Protect Each Other With Homemade Masks

By Finn Digman

This week on Asheville GreenWorks’ Mind Your Plastic May Blog, we will discuss going plastic-free in your personal and home hygiene routines. This week’s posts will touch on crafting home cleaning solutions, buying plastic-free deodorant, and how microplastics end up in your wash. 

Today, we are diving into a topic close at hand: masks. 

The COVID-19 pandemic gives us cause to seriously consider our interactions with other people. As Phase 1 unfolds in North Carolina, gatherings of up to 10 people in open-air settings are allowed, retailers can be open to 50% capacity, and residents can leave home for some commercial activity.  All this interaction means the risk of exposure is much greater. 
This month, we have discussed how good hygiene can help prevent the spread of COVID-19. By thoroughly cleaning your reusable bags, washing your hands, and practicing good home hygiene, you are less likely to spread or contract the virus. 
COVID-19 is transmitted primarily through the air. When a person coughs, sneezes, or breathes, those respiratory droplets remain airborne. The droplets can then be inhaled by a friend or passerby. The cloud of airborne droplets each of us naturally creates spans, in general, about 6 feet. When those droplets are infected with COVID-19, the people closest to us are the most at risk. 

So, how do we protect our neighbors and loved ones? 

There are two easy steps:
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First, practice social distancing! During Phase 1 of North Carolina’s reopening, most commercial businesses are still closed, teleworking is encouraged, and staying home is considered the least risky action. If you do go out to buy groceries or grab take-out from your favorite restaurant, actively maintain a distance of 6 feet from the people around you.
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Second, wear a mask! Masks greatly reduce the spread of a COVID-19. Wear masks in areas where community transmission is likely. This means gas stations, grocery stores, and other heavily-trafficked areas.

Take these two steps not only to protect yourself but our whole society. Stay 6 feet away and wear your mask for survivors of cancer, pregnant people, those with HIV or other immunocompromising diseases, the elderly and the young. 

At Asheville GreenWorks, we believe in responsibility and compassion. You have the option to protect the people in our town by practicing these steps. Be responsible, be compassionate, and be safe.

We know you will do the right thing, and we want to help! So, read below for tips on creating your own masks at home.
Why make a mask at home? Over the past 2 months, we have seen a major uptick in disposable masks littering our roadside and rivers. Disposable masks are in short supply and are needed by healthcare and essential industry workers more than anyone. Plus, making your own masks gives you the opportunity to add some style to your COVID wardrobe. 

Pictured above: Cleo Conk, a local mask maker, custom jeweler, and drag performer, shares her beautifully bedazzled mask. @total_cliche on Instagram

Making a mask at home is surprisingly easy. You can make versions of a mask with little or no sewing, or you can use a sewing machine to create a more structured piece. Once you get the hang of it, you can share masks with your family and friends (while practicing appropriate social distancing). Read below for 2 CDC recommended mask designs you can craft at home!

Homemade No-Sew T-Shirt Mask
Materials Needed: 

1. Scissors
2. T-Shirt

​3 Steps:

Home Sewn Face Mask
Materials Needed:

1. Two 10”x6” rectangles of cotton fabric
2. Two 6” pieces of elastic (or rubber bands, string, cloth strips, or hair ties)
3. Needle and thread (or bobby pin)
4. Scissors
5. Sewing machine

4 Steps:
1. Cut out two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric. Use tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets. T-shirt fabric will work in a pinch. Stack the two rectangles; you will sew the mask as if it was a single piece of fabric.

2. Fold over the long sides ¼ inch and hem. Then fold the double layer of fabric over ½ inch along the short sides and stitch down.

3. Run a 6-inch length of 1/8-inch wide elastic through the wider hem on each side of the mask. These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle or a bobby pin to thread it through. Tie the ends tight. Don’t have elastic? Use hair ties or elastic head bands. If you only have string, you can make the ties longer and tie the mask behind your head.

4. Gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather the sides of the mask on the elastic and adjust so the mask fits your face. Then securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping.

Remember: Wearing a mask is only effective if you use it correctly. Follow these steps to stay safe while donning, wearing, and doffing your mask.

• Only touch the ear loops when putting on a mask
• Avoid touching the front of the mask or your face
• Wear your mask above your nose
• If possible, wear glasses to protect your eyes
• When removing your mask, use the ear loops to remove
• Place your mask on a clean tissue or paper towel face down
• Wash and dry your homemade mask daily. The heat of your dryer helps to disinfect your mask. If you wear a surgical mask, wear a new one daily

 
Your mask should fit snuggly, include multiple layers of fabric, and allow for unrestricted breathing. Follow this link to read more from the CDC’s website.
It is always a good idea to wear masks when sick. Keep this in mind when the COVID-19 pandemic is far behind us. You can protect your loved ones and mine by practicing social responsibility daily- even when state, federal, and global guidelines do not necessitate your action as they do today. So, find your favorite fabric and craft a mask to keep for years to come. And most importantly, be safe out there.
 







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Finn Digman is an avid environmentalist and outdoorsman. As the Waste Reduction Education Coordinator for Asheville GreenWorks, he is committed to disseminating waste reduction information to protect and preserve our communities.

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