also came up with a dyi cloth mask design that has a pocket in which to put a tissue

[zooks]

53. It evaporates so not useful. What you can do for

extra protection is put a paper towel or kleenex between your face and the mask. If you can find them, buy the blue shop paper towels as they have been shown to be very good filters, in fact 2 sheets folded accordion style is an effective mask.

Honk Kong scientists back in March were testing regular paper towels and tissue so all this is solid info. They also came up with a dyi cloth mask design that has a pocket in which to put a tissue

[CTyankee]

55. I have a package of them from my pharmacy. I use masks more than once per mask.

Other than a little makeup on the sides (if I am wearing makeup) I don't wear them long enough o wear them out.

But how often do you change yours?

[BainsBane]

54. It's not good to breathe toxic odors

Last edited Thu Nov 26, 2020, 11:21 PM - Edit history (1)

If you want to soak your mask, do it in vinegar, if you can stand the smell. Be aware that everyone else will smell it to, but it is a natural disinfectant.

I suggest you wear plastic gloves. That avoids touching things and then touching your face.

[Crunchy Frog]

58. No. The alcohol evaporates rapidly.

It would just end up soggy and sticky, and probably less effective, since they're meant to be used dry.

[Mosby]

62. This mask is impregnated

Three key ingredients set the Outdoor Research Face Mask apart: First, the mask itself uses a revolutionary HEIQ V-BLOCK treatment to be resistant against spoilage from microbes. This science-backed technology was industrially oriented to reduce contamination for medical staff, and is only now available to the general public, making it the adjustable, reusable, and crushable mask alternative that’s more protective than basic cotton face coverings. Second, the filter has been tested to ASTM standards to filter greater than 95% of virus, bacteria, and particles. Third, a roomy design shaped to create a more comfortable breathing space, along with a nose wire to custom fit the mask to your face and prevent glasses from fogging.

This mask lets you breathe like you’re not wearing a face covering at all, and its spacious, customizable design lets you adjust for the most comfortable fit that’s tailored to your unique face size, shape, ears, and glasses.

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/face-mask-kit-283298?search_result=1

It's the most breathable mask I own, prob because it's not made from pillow case type cotton. I wear a mask 8 hours at a time doing fairly physical work. So far it hasn't picked up any odors, and the filters last about 2 weeks each.

[CTyankee]

68. Thank you! It's good to know this!

[SlogginThroughIt]

63. Honestly...

put on a mask and go do the things that you need to do. Don’t linger and do extracurricular things. Get in, get out. Then wash your hands asap. You will be fine.

[GulfCoast66]

69. I think it is a bad idea. Purell has chemicals besides alcohol

And they may limit the effectiveness of the mask.

I carry a spray bottle of Everclear 151 Alcohol in my truck and after getting in spray down my hands, keys and phone rubbing them well while wet before touching my mask. You might be able to spray that on the mask as it is just alcohol and water but I still would not risk it. And I use an N95. There were plenty at Staples office supply. Don’t think people look there.

When I get home I hang the mask in the sun on my trailer hitch for several hours. Of course I live in Florida so we are still warm and sunny.