I put my N95 mask through the wash....

[RickG16]

.... by mistake. Is it now completely useless, or:

 

a) can still provide a carbon filter

 

or 

 

b) can still help protect against infection

 

Cheers

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post.

[Dumbastheycome]

If it  ended up in the  wash then as a washable product it is still functional as a second use barrier to some extent. Mostly psychologically as in  original use.

As a recycled product or new  is more  effective to be donated to that individual who  has a uncontrolled   cough or sneeze while in  your  vicinity.

 

[Bullie]

Thoroughly useless to begin with since it offers scant protection against the virus. The one thing that may help: rubber gloves, to be changed frequently and NEVER EVER touch you own face without scrubbing up before you do so.. Put some ink on your hands and you'd be amazed at how your face looks end of day...

 

Oh, and do remove your gloves before scrubbing up, there's a good boy.

[RickG16]

3 minutes ago, Bullie said:

Thoroughly useless to begin with since it offers scant protection against the virus.

I bought it more for its carbon filter (catches 95 per cent of all particles apparently). Not sure if this won't work now its been through the wash?

[Puccini]

2 hours ago, RickG16 said:

I bought it more for its carbon filter (catches 95 per cent of all particles apparently). Not sure if this won't work now its been through the wash?

I thought you might have, because I bought my P95 mask for the same reason two years ago. It is strange how the current corona virus panic makes people jump to all kinds of wrong conclusions.

[manchega]

The carbon should be ok, once dried it will still remain as active , the majority of water purifers use active carbon,

trying to think what a surfactants might do but there is nothing on carbon for it to interact with.

you mask should be fine, some of them such as cambridge can be cleaned.

 

don't worry

[Estrada]

The N95 will lose its' efficiency to trap 0.3micron particles after washing. As for using it to filter out Corona Virus, the virus has a width of only 0.14micron so will not trap Corona Virus. Only good or PM2.5 air filtration.

[Elkski]

What  mask pores size to HCW use? I read they use n95?    I have read the virus is .14 u.  But on a nearby sneeze good chance the virus is along with a blood of water.   I cant but think a mask is better than nothing.    Medical experts  commonly say it's good for someone with the virus to wear one.  Many times  people dont know they are carriers.    I think if there wasn't a mask shortage for HCW they would reccomend us all wear one.  Glasses too. 

[SkyNets]

Look on Lazada for a UVC sterilizer, you can re-use a mask and clean clothing

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/sterilizer-portable-uv-disinfection-rods-multifunction-kill-bacteria-hand-home-application-lcd-display-wand-i331474731-s637264944.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9YOfpp2N6AIVkYiPCh0g7wNiEAQYASABEgKJ9PD_BwE&exlaz=d_1:mm_150050845_51350205_2010350205::12:1498579383!58089999096!!!pla-296030489971!c!296030489971!637264944!140207479

[Cheesekraft]

19 hours ago, Bullie said:

Thoroughly useless to begin with since it offers scant protection against the virus. The one thing that may help: rubber gloves, to be changed frequently and NEVER EVER touch you own face without scrubbing up before you do so.. Put some ink on your hands and you'd be amazed at how your face looks end of day...

 

Oh, and do remove your gloves before scrubbing up, there's a good boy.

n95 offers very good protection against this virus as long as it is properly fitted. Stop spreading nonsense misinformation.

[Jaggg88]

Unless you shave at least twice a day then all these masks are useless as they don't form a proper seal.

[bkk_mike]

Wearing a mask doesn't protect the wearer from the virus if others are coughing (except for the minor impact of cutting the amount of times you touch your mouth or nose with your hands).

 

Wearing a mask does protect others from the wearer if the wearer is coughing.

 

Until we get to the point (like in parts of China) where to go out, you are required to wear a mask, so that everyone is protected from everyone else - it's a bit pointless unless you're the one coughing.

[balo]

The N95 mask I have is properly sealed. But it can be uncomfortable to wear, especially for hours at a time.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 3/8/2020 at 10:50 PM, RickG16 said:

I bought it more for its carbon filter (catches 95 per cent of all particles apparently). Not sure if this won't work now its been through the wash?

 

What kind of N95 mask do you have?

 

If it's the typical 3M disposable N95 respirator mask, they're not made to be washed, nor do they have any carbon element to them.

 

But even after washing, assuming the mask was physically intact still, it would at least function like the regular drugstore masks that can help prevent you from breathing in any virus droplets in the air coughed or sneezed out by people nearby you. Assuming the mask still has a reasonably snug airtight fit on your face.

 

[RickG16]

11 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

 

 

But even after washing, assuming the mask was physically intact still, it would at least function like the regular drugstore masks that can help prevent you from breathing in any virus droplets in the air coughed or sneezed out by people nearby you. Assuming the mask still has a reasonably snug airtight fit on your face.

 

I was hoping this would be the case. But a previous poster says....

 

"The N95 will lose its' efficiency to trap 0.3micron particles after washing. As for using it to filter out Corona Virus, the virus has a width of only 0.14micron so will not trap Corona Virus. Only good or PM2.5 air filtration."

 

What do you think?

[BeltAndRoad]

You should delouse the mask with zyklon-B this will take care of any mistakes you may make in the future.

