When you are wearing a face mask, you expect it to protect you. That’s why when choosing a face mask, there are specific attributes you should look out for. These qualities are essential for a mask to be effective.
Fabric
It is all about the fabric used to make a face mask. Not only should you check the outside of a mask, but also the filter material. The best filter materials should be dense but not too dense to make breathing uncomfortable. Teflex teflonfilter mask is an excellent example of a mask with PTFE membranes for better filtration. PTFE membranes form the best filter material, not to mention they are reusable. All you need is some alcohol for cleaning. The PTFE membranes are also commonly used in the N95 masks.
Cotton fabric is also suitable for making face masks. Cotton fabric is breathable and naturally draws water away from your skin. A cotton mask will balance the moisture between your skin and your face mask so you will not retain a lot of heat, and your mask will not feel damp. Cotton also offers insulation against the hot sun in summer. Before we can go back to normal, we might be going to the beach with a mask. You will need something to shield you from the sun.
Research has shown that cotton rarely causes any allergic reactions. The cotton in a filter can be closely packed and remain breathable. Remember, the denser and closely packed the filter material, the more protection is guaranteed. Since cotton is soft and easily stretches, you are guaranteed comfort. Cleaning a cotton mask is painless and does not tamper with the filtering ability. This is made possible by its tensile strength, and it is 30% stronger when wet.
When you go looking for a mask, you can test its quality using a source of light. If a lot of light goes through the material, you should probably avoid it. If too little light goes through, you might have problems when breathing. Your lungs will be overworked quickly since you are breathing heavily.
For homemade masks, you can surprisingly use that vacuum bag to make an efficient face mask. Coffee filter papers have also proven to be useful for filtering. However, breathing can be difficult. There are several hacks you can use to boost the efficiency of your cloth mask. You can add a piece of your stockings for better filtration.
Although we are fighting a virus, on one side, we are destroying our environment. Disposable masks are now scattered all over some streets because we lack appropriated waste disposal systems. Reusable face masks with filters are the best masks we could acquire if we want our ecosystem to remain. PTFE membranes form the best filter materials with dense packaging that also leaves space for breathing. With the current prevailing, we might take a lot of time before we can stop using the face mask. The pandemic requires us to take protective measures, and the face mask plays an essential role in fighting the virus.
