How to safely reuse your sanitary and N95 face masks

[Crossy]

3 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

BTW one observation for the ladies: don't wear makeup with the mask. It soils the inside of it.

 

Plays hell with the makeup too ...

 

[DrTuner]

In any case, good to see people are learning about basic sanitation. Heat, sunlight, germicidal chemicals, etc. Regardless of this virus, remember what you learn, keep your hands and tabletops clean, keep the cold chain intact, store food in refridgerator .. you know, the basics that should have been taught at young age. 

[frequentatore]

Water-laundry powder overnight, or sometimes spraying in&out with 70% ethyl alcohol. 3M carbon mask.

[sirineou]

2 hours ago, Dap said:

The metal staples attaching the elastic bands would be a problem.

I found an article about disinfecting surgical masks in microwaves, 

It recommend placing it in the microwave for 1 min. 

https://vietnamtimes.org.vn/instruction-to-disinfect-used-medical-face-masks-with-microwave-18764.html

So I tried it . Puff !!! it went up on fire. as it turns out , many have a wire on the upper side to mold it to your nose shape. 

 So if your face mask does not have a wire in it, It is reported that 1 min in the microwave is good.

I use a number of techniques. First i spray the mask with alcohol. Second I rotate their use, leaving the one I just used on the side for a few days for the virus to die on its own. and it just occurred to me (sometimes the obvious eludes you) my wife's nail polish drier is a UV machine. But keep in mind that UV   sterilize only as deep as the light penetrates, so probably only the surface. I think the rotation technique is the safest and  most effective  

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by sirineou
typo

[manhood]

You can just wash them with 60 degrees water and soap as the soap destroys the surface of the virus. That's why people should wash their hands with soap!

[Mac98]

I use them to bathe the dog. Kill two birds kinda thing.

[sawadee1947]

8 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Apparently, but as always with microwaves don't over do it.

 

Personally i hang them out in the sun all day

Not possible........ in Chiangmai with the terrible pollution at present and all year round Unfortunately 

[RichCor]

7 hours ago, Crossy said:

Our cloth masks go in the washing machine on hot, surgical masks get a hand was (as hot as I can stand).

 

Dry in the sun and all day UV from the sun too (I've ordered a couple of 25W UVC lamps, they may arrive before this has all blown over).

 

Then a blast from Madam's steam ironing thingy (no starch).

 

Anything that can survive that deserves to rule the universe. 

I was thinking of using a new-in-the-box pressure cooker as a poor-mans autoclave to sterilize our 'washable' cloth masks.

 

From past medical training I'm not a fan of having people wear masks long-term (many hours at a time, nor the same mask over several days) as this may lead lung issues or infections.

 

"Researchers at the University of New South Wales who studied the use of reusable cloth masks several years ago found that doctors who wore them had a significantly higher chance of respiratory infection. Almost 97 percent of particles got through the cloth masks used in the study, compared with the 44 percent that penetrated synthetic medical masks. The cloth’s ability to retain moisture, plus the fact that the masks were reused, might have also contributed to their inefficiency."

-PopSci article on making your own mask ( but not how to keep them clean. Oh well. )

[rabas]

5 hours ago, sirineou said:

I found an article about disinfecting surgical masks in microwaves, 

It recommend placing it in the microwave for 1 min. 

https://vietnamtimes.org.vn/instruction-to-disinfect-used-medical-face-masks-with-microwave-18764.html

So I tried it . Puff !!! it went up on fire. as it turns out , many have a wire on the upper side to mold it to your nose shape. 

 So if your face mask does not have a wire in it, It is reported that 1 min in the microwave is good.

I use a number of techniques. First i spray the mask with alcohol. Second I rotate their use, leaving the one I just used on the side for a few days for the virus to die on its own. and it just occurred to me (sometimes the obvious eludes you) my wife's nail polish drier is a UV machine. But keep in mind that UV   sterilize only as deep as the light penetrates, so probably only the surface. I think the rotation technique is the safest and  most effective 

So I tried it . Puff !!! it went up on fire.    Congratulations, you are now an experimentalist. May you live long.

 

Microwave is weak radiation and can only warm certain materials. It can only kill a virus by warming it to about 70⁰C.  But some materials heat faster than others and metal parts can act as RF antennas. You have no control over how fast parts of a mask heat up.

 

Just warming a virus may be easier in a conventional oven set it to about 90⁰C. The entire mask will reach 90⁰C and stay there, no harm, but may be more practical for a batch of masks.

 

Nail polish machines can't kill a virus because they use long wavelength UV around 395nm, not far from blacklight.  Sterilization requires a short wavelength germicidal (UVC) bulb, which blasts DNA and can also cause sunburn. But like you I wonder how well UVC penetrates a mask. The UVC tubes are make of quartz because UVC can't penetrate glass.

 

Got this from the interent: Synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester do a good job of blocking UV. Bleached cotton is a poor barrier material.

