All these cleaning options are better than NO MASK! 50/50 is better than 0/0 Right?
Depends on what type I guess . . . some provide more protection than others. But that's IF they're worn correctly.
All these cleaning options are better than NO MASK! 50/50 is better than 0/0 Right?
No need to use alcohol on an N95 mask: it damages the functionality of the mask.....as was already stated. Reference the article Yukonjack sharedDepends on what type I guess . . . some provide more protection than others. But that's IF they're worn correctly.
https://consteril.com/covid-19-pandemic-disinfection-and-sterilization-of-face-masks-for-viruses/Microwave Generated Steam (MGS):
Plastic reservoirs with perforated tops as shown are filled with about 50 mL of tap water at room temperature, the contaminated N95 mask is placed atop the center of the assembly and loaded into a commercially available microwave oven and exposed to radiation for two minutes (one minute each side of mask). Use of this method resulted in an average log reduction of 5.06 of viable virus. Note that many designs of N95 mask feature metallic nosebands which when exposed to microwave radiation will melt the surrounding area of the mask, rendering it unusable (12). However, average aerosol penetration and airflow resistance was not shown to have changed significantly for masks subjected to this disinfection method that did not contain any metallic components. It is important to note significant potential issues with this approach. As noted, the metal noseband can damage the mask and can also create a fire hazard. Microwaves are available in a variety of wattages both with and without rotating carousels. This study also did not identify whether any of these are important parameters in order to achieve viral inactivation while maintaining filter integrity.
No need to use alcohol on an N95 mask: it damages the functionality of the mask.....as was already stated. Reference the article Yukonjack shared
Use 150 degree dry heat for 30 minutes making sure the mask is suspended and not close to metal.....this sounds like a method anyone can do.....many thanks Yukonjack
Alcohol should NOT be used in cleaning the N95 masks.
https://utrf.tennessee.edu/informat...tection-sterilization-of-face-mask-materials/
Q2: Can the masks be treated using alcohol?
A: No. Face masks cannot be sterilized using alcohol because the charges will be erased by either alcohol liquid or its vapor, as described above.
My colleague Dr. Cai, a retired filtration testing scientist, collected experimental data in February 2020, shown in the table below, that support my past results.
Table 1. Measured FE after treatment with alcohol and soap/water (Cai et al., Feb. 2020).
Treatment using alcohol or soap water FE
Initial filtration efficiency (3-fold medical mask) 93.2%
After immersion in medical alcohol 67.0%
After treatment with saturated IPA vapor (ISO) 47.4%
After washing by hand with soap/water for 2 minutes 54.0%
The first web link in Q3 shows similar charge decay results after sterilization using alcohol.
Use 150 degree dry heat for 30 minutes making sure the mask is suspended and not close to metal
Enter your email address to join: