Over the last few months of living with masks of all different varieties, I have come up with some tricks of the trade so to speak when it comes to masks. I’m sure any of my medical/frontline-worker friends who wear masks even more than the rest of us, could shed even more light on mask wear – mask cleaning, mask fashion, mask faux pas, and other general mask etiquette – but today here are mine.
These are just a few of the questions I’ve gotten, or think I should have gotten over the last few months.
How many masks should I buy per household member?
I keep 2-3 cloth masks per week in rotation for me. These serve when I’m running to the post office, the fabric store or the grocery store; which are primarily the places that I travel to on a weekly basis. My teenagers have 2-3 each; either because they can’t always find one or because they like having different colors to choose from. My husband has 2, and he is my toughest customer. He only wears them because they are required by his place of business.
How do I clean my mask?
I recommend treating your masks like delicates. Either hand wash in mild soap, or place them in a mesh bag on the delicate cycle of your washing machine. They may be dried in the dryer in the mesh bag on low heat; they can be ironed dry on the cotton setting of your iron; or you can hang them to dry in the sunshine.
I personally wash mine once a week and either dry them in the dryer (in the mesh bag) or iron them dry so they keep their shape better. During the week I hang them in the rear view mirror of my vehicle with a large wire S hook. The sunshine and the heat inside my vehicle help kill any germs, and keeping multiple masks in rotation allows for each mask a chance to sit in the sun long enough to kill my own germs.
How do I choose the style of mask?
Let me preface this by stating that I have only worn my own masks. I have worn paper disposable masks, but that is comparing apples to oranges, in my opinion.
I do like the neck-gator style masks, but I haven’t investigated those too closely because I don’t typically sew on that stretchy type of fabric. This is this style of mask that my husband’s office decided to use, and the only complaint I hear from my husband is that it messes up his beard. I do crochet neck-gators for winter, but definitely don’t want anything like that in summer in Texas. I would be open to designing one with cotton fabric, but haven’t had the time or request to do it, yet.
As far as the Pleated and/or Pocket style of mask, I do like the ease and flexibility of size that these have. They are basically one size fits most. They have some flexibility of nose-to-chin height and ear-to-ear width. I prefer the elastic ear loops, but I have many people asking for the ties because that gives you ultimate flexibility as far as sizing. Overall you would want this if you don’t have to wear a mask much and just need one to throw on for a few minutes when you’re in public.
The Fitted style mask is the most comfortable for long term wear, in my opinion. It is designed to fit close to your face, resting comfortably on the bridge of your nose and hugging your chin underneath while leaving plenty of room for you to breath and speak. If you have to wear a mask all day long, this is the one for you.
How do I wear my glasses with a mask?
I wear readers and sunglasses. I am constantly changing my glasses. Adding a mask to the mix made me feel even sillier as I juggle all the accoutrements of daily life in the pandemic induced twilight zone that is 2020. I have found that tucking your glasses over the top of your mask helps reduce the amount of mask-movement and glasses-fog.
How do I choose a color/design for a mask?
I like to think of picking a mask color like picking a tie color. Do you want your mask to make a statement, or compliment your outfit? Is your mask a uniform to be blended with all others in your environment, or a one-of-a-kind statement about you? Since wearing a mask obscures our most common form of expressing ourselves – what do you want the mask to say for you?
Can I use essential oils with my mask?
Yes! I love to drop a few drops of essential oil into my mask to help with sanitizing, disinfecting, and it just makes the overall mask experience more pleasant. I have used Thieves oil, lavender oil and eucalyptus oil. All of these have antibacterial properties, smell good and a little goes a long way.
If you have any more questions about masks, ordering masks, designing masks or any other fabric engineering we can do together…please contact me and let’s collaborate!
Calder Creations 