[Iron Tongue]

Steam your kit. 

If you have those Chinese bamboo steamers, or any perforated pot/ screen, put it over a pot of boiling water and steam your masks for 15 minutes. 

Let dry and re-use.

 

Ovens will destroy the rubber straps and make the mask material brittle.

[clo1980]

For your reference.

 

https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/disinfect-clean-n95-mask-virus-coronavirus/

 

 

Don't wash the mask.

[newatthis]

22 hours ago, Don Mega said:

A tube of super glue sorts the holes and is cheap cheap cheap.

Warning: Ensure glue is properly dry before using.

[overherebc]

23 hours ago, EricTh said:

Bingo. I do that everyday already. Not sure whether it is effective but hours of heat should kill it.

In sunlight you get A B and C Ultraviolet, but, unfortunately the level of C that reaches ground level is so minimal it can be classed as Zero.

C is the virus killer because of its wave length.

[DrTuner]

51 minutes ago, overherebc said:

In sunlight you get A B and C Ultraviolet, but, unfortunately the level of C that reaches ground level is so minimal it can be classed as Zero.

C is the virus killer because of its wave length.

B kills too, but far less efficient than C. Solution is simple, just leave the masks hanging in sunshine for days.

[monkfish]

23 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

B kills too, but far less efficient than C. Solution is simple, just leave the masks hanging in sunshine for days.

Won't the Virus die after 6 hours outside the body anyways?
 

[Jingthing]

22 minutes ago, monkfish said:

Won't the Virus die after 6 hours outside the body anyways?
 

Short answer is no. 

Long answer is the virus isn't technically alive but it remains infectious as long as numerous days depending on the material it's on. 

I think it lasts the longest on metal. 

[DrTuner]

32 minutes ago, monkfish said:

Won't the Virus die after 6 hours outside the body anyways?

Depends on the surface it's on, temperature and humidity, among others. 6 hours is a bit on the short side to be safe. 72h ought to do it.

[connda]

On 4/4/2020 at 11:32 AM, rooster59 said:

UV-C sterilisers can effectively kill the Covid-19 virus and allow you to reuse your sanitary and N95 face masks, research shows.

Which is pretty much a non-starter for average people.

Park your car in the sun and throw your masks on the dashboard.  UV light and heat - Voila!

[Number 6]

This is so assinine. Who would by such a device other than medical field.

 

What Thai can afford to drop the money on a contraption when they're starting at unemployment.

 

Goes right back to the government official and others in business community allowed to illegal procure and sell masks abroad. To communists no less.

 

Beginning to think cure worse than disease.

 

Spray with bleach. Rinse. Set in hot sun. That's what I'm doing at least

Edited April 5, 2020 by Number 6

[DrTuner]

1 minute ago, connda said:

Park your car in the sun and throw your masks on the dashboard.  UV light and heat - Voila!

Alas, most of the tinting films used in cars in Thailand block most of the UV.

[DrTuner]

Just now, Number 6 said:

What Thai can afford to drop the money on a contraption when they're starting at unemployment.

I think I paid 120 baht for the UV-C germicidal light from aliexpress, but that was before corona. I use them during cold smoking of foods to prevent bacteria buildup.

[Olmate]

On 4/4/2020 at 12:41 PM, EricTh said:

If there are small holes in the condoms after washing, then it is rendered useless. Condoms are inexpensive, why bother.

Ozzie. condoms have one big hole!

[monkfish]

53 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Depends on the surface it's on, temperature and humidity, among others. 6 hours is a bit on the short side to be safe. 72h ought to do it.

I looked into this before and found it was 6 hours on metal but I'll have another look as it's important 72 for sure but 24 should do it imo.

[car720]

apparently UV-C light works.

[Enzian]

Yep, hang 'em on the balcony in the Thai sun--the Thai sun probably being the reason we're not all dead yet anyway.

[racket]

I bought 100 surgical masks from Aliexpress and I never reuse them. I just use a new one every day, that's the safest bet. 

[JimmyTheMook]

12 minutes ago, racket said:

I bought 100 surgical masks from Aliexpress and I never reuse them. I just use a new one every day, that's the safest bet. 

 

Sherm, you need N95 for real protection.

[meltingpot2015]

On 4/4/2020 at 12:09 PM, Don Mega said:

Like my condoms I just bung em the washing machine and hang em out in the sun... works a treat.

I can't use normal human condoms. Have to specially order elephant or stallion ones.

[Thongkorn]

7 hours ago, car720 said:

apparently UV-C light works.

So why dont people use sunbeds to kill the virus,

[Lacessit]

On 4/4/2020 at 12:09 PM, Don Mega said:

Like my condoms I just bung em the washing machine and hang em out in the sun... works a treat.

I wish I was a Thai lawyer. I'd be looking forward to steady income from all the paternity suits.