# Important tip for adjusting face masks



## void gaze (Apr 25, 2020)

I’m probably quite late learning this but I’ve been telling people because a relative who is a physician just told me and a lot of my coworkers didn’t know either: definitely wear a (well-fit to nose) mask, but *definitely raise and lower it, when you have to, by the strings NOT the front part that actually covers your nose and mouth.* The more you touch the main part of the mask the more it undermines its effectiveness against coronavirus. Touch it as little as possible on the general principle of keeping hands away from eyes nose and mouth as much as possible and , as anything permeable enough to breathe through will eventually be saturated with whatever you're breathing. I clean mine with bleach and put away for a week (have 7 storage spots for days). 

In general masks are imperfectly protective and we should continue to be very careful about hand washing and face touching which are super important. I was also told by this relative that one of the main reasons to wear masks is literally to keep hands off faces. 

Be well all


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## floridaboater (Apr 25, 2020)

The traveler bandana and a couple of rubber bands makes a great improvised mask


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## coltsfoot (Apr 25, 2020)

I found this one to be pretty helpful. Better to just get lost if you can.


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## void gaze (Apr 25, 2020)

I’m not sure why the thread title was changed or if I can fix it but I really don’t think adjusting covers it; it’s about functional mask wearing in general. 

Fitting to the nose is important to the mask function of keeping air out (as a bonus it helps glasses not get fogged) 

Not touching the mask is important to the function of keeping your hands off your face because if you touch the mask a lot, especially if you’ve been wearing it a while, it’s as bad an idea as touching your face a lot. Same goes for regularly disinfecting masks.


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