Masks and How to Wear Them Correctly!

This person is not wearing a mask correctly.

Do you see why?  She is breathing unfiltered air!

It was with much trepidation that I went to the eye doctor a few days ago. Knowing there was no way to socially distance while being examined was very stressful and my anxiety was awful.  Those fears were realized when I saw the doctor come out front with a mask that kept slipping off of her nose and had gaps on the side as the elastic was loose.

She attempted to approach me and I kept backing up across the room and finally I held my hand up, palm out, and aid I was deeply concerned about her mask and the fact that we were going to have to be close. She tightened it up and we went to the examining room. But when I asked her to stop letting her mask slip down…I dove in. I explained to her how I had gotten my mask to fit and why it was imperative for her to do so.  I explained to her the ways I assure that my masks fit correctly.

So let’s talk about that.  I am a very small person; I have to wear children’s glasses, I can still wear my baby jewelry…so you can imagine how frustrating finding a mask that fits well has been. When the pandemic hit I made my own, then a friend made some for me.  But they didn’t fit snuggly enough. I added straps instead of ear loops. That helped. I added a casing to put nose pieces through that I made out of spacers for window screens. Works perfectly. Then I added darts on each side.

But my masks started wearing out from being washed so much. So I use my really snug. great fitting masks for things like going to the grocery store or doctors visits and have made it through just fine. I know for a fact that I was exposed to the virus at least, up close to someone who did not have a mask on and tested positive within a few days.

We finally were able to get really well made masks on Etsy and I have tweaked each one to my specifications. But as this goes on longer my masks started to show wear. I had to find an answer to those quick trips like getting gas or a quick run to the health food store. I use my masks ONLY ONCE so I ordered a pack of triple layer white cotton ear-looped masks from Amazon. I got a pack of 50. I added a dart to each side to make them fit better and ordered these three products from Amazon;

I was all set. I also use two non-woven paper filters under each mask. (blue shop towels available form Amazon (pricy) or the Auto parts store).

Then I ordered a bed from a friend who has a mattress store at the beach. He explained to me that his delivery person was a non-masker. I told him it was a deal breaker, that I would get him a mask. When he showed up he put one one. But I was left with a pack of 50 surgical masks that were HUGE on me.

So, I got to work. I put a dart on the chin and refolded the bottom with another pleat. I stapled them in place being careful to only staple on the outer parts that already had holes.

 See the dart on the chin and how I folded the pleat while making sure to catch the strap?

When I wear it now I use the extender to make it fit snug (the silicone straps) and I use two paper filters and a carbon filter. These are trimly easy to breath in and talk in but my glasses do not fog and I can yell or blow real hard and no fog. SO I know I breathing ONLY filtered air!

DON”T wear a mask like this;