Mistakes You’re Making With Face Masks

Currently with COVID-19 we are required to wear face masks in public.  This could be the type nurses and doctors wear, cloth masks and homemade masks.  We thought the regulations weren’t too bad.  It was in stores only and recommended elsewhere for Ventura County.  Los Angeles County has a lot higher percent of cases, per capita, and is the highest in California, and they have required masks everywhere in public or in places where public people gather (grocery stores, etc).  However, starting this week the whole state of California is required to wear them.   Sadly, as restrictions lift cases are rising.  I’m not sure if numbers will drop because it is warmer and pick up in the fall.  If there will be a second or third wave.  How long until the ‘herd immunity’ takes place.  I’m not a scientist.  However, I’ve been reading up on everything about COVID-19 since it started and I can definitely see face masks as something that will be around for a long time.  At least for the next year.  As they become a part of our daily routine outside the home I can see them as being more and more trendy.  People own multiple ones so they can be washed but also so they match outfits.  They’ll be an accessory to match with shoes and purses.  They’ll be cute, make statements, be expressive.

I’m loving these masks from Mask Market.  I picked a cute smiley face for me (since I’m often wearing sunglasses and people can’t tell I’m smiling).  I know people can also tell by tone of voice but this helps and I get a lot of compliments and smiles from it. 

Mistakes You Are Making Wearing A Mask

1- You are cross-contaminating.  If you have a paper (one-use) mask you should wear it once and throw it away.  If you have a cloth mask you should wear it one day and wash before reusing it.  You also should not touch things, touch your face, touch things, touch your face.  This is cross-contaminating and reducing effectiveness of the mask.  If you are in/out of your car a lot (ie doing errands) you should have more than one mask to wear or use hand sanitizer before touching your mask.

2- Replace your mask every 2 hours.  If it gets moist from talking a lot of working out than you might need to replace it more often.

3- Do not wear your mask below your nose.  This is stupid and I see it all the time.  It is 1/2-assing it.  Your nose needs to be covered.    It also does no good around your neck or in a pocket.

4-Likewise, the mask needs to go below your chin.  Masks should fit comfortable but cover the sides of your face as well.   The masks from MaskMarket have adjustments in the ear straps.  I’ve also seen handmade headbands with small butterfly buttons on each side for the ear piece to attach to.  This is great for someone wearing a hearing aid or someone that has to wear a mask for an 8-12 hour day.

Tip- if you wear glasses  and they are getting fogged up you can do a loop in the ear strap to tighten it a little bit and that should help.  This is especially useful with paper masks.

5- You think the mask works so well that you don’t need to social distance.    6 feet still need to happen.  Even with a life-long friend you run into at the store.  Resist hugging them.  If anything I now see people bumping elbows or doing a foot-kick to replace the handshake.  I really thing Covid-19 will change how people handshake for years to come.
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6- You are wearing a mask without a filter.  Not all masks are created equal.  MaskMarket has removable filters that can be replaced and washed.  Homemade masks should have middle layers with a water-wicking material.  I like this one a friend made.  I used my Cricut to print #IcantBreathe iron-ons for it.

7- Own a few masks.  That way if yours is in the washing machine and you need to go somewhere you have backups.  Also I might wear a different one, depending on my outfit and where I’m going.  My son picked out a masks with donuts on it and my daughter one with pineapples and dolphins on it.  I keep one in my purse and a few in my car.  

8- Kids should have smaller kid-sized face masks.  If you have kids make sure you have enough for them.  They will get them dirty, drop them and lose them.  Make sure you have backups.

9- Have a place in your car to store dirty masks.  If you toss them on the seat you might contaminate yourself picking it up.  For me that spot is below the passenger seat.  Once I have a few dirty masks there I’ll grab them out and throw them in the washing machine.

10-Avoid wearing too much makeup or lotion under the mask.  You don’t want to breakout and the mask is covering your face anyways.

I get not everyone agrees on wearing masks.  Some people thing Covid-19 is a hoax.  For those- please move on.  For everyone else- I would love your mask wearing tips and tricks.  Any input on things I might have forgotten to mention.