Wear a Cloth Mask and Save Lives

On Saturday, March 11, 2020, the CDC publicly announced that people should start wearing cloth face coverings, such as bandanas, scarves, or any other type of cloth face covering in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain like the grocery store. However, Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

 

How do you know if the Cloth Face Covering is effective?

When wearing a cloth face covering, it should conceal your mouth and nose areas and has a string looped behind the visible ear to hold the covering in place. The top of the covering is positioned just below the eyes and the bottom extends down to cover the chin. The visible side of the covering extends to cover approximately half of the individual’s cheek. 

When effective, the Cloth face coverings should:

  • fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
  • be secured with ties or ear loops
  • include multiple layers of fabric
  • allow for breathing without restriction
  • be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

If you don’t have a face covering, and you need to make one? No worries. Here are some face coverings you can make with the materials you have at home.

 

Sewn Cloth Face Covering:

Supplies needed to create a cloth face covering are displayed. The supplies pictured include: one sewing machine, one twelve-inch ruler, one pencil, two six-inch pieces of elastic string, two rectangle pieces of cotton cloth, 1 sewing needle, 1 bobby pin, 1 spool of thread, and 1 pair of scissors.

Materials:

  • Two 10”x6” rectangles of cotton fabric
  • Two 6” pieces of elastic (or rubber bands, string, cloth strips, or hair ties)
  • Needle and thread (or bobby pin)
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine

 

  1. Cut out two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric. Use tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets. T-shirt fabric will work in a pinch. Stack the two rectangles; you will sew the mask as if it was a single piece of fabric.
  2. Fold over the long sides ¼ inch and hem. Then fold the double layer of fabric over ½ inch along the short sides and stitch down.
  3. Run a 6-inch length of 1/8-inch wide elastic through the wider hem on each side of the mask. These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle or a bobby pin to thread it through. Tie the ends tight.
  4. Gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather the sides of the mask on the elastic and adjust so the mask fits your face. Then securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depending on the frequency of use, cloth covering should be washed regularly. 

When removing your face mask be careful not to touch your face, eyes, nose, and especially your mouth.

For more information, visit CDC – Cloth Face Covers

By Sadie Fetui
Ka Lā staff writer

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