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post.

[Iron Tongue]

No.

 

You can't wash & reuse an N95 charcoal filter mask.  The charcoal is already in an extremely thin layer in a mask and it becomes clogged during normal use from Thailand's poisonous air.  Washing won't unclog the filter, but rather the opposite as it will probably introduce even more particles into the filter.

 

 

[tifino]

 someone could have assumed the mirroring of the theory that the micron filtration through the material would be further refined, would equate with what happen to your woolly jumper if you put in a boiler ????  

 

If that thought were to ever control 'my' mind, i'd have to go see a Shrink

[Muhendis]

18 hours ago, Cheesekraft said:

n95 offers very good protection against this virus as long as it is properly fitted. Stop spreading nonsense misinformation.

Only as long as the infected person is wearing it, then all others are protected.

For "all others" all it will do is slow it down a bit. Many assume that the virus can't get through the filaments of a good N95 mask/respirator. This is a false assumption because, although the virus and any liquid it is in may be caught up in the fabric of the filter, as soon as we inhale, the virus will be sucked in further. Yes there is a chance that when we exhale the virus will be blown off the filter but don't forget Sod's law or is it Murphy's.

[Muhendis]

13 hours ago, RickG16 said:

I was hoping this would be the case. But a previous poster says....

 

"The N95 will lose its' efficiency to trap 0.3micron particles after washing. As for using it to filter out Corona Virus, the virus has a width of only 0.14micron so will not trap Corona Virus. Only good or PM2.5 air filtration."

 

What do you think?

Activated carbon as used in these filters has a really huge surface area which will contribute to trapping ions in small dust particles and hence the dust particles themselves this activated carbon has the same effect on particles in water. Activated carbon will still be fine after a dousing but the surface area of the carbon will have been diminished by all the particles it picks up in the wash. A wise decision would be to regard it's effectiveness as diminished.

[Bullie]

On 3/9/2020 at 12:44 PM, Cheesekraft said:

n95 offers very good protection against this virus as long as it is properly fitted. Stop spreading nonsense misinformation.

N95 does NOT protect against the corona virus, which is only .14 micron in diameter. N95 protects to parts with a width of .3 micron.

Please stop spreading nonsense reassurance.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, Bullie said:

N95 does NOT protect against the corona virus, which is only .14 micron in diameter. N95 protects to parts with a width of .3 micron.

Please stop spreading nonsense reassurance.

 Your own comment is nonsense. When the virus circulates, it doesn't circulate by itself, but instead, in larger drops of phlegm/mucus that are coughed or sneezed (and maybe even breathed) out, etc etc.  Those droplets are perfectly catchable by an N95 mask, assuming it's properly fitted.

 

If the N95 masks weren't reasonably effective in preventing virus exposure, then hundreds and thousands of medical personnel in China and elsewhere who rely on them when treating CV patients would be getting sick with CV. And that's just not happening, with some exceptions, usually when proper hygiene protocols haven't been fully or correctly followed.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 3/9/2020 at 11:36 PM, RickG16 said:

I was hoping this would be the case. But a previous poster says....

 

"The N95 will lose its' efficiency to trap 0.3micron particles after washing. As for using it to filter out Corona Virus, the virus has a width of only 0.14micron so will not trap Corona Virus. Only good or PM2.5 air filtration."

 

What do you think?

 

See my explanation to that question in the prior comment above.

 

Also, even if some virus containing material landed on the outside surface of the mask, the virus element itself doesn't continue living and remaining active for a long period. The virus itself will die on an exposed surface in minutes or hours, the exact time depending on environmental conditions (heat, humidity, sunlight, etc).

 

But, a mask is just a mask that covers your mouth and nose. It doesn't protect your eyes, which can be another exposure point for airborne virus materials. And it doesn't protect you from touching something with virus containing material (including the outer surface of the mask itself) and then later, if you haven't cleaned your hands properly, rubbing your eyes or picking your nose, etc etc.

 

To do things completely right, it's a whole combination package of personnel protective equipment (PPE) combined with hygiene/cleaning measures. Pretty much exactly like the medical staff who treat CV cases do every day.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 hours ago, Muhendis said:

Activated carbon as used in these filters has a really huge surface area which will contribute to trapping ions in small dust particles and hence the dust particles themselves this activated carbon has the same effect on particles in water.

 

The typical N95 class respirator mask made by people like 3M doesn't contain any activated carbon. The mask material itself is usually a combination of polyester and polypropylene materials, with the polypropylene serving as the filtering material.

 

 

 

Quote

3M^™ Particulate Respirator 8210, N95 is a disposable particulate respirator that is designed to help provide reliable respiratory protection of at least 95 percent filtration efficiency against certain non-oil based particles.
...
This respirator can also help reduce inhalation exposures to certain airborne biological particles (examples: mold, Bacillus anthracis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis), but cannot eliminate the risk of contracting infection, illness, or disease. The respirator incorporates 3M’s proprietary technology with advanced electrostatically charged microfiber filter media designed for ease of breathing.

 

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Particulate-Respirator-8210-N95-160-EA-Case/?N=5002385+3294780268&rt=rud

 

[mike787]

i wash my condoms the same way before reuse....