How to properly put on and remove a face mask

How to properly put on and remove a face mask

How do you remove a face mask without touching the potentially infected surface? Check out these tips from doctors and long time users.

Putting on the face mask:

  1. First you'll want to secure the mask by using the ear loops and making sure that the face mask will be snug. If it feels loose even with both ear loops secured, it means the mask is too large. If a smaller size isn't available, you can try tying a knot at the end of the earloop to make it smaller.
  2. Once you've got both ear loops secured and snug against the face, expand the mask height-wise by pulling on the top and bottom. Make sure the mask covers your nostrils all the way down to your chin. Your nose is one of the most vulnerable entry points for viruses, so you'll want to make sure this is covered!
  3. There is a plastic wire that runs across the top of the mask. This is the nose crimp. Make sure this is bent to conforms to the shape of your nose to get a tight seal. You should notice that not much air escapes from the top of the mask if you've done this right. If you wear glasses, there should be no fog.
  4. Now you're ready to go our and about with your secured face mask!

Taking off the face mask:

Perhaps a more important part of the wearing masks is taking it off. Remember, the surface could have all the stuff you wanted to filter out, including infectious viruses and bacteria. Touching your mask the wrong way could lead to those things getting on your hands and potentially infecting yourself.

  1. Using both hands, enlarge the ear loops (we like using the index finger and thumb) and gently remove the face mask from your face.
  2. Using the same fingers, pinch the inside of the face mask and fold it in half, length wise. The surface of the mask should now be inside the fold.
  3. Fold the mask in half again, this time across. The mask should be 1/4 of the size of the full opened mask. All the ear loops should be on one side at this point.
  4. Start rolling the face mask from the side without the ear loops, using the nose crimp as a way to keep it rolled up tight. You should end up with a rolled up face mask with the ear loops at the end.
  5. Use the ear loops as an "elastic band" to loop around the roll and finally, twist tie the entire roll into a neat package.
  6. Throw away.

Please remember to not touch your face and wash your hands after you remove any product!