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Are You Covered? You might be surprised what your face mask is doing, or isn’t doing?

May 16, 2020 by Leonard Hays 10 Comments

Are You Covered?

We have all been thrust into a world where wearing a protective face mask is a requirement of daily life. Even if we are not on the frontlines of healthcare workers, we are all on the front lines of a worldwide Pandemic. In our collective lifetimes, the earth has never come to an abrupt stop as it has with COVID-19. So how do we protect ourselves, and of course others; in particular those who may have a compromised immune system. It seems the earth has given us the opportunity to see we are part of a worldwide family, that can care for one another and protect one another.

There are many masks being produced today, but are they all the same? Does it matter whether you buy a $5 mask from a guy at the corner in LA? T-shirt shops in LA have converted to mask shops and are using their inventory of cotton jersey to produce tens of thousands of masks. Or maybe there is a nice pattern on Etsy that looks attractive with your vibe? If you tie it, two strings, one string? Then there are layers; one, two, three, four, five…what actually are the important elements of wearing a protective face mask? Are you covered?

We, here at KD Mercantile, have spent a great deal of time and concerted effort to produce a face mask that is above all things, doing what it is designed to do. Here’s a link to “Our Story” which can give you a bit into the background of the who and the why behind these masks. Right now I want to turn our attention to the masks and their efficacy in protecting us from virus’, I mean if we are going to wear a face mask, it might as well protect us?

I mean if we are going to wear a face mask, it might as well protect us?

Following the outbreak of the worldwide Pandemic, scientists at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory began to study the efficacy of different fabrics and combinations of fabrics in stoping particles composed of aerosols of sodium chloride. As a control they compared it to the N95 mask.

“The effect of gaps between the contour of the face and the mask as caused by an improper fit will affect the efficiency of any face mask.”

In addition, they also found is that not only high thread count cotton worked well, but having a blown interfacing or silk or chiffon lining created a further barrier that due to a electrostatic charge arrests a virus in its place. They found this combination was able to stop particles very comparable to a N95 mask. The combination of cotton with higher thread count and electrostatic layer exceeded 80% efficiency in the <300 nm range, and >90% in the >300 nm range. The N95 respirators are designed and engineered to capture more than 95% of the particles that are above 300 nm. Wow! Very similar to our masks!

Summary from their research: 1. Fabric with tight weaves and low porosity, such as those found in cotton sheets with high thread count, are preferable. For instance, a 600 TPI cotton performed better than an 80 TPI cotton. Fabrics that are porous should be avoided. 2. Combining layers to form hybrid masks, leveraging mechanical and electrostatic filtering may be an effective approach. 3.  It is critically important that cloth mask designs also take into account the quality of this “fit” to minimize leakage of air between the mask and the contours of the face. Such leakage can significantly reduce mask effectiveness.

“T-shirt masks don’t seem to work as well. In a Virginia Tech study, a mask made from a single layer of a cotton T-shirt captured only 20% of particles down to 300 nanometers and 50% of those down to 1,000 nanometers. A Cambridge University study from 2013 found that two layers of T-shirt material can capture around 70% of particles down to 1,000 nanometers.” source

T-shirt masks don’t seem to work as well…

“A recent Nature study found that nearly all viral droplets and some smaller aerosol particles were blocked when infected patients wore a surgical mask. But the new study suggests that a homemade mask could also effectively protect the person wearing it from other germs. But there is one major caveat: The mask has to fit correctly—without any gaps. This is something that can be difficult to achieve for those who don’t know how to sew. The filtration efficiency of a mask can drop 60% if there are gaps in the fit, making your choice of material less meaningful. “If I were making masks, I would place a lot of emphasis on the design of the mask to minimize the gap,” Guha says.” source

Shop Here

“If I were making masks, I would place a lot of emphasis on the design of the mask to minimize the gap,”

Here’s the Takeaway:

1. Mask must fit properly and be adjustable to be effective ✅ Our mask has multiple adjustment points AND a gusseted chin for the perfect fit!

