Serious question about reusing N-95s

[SheltieLover]

A couple of months before the pandemic hit the states, I purchased a small supply.

I read one post on DU from an EMT saying to not put used mask in plastic bag. Rather to put it in a paper bag & scrunch down the top. (Not sure why a paper bag was recommended.)

I read that after carefully sealing my mask into a zip lock baggie, which was worn into grocery store a day or so ago.

I am not a fan of reusing the masks, but does anyone here have any idea how long an N-95 has to remain in a sealed plastic bag before viable virus particles are deactivated?

I will not spray mask or wet it or nuke it as I need it to be fully functional if/when used again in the future.

When I purchased my small supply, I would never have guessed that the fed would be confisgating shipments, therefore, I need to plan ahead.

TY!

[secondwind]

1. I've been keeping my N-95 in a plastic bag.. Hope you get a response......

[SheltieLover]

6. TY!

I have a small supply left & only need to go out about ecery 1.5-2 weeks for perishables.

I would like to think the virus would be deactivated after 30 days or so, but not sure. Perhaps nobody knows yet.

I wish 3-M or some quality manufacturer would invent usable N-95s or, better yet, N-99s.

[hlthe2b]

2. Paper bag is so that it can dry. The actual developer of 3M's N-95 mask discussed this

(Peter Tsai) and while he did not address new tech advances in their disinfection (e.g., the commercial peroxide and UV light processes), he recommended rotating masks so that you "disinfect" for 72 hours between wearing by drying them out in a paper bag, though you can transfer to a plastic bag afterward. Leaving the closed paper bag on your windshield in the hot sun is not a bad thing to do either, as heat > 160F will inactivate the virus. Wash your hands well after handling (removing from your face. Most inexperienced people cause themselves issues with self-contamination when taking them on and off.

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/health/medical/how-to-clean-and-reuse-an-n95-mask/ar-BB12md1Q?li=BBr8zL6

[SheltieLover]

15. TY!

[Mike 03]

3. Zip lock bag made of plastic?

I'm not sure that's a good idea. You want a dry environment like the paper bag you mentioned. Paper is what professionals use because it's porous and dry.

I'll let people who know clarify this, but I just heard within the last 24 hours that the recommendation is to put it in a paper bag if you can afford to let it sit.

I'm in the same boat as you: I had N95s purchased a couple of years ago for two different reasons: living in a wildfire zone and protection from Hantavirus when I cleared an area infested with mice.

[SheltieLover]

16. TYVM!

[nykym]

4. Not sure about most of your questions but

DO NOT PUT IN MICROWAVE.
The nose bridge is most likely metal.
Lots of sparks and fire!

[SheltieLover]

17. No, I won't

TY!

[LuckyCharms]

5. Good question.Thank you. Awaiting responses. n/t

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. Advice just for you, LC: When you're done visiting one store, before going to the next one, ...

... turn the mask inside-out. There's science behind this theory, but it's too sciency to try to explain here.



.
.
.
.
disclaimer: just kidding. do not follow this advice, you will mix "inside" cooties with "outside" cooties. That's the real science.

Stay safe.

[Jarqui]

7. check this out:

https://www.n95decon.org/

[SheltieLover]

18. TYVM!

[virgogal]

8. Paper bag dries it out better...I read that some place and

it makes sense.

[SheltieLover]

19. TY, Virgo!

[Sgent]

9. Paper

is definitely preferable -- plastic will seal moisture and (more importantly) bacteria in with it which will replicate. The virus shouldn't replicate however unless it can infect bacteria.

If you have a method (towel warmer, heating drawer) to heat the mask to 170F for 20 minutes that will kill the virus and all/most bacteria without hurting the mask. Most home ovens can't set a temperature that low -- this is one method hospitals use.

[SheltieLover]

20. TY!

OMG I will toss the one in the baggie!

[SheltieLover]

24. Wonder if a toaster oven would work?

I have 2 & they sure as hell don't get hot enough to cook or bake anything. I will try to get some temp testing done this week & report back! TY again!

[Sgent]

37. IDK

I don't have a toaster. If you have a slow cooker that you can set the temp on that might work. I would place it on a rack though.

[mitch96]

10. Can you spray it with a weak bleach solution? Then let it sit in a paper bag? nt

[SheltieLover]

25. I don't think it is advisable to wet them

as it could degrade the material. TY!

[Sgent]

26. Bad idea

any type of significant moisture can reduce the static electricity buildup they use to filter particles.

[mitch96]

43. "significant moisture"

I understand that but a "spritz" to just lightly moisten it with a fine spray...and then let it dry... Just a thought
m

[hunter]

11. I leave mine on the dash of my car.

Eventually it will fall apart from the heat and the sunlight and overuse but I've also got a mask my sister-in-law made.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Ha, I have four on the dash of my car.

