Masks: What is in your filter pocket?

[Penguin 26,261]

What are you putting in your mask's filter pocket? Have you read any recent research on filters?

Any thoughts on the disposable PM 2.5 filters ? I bought some and they are a little small. They don't really cover all of the nose and mouth area. But they are readily available and not overly expensive. And I find them breathable. I'm not sure how often to change them out, either. I have read that they last a week. How does that work? Take them out and move them to a clean mask?

I have also read that OLY*fun fabric might be a good choice because it holds an electostatic charge. 

 

[historically accurate 7,816]

We use the blue shop towels. At the beginning of the pandemic, that was something that was shown in a study to work well, and we haven't bothered to look again if that recommendation has changed since we have the blue shop towels. We do have one HaloLife mask which has its own filters as well. 

 

[MEmama 12,369]

I use a coffee filter for the above reason—early on I read they work well, and I have a large stash of filters that are too small for our coffee maker but fit perfectly in our masks. 

Currently the longest I ever need to wear one is 15-20 minutes in the grocery or Target every few weeks though. When schools open and numbers rise I’ll be on the lookout for “the best”. By that time I probably won’t be going out in public nearly at all though. 

[Innisfree 7,490]

HaloLife masks and filters here too.

[happi duck 15,444]

When my mask is "just in case the hiking trail gets crowded" then I don't bother with a filter.  When going to the grocery store I use a blue mask as a filter...basically wearing two masks.

[Pen 26,943]

I used blue shop towels or a polypropylene similar towel for my homemade masks - but I have now switched to Happy Mask with built in filter

[rebcoola 3,177]

We have some that came with the charcoal filters.  We mostly just use blue shop towels since they are supposed to be good and we already had a huge tub.

[Penguin 26,261]

I had forgotten about the blue shop towels! 

[Catwoman 74,049]

6 hours ago, beckyjo said:

We use the blue shop towels. At the beginning of the pandemic, that was something that was shown in a study to work well, and we haven't bothered to look again if that recommendation has changed since we have the blue shop towels. We do have one HaloLife mask which has its own filters as well. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Pen said:

I used blue shop towels or a polypropylene similar towel for my homemade masks - but I have now switched to Happy Mask with built in filter

 

48 minutes ago, rebcoola said:

We have some that came with the charcoal filters.  We mostly just use blue shop towels since they are supposed to be good and we already had a huge tub.

 

I’m just wondering what brand of blue shop towels (or polypropylene material) you are using. At one point, I had read that the Scott brand wasn’t as good as some others, but I can’t remember what brand was recommended (and it was only one article, so I’m not sure if the info about the Scott brand was accurate, anyway!) 

Edited August 28, 2020 by Catwoman

[Selkie 23,392]

13 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

 

 

 

I’m just wondering what brand of blue shop towels (or polypropylene material) you are using. At one point, I had read that the Scott brand wasn’t as good as some others, but I can’t remember what brand was recommended (and it was only one article, so I’m not sure if the info about the Scott brand was accurate, anyway!) 

ToolBox or ZEP shop towels were found to be more effective than Scott.

https://www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4

[Pen 26,943]

41 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

 

 

 

I’m just wondering what brand of blue shop towels (or polypropylene material) you are using. At one point, I had read that the Scott brand wasn’t as good as some others, but I can’t remember what brand was recommended (and it was only one article, so I’m not sure if the info about the Scott brand was accurate, anyway!) 

 

I used what I already had on hand which was Scott for the shop towels and Idk a brand name for the polypropylene ones. 

[Catwoman 74,049]

26 minutes ago, Selkie said:

ToolBox or ZEP shop towels were found to be more effective than Scott.

https://www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4

 

THANK YOU!!! 😃

That was the exact article I read a while back! 

[kand 10,887]

I use non-woven medical polypropylene fabric. 

