With COVID-19 going on, there has been a lot of panic and stress that has come to many people’s attention. As soon as the stay at home order was put into place, people all around the country swept the stores of all items safety-related. . Masks and hand sanitizer being one of the biggest items off of the shelves currently.
As of right now, the general public is not advised to buy or use surgical masks or N95 masks because they are in such low supply. Instead, the CDC and other officials are recommending that people make their own masks.
Only a few items are needed at home to make a mask, and sewing skills is not one of them. Here is a simple, quick and easy way to make a mask:
You will need either a bandana or any type of material that is 20 inches by 20 inches, a coffee filter, hair ties, and scissors.
1. First, cut off the bottom third of a coffee filter.
2. Lay your fabric down flat and fold it into a rectangle.
3. Put the cut filter in the middle of the rectangle, lengthwise.
4. Fold each top and bottom of the fabric over the filter creating a long strip.
5. Place hair ties about six inches apart and fold fabric towards the middle.
6. Then place the hair ties around your ears.
7. Experts also recommend switching out the filter after every use just to be safe.
8. It is also a difficult task to find hand sanitizer in stores right now. However, making hand sanitizer can also be relatively easy.
To make hand sanitizer you need isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel, and an essential oil such as tea tree oil or lavender. For an effective hand sanitizer, the ratio should be around 2:1. The more detailed measurements are ¾ cup or alcohol, ¼ cup of aloe, and 10 drops of essential oil. Mix them all together thoroughly and then put into a container that is easily accessible.
Although finding these supplies can be hard due to the limited quality, these at home steps can help to ensure additional safety precautions from the virus.