I figure I can rotate through them. Any virus should be long gone after four days. Longer than that, actually, I don't go out every day.

[SheltieLover]

22. But doesn't virus fly around when you drive?

I can't park my car outside, as the most popular forms of entertainment in this shithole area are violent crime & felony vandalism of real estate, homes & especially cars. Like hell on earth. 🤮

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

41. Yes, it probably does fly around when I drive. That reminds me ...

... I need to change the car's cabin filter. It has a HEPA filter, but it's over a year old, probably not moving as much air as it should.

I'd love to be able to put on a new mask and gloves every time I go somewhere. Latex gloves don't grow on trees, you know. Well, actually the latex does grow in trees, but still, ...

[SheltieLover]

42. Great idea to change cabin air filter! TY

I was not being critical of your process at all, only concerned for your safety. When I leave the grocery store I never know whether to roll windows down or not (for safety). I prefer fresh air, but I am always afraid to blow any viable particles around.

[SheltieLover]

21. TY!

Sounds like a good plan, but couldn't the extreme heat degrade the materials the masks are made of?

[OhioChick]

12. My son said to put it in a paper bag

He said if you put the N-95 in a zip lock plastic bag, God only knows how long the virus will live on it.

Hope this helps.

[SheltieLover]

23. TY, Ohio!

I will dispose of the petri dish I have created. Please thank you son for me.

So angry health care workers cannot get these & it doesn't appear that this need & shortage will resolve anytime soon.

Is the whole world short on these masks, or only the US?

[Sgent]

27. The whole world

there are only a few manufacturers of the "fabric" that they use -- the largest by far being Bayer and 3M, and they only have so many machines which are operating at max capacity. Building new machines is extremely difficult although China had been trying for three months without success as of the end of March.

[SheltieLover]

29. TY for explaining!

[OhioChick]

40. Anytime :)

Everyone in healthcare is complaining about the lack of well.....just everything.

Most are getting their salaries cut by 20-40% to boot.

From what I've read, the shortages are a worldwide issue.

Flip the petri mask, start using a new one and keep it in a paper brown lunch bag.

[Elwood P Dowd]

28. I've been using N95 3M masks for a few years.

Mostly would use them mowing the grass, especially on days with high pollen counts during the bad allergy seasons. When the COVID-19 hit I had 3 unused extras left over from last year. Since I only venture out at most once a week to buy groceries and stuff, I just rotate them. Surely, setting on a shelf in the storage room for 2-3 weeks should be enough to make them safe to reuse. If I'm wrong, please post back.

[SheltieLover]

30. There are some excellent posts & links in answers above

TY!

[Elwood P Dowd]

31. Yes, I just read rotation was one method.

According to one link, you give a mask 72 hours before using it again. I'm not using them near that often.

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/health/medical/how-to-clean-and-reuse-an-n95-mask/ar-BB12md1Q?li=BBr8zL6

How to clean your N95 mask

There are three cleaning methods, which experts find credible and you can do easily at home.

Method 1: Rotation

Dr. Tsai cites a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that uses a round robin rotation of masks so that each one is rested for at least 72 hours before being worn again. Tsai has not experimentally verified this method himself, but it relies on the widely held belief that the coronavirus should not survive more than 72 hours on an inhospitable host, like the surface of an N95 mask. The downside to this method is that you need four masks per wearer, and that's assuming you use only a single mask each day. But if you just make a single trip for essentials any given day, the numbers work.

[SheltieLover]

32. TY

Where to rest them, though? I do not have a shed.

[Elwood P Dowd]

33. What about the trunk of your car?

Just put it someplace where you or anyone in your family won't come in contact with it.

[SheltieLover]

35. Great idea!

TY!

[hardluck]

34. Some Resources for you

https://m.box.com/shared_item/https%3A%2F%2Fstanfordmedicine.app.box.com%2Fv%2Fcovid19-PPE-1-2

https://www.noonecoming.com/masks-respirators-and-covid19/

[SheltieLover]

36. TY!

[GulfCoast66]

38. I scored a ton of 151 everclear a few weeks ago. Have a spray bottle in the truck.

When done shopping I first totally sanitize my hands before touching the mask. The spritz down the mask. Don’t saturated it but it is pretty damp. Then set on my dashboard. By the next day it seems unchanged and between the alcohol and heat in the truck here in Florida I’m feeling ok. But I also sanitize my truck like crazy. It smells like a hospital with all the alcohol I have sprayed on it. I should add that I put some peppermint extract in the everclear.

[Hekate]

39. KnR for all the replies