[Pen 26,943]

They now sell polypropylene in rolls about the right width for masks, so it doesn’t have to be as make shift.   It is much more breathable IME than shop towels

Edited August 28, 2020 by Pen

[MEmama 12,369]

3 minutes ago, Pen said:

They now sell polypropylene in rolls about the right width for masks, so it doesn’t have to be as make shift.   It is much more breathable IME than shop towels

Where would one find such a thing and what should I search under? When I did a quick search on Amazon it brought up labels. Lol

[Catwoman 74,049]

12 minutes ago, kand said:

I use non-woven medical polypropylene fabric. 

 

6 minutes ago, Pen said:

They now sell polypropylene in rolls about the right width for masks, so it doesn’t have to be as make shift.   It is much more breathable IME than shop towels

 

Thanks! Do you know where I can order it?

Sorry to ask so many questions!

[Catwoman 74,049]

1 minute ago, MEmama said:

Where would one find such a thing and what should I search under? When I did a quick search on Amazon it brought up labels. Lol

 

Ha! We were posting at the same time to ask the same question!

Clueless minds think alike!  😆

[itsheresomewhere 7,663]

We use the 2.5 charcoal filters from amazon.  These are large, completely cover the nose and mouth and even my DH can breath using them.  But we like to live on the edge and don’t use them daily.  I tend to hoard them and only use them in certain situations right now.  If our numbers go up, they will be used regularly again. 

[Seasider too 9,260]

Am I the only one who heard Jennifer Garner’s voice in my head when I read the thread title? 😆

OP I have used coffee filters and blue shop towels, but since I am largely avoiding crowds and indoor spaces, my three layer 100% cotton masks seem sufficient without a filter. 

[kand 10,887]

2 hours ago, Catwoman said:

 

 

Thanks! Do you know where I can order it?

Sorry to ask so many questions!

I’m interested to hear about the mask size rolls as well, but I bought mine on eBay. They are usually sold as sterilization wrap. If you happen to know a dentist, you can see if they’ll give you any of the blue wrap material they use to wrap the trays of instruments.

[slackermom 3,590]

I often use oly-fun fabric filters when I to a store. I got a bolt of it back in April. I cut a bunch of pieces to give out with the cotton masks I made for the extended family. But I found out nobody I gave them to was using the filters. So I started making new masks with non-woven interfacing sewn in as soon as I could get a bolt of that, about a month ago.

[kand 10,887]

1 hour ago, slackermom said:

I often use oly-fun fabric filters when I to a store. I got a bolt of it back in April. I cut a bunch of pieces to give out with the cotton masks I made for the extended family. But I found out nobody I gave them to was using the filters. So I started making new masks with non-woven interfacing sewn in as soon as I could get a bolt of that, about a month ago.

I’ve started sewing my filter layer in as well, though leaving the pocket open in case I need to add/replace. Sewing it in gives edge to edge coverage, and so far it’s holding up looking like new. It was hard to get the filter in really nicely, covering the whole inner surface, and I expect that leads to people skipping the filter. 

[Pen 26,943]

For those who asked search “polypropylene fabric roll” and the width you would like —

A lot of stuff like this should come up:

 

Disposable Non-Woven Fabric, 95% Polypropylene Fabric, Thickened Breathable Skin-Friendly and Soft Fabric, DIY Handmade Material(5 Meters) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0871MR1HK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eaEsFb3XRS356

 

 

[Catwoman 74,049]

1 hour ago, Pen said:

For those who asked search “polypropylene fabric roll” and the width you would like —

A lot of stuff like this should come up:

 

Disposable Non-Woven Fabric, 95% Polypropylene Fabric, Thickened Breathable Skin-Friendly and Soft Fabric, DIY Handmade Material(5 Meters) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0871MR1HK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eaEsFb3XRS356

 

 

 

Thanks, Pen!  🙂

[CTVKath 259]

If I use a filter, I use Olyfun. I bought a few yards of it from The Fabric Patch in Washington State but unfortunately it looks like they are out of stock now.