A journey to figure out a workable homemade protective mask

Washington state health officials are now recommending that you wear a mask any time you are in public and can’t guarantee your social distancing. If you’ve been out in public, you know the definition of mask is pretty loose.

How to make your own protective mask

I spent about an hour yesterday trying to fashion some sort of mask. That came after about an hour scouring the garage for the normal masks I thought I had left over from my last home improvement project, and another 30 minutes searching for my bandanna.

When I found my bandanna, my wife and I started looking for the best YouTube videos, trying different methods only to find out that my ears are too flexible. I used hair ties and rubber bands and my ears would hold nothing, so that was out.

Eventually I found an old neck-warmer that was a promo gift at college football game about ten years ago. I folded it over itself, and it seems to work.

Going to the store, I noticed a lot of makeshift masks. Everyone is scrambling to find something that at least mimics the state and federal guidelines.

Providence asks public for help making millions of masks

You’re looking for a cloth face covering that covers your nose and mouth and has several layers. These homemade masks should be washed every day or after every use, if you can.

After all of that work, I did find a hard plastic mask with a cloth insert that I used when Mount St. Helens started erupting again around 2008, but I decided against wearing it in public because it looks like I’m wearing athletic protective cup on my face.

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