How To Make Fabric Masks At Home?

In recent days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have suggested the use of cloth masks as a measure to help slow the spread of viruses. How to make them at home?

The use of cloth masks can help to prevent infections by viruses and bacteria. Although the use of this material in masks is not always recommended, in recent days it has gained strength, especially in public places where it is difficult to maintain social distancing, such as the supermarket or the pharmacy.

And while it is clear that by themselves they cannot prevent a person from being infected, they are a barrier to reduce or delay the spread of viruses, especially in those cases of asymptomatic people who are unaware that they can transmit the disease to others. Can we make them at home?

The answer is yes. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shared some simple instructions for ordinary people to make their own inexpensive face masks. Discover the steps!

3 tutorials to make fabric masks at home

Before sharing the tutorials to make fabric masks at home, we must make something clear: both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and other health authorities have warned that these masks help slow the spread of viruses, but they do not provide the level of protection of surgical masks or N95 medical-grade respirators. 

In fact, they point out that the latter options are essential supplies and therefore should be reserved for healthcare personnel. Still, cloth masks can help increase protection in the population.

On the other hand, these entities point out that cloth masks should not be placed on children under 2 years of age, patients with respiratory difficulties or who are in a state of unconsciousness, and disabled people who cannot remove the mask without help. Making all this clear, let’s see the steps then

1. Sewn fabric mask

One of the most recommended materials for making fabric masks is cotton. Andrea Burón, spokesperson for the Spanish Society of Public Health and Health Administration (SESPAS) explained to the newspaper El País in Spain that, although there is no scientific evidence, cotton is perhaps the ideal material.

The reason is that, on the one hand, cotton conforms well to the shape of the face, which prevents protection from being reduced by gaps between the skin and the mask. On the other hand, it is a fabric that does not usually cause damage to the skin as it does with other materials. 

Materials

• 2 rectangles of cotton fabric 25 cm by 15 cm
• 2 elastic straps, either fabric straps, hair ties, or elastic bands
• Pair of scissors
• Needle and thread
• Sewing machine

Instructions

• To begin, we cut the two rectangles of fabric in the indicated measurements. It is important to use thick cotton, because if it is thin or worn, it reduces its ability to protect.
• Next, we make a small hem on the longest sides, half a centimeter (or a little more); and we also fold 1.25 cm on the short sides.
• We fix the hems with thread and introduce the elastic band in the widest hem. These bands will be the ones that will hold the mask to the ears.
• After inserting it at the hem, we tie the ends. Then we pull carefully so that the knots are inside the hem.

• Next, we join the ends of the mask joined by the elastic, so that they are adjusted to the size of our face.
• Lastly, we sew the elastic to prevent it from slipping and make sure it stays secure.

2. Face mask with a shirt and without seams

Either because there is no needle and thread at hand, or because we are not given sewing, there is another simple tutorial to make face masks with an old shirt (yes, one that is not worn).

Materials

• Old t-shirt
• Pair of scissors

Instructions

• First, we are going to cut the bottom of the shirt, with a width of about 20 cm.
• Next, we take the cut fabric and make another cut of a rectangle between 15 and 17 cm.
• Now, we make a cut in the middle of the strips that remain after removing the rectangle.

• Finally, we only have to tie the strips around the neck and the top of the head, making sure that the mask fits snugly against the face.

3. Mask with a coffee filter and tissue

One last option suggested by the CDC to make our own masks, also without the need for stitching, are those made with a coffee filter and a handkerchief. However, it is important to clarify that this option is not reusable.

Materials

• 1 coffee filter
• 50 cm by 50 cm scarf
• 2 elastic bands
• Pair of scissors

Instructions

• First, we cut the coffee filter to fit the handkerchief.
• Then we fold the handkerchief in half and place the filter in the center of the folded handkerchief.

• Now, we fold the top part down and the bottom part up.
• We introduce the elastic bands, about 15.25 cm apart from each other.
• We fold the sides towards the center and put one end inside the other.
• To finish, we verify that the mask fits well to our face. In addition, for a new use, we throw the filter and the bands in the trash, wash the handkerchief well and repeat the procedure.

Fabric masks: tips not to forget

As we discussed, cloth masks alone do not provide complete protection. Therefore, it is important to use them with caution and wash them well before using them again. Putting them in the washing machine will be enough to make them clean.

On the other hand, when removing them from the face, we must be careful not to touch the eyes, nose or mouth without first washing our hands. A good hand wash should last at least 20 seconds.