2. Cotton Jersey is ineffective at stopping virus 🦠 sized particulate! Ours gets it done. ✅

3. A third middle layer that carries an electrostatic charge is key 🔑 arrests virus’ in their tracks ✅ Our non-woven polyester interfacing not only gives structure to the mask, but holds a static charge!

4. Masks with stitching down the middle actually break the barrier you are trying to protect 😬! Our mask boasts 3 full pieces sewn on the edges. ✅

5. Bandanas are not really super effective.  “They’ve already discovered that “things like bandanas – a common item people might use as a mask – are only effective at stopping the kinds of large droplets emitted when someone sneezes,” Smith says.” source

We are crazy passionate about this mask we have developed. We have put our combined energies into making not only something that is comfortable to wear, looks great, but we can say we got you covered! For sure you can find a cheaper mask, but not one with more ingenuity and thought and honestly a whole lotta love. Get your mask HERE.

Hope to see you out there!

~The KD Mercantile Team

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: aerosols, alonetogether, are bandanas effective, bandana, bandanas, buy local, cloth face masks, cloth masks, cnn, colorado, corona, corona virus, covered, COVID-19, droplets, fabric face mask, face mask, face mask for sale, face mask love, face mask pattern, face mask selfie, face mask shop, face mask swag, face masks, face masks for sale, facecover, fashion mask, filtration, fox new, GQ, how to wear a face mask, immune system, masks for coronavirus for sale, masks for sale, maskshop, N95, N95masks, nanoparticles, Pandemic, particles, personal protection, pretty face masks, protective mask, quarantinelife, SARS-CoV-2, sickness, stay home, stay safe, where to buy face masks, worldwidepandemic

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gerri Stebbins says

    May 18, 2020 at 7:08 pm

    All nice and said but unfortunately alot of ppl have to make do with watever mask or masks they can get as i do. Some are not lucky enough to afford to buy masks such as these at all.

    Reply
    • Leonard Hays says

      May 18, 2020 at 10:47 pm

      Hey Gerri, Thank you for stopping by. You are totally right, not everybody can do everything. We had a daughter that was immunocompromised and therefore always had to wear a mask. In these trying times, we are all doing our part. We are investing in the next generation’s health through research on the auto immune disease front…that’s our little piece. We make exceptional masks for those who need what we are offering.

      Stay safe Gerri, so glad you came by our site today!

      Reply
    • Leonard Hays says

      May 19, 2020 at 6:27 am

      Gerri, If you send us your address we would love to give you a mask. We will send it, with no strings attached…just wear it proudly and stay safe out there! We got you covered!

      From the heart of the KD Mercantile Team!

      Reply
  2. Melissa says

    May 27, 2020 at 2:15 am

    These are the best masks I have gotten. My glasses do not steam up and I am able to wear for long periods of time. Thank again ❤️

    Reply
    • Leonard Hays says

      May 27, 2020 at 2:21 am

      Awesome to Hear Melissa!!!

      We got You covered!

      From the KD Mercantile Family

      Reply
  3. Kari Roland says

    May 27, 2020 at 10:31 pm

    I’m giving blood on Saturday (double red for the first time!)always in memory of Kelsey. Definitely going to order one of theses!

    Reply
  4. Steve Mowles says

    May 30, 2020 at 9:01 pm

    Received our two masks in less than a week. Great fit, love the gusset that goes over my chin. Light comfortable material and very breathable. I highly recommend these masks.
    Arlene and Steve Mowles

    Reply
    • Leonard Hays says

      May 31, 2020 at 2:08 am

      Thank you Steve and Arlene!!!

      We got you covered!

      !The KD Mercantile Family

      Reply
  5. Mike and Betsy says

    June 12, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    In Arizona it’s quite warm and wearing masks is not fun, but the ones we received from you are extremely comfortable and work well here.
    We love how easy it is to adjust with the nice draw strings. God’s blessings to you!

    Reply
    • Leonard Hays says

      June 12, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      Such a great testimony of these masks we truly have labored for! Makes our heart happy!

      We got you covered!

      ~The KD Mercantile Team

      Reply

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