Facemasks - fitted or pleated for speech?

[Mrs Pingu]

Anyone got any experience?

I made a buckshee one out of a buff but it's not the easiest thing to ve understood in when talking. So being as it's compulsary up here I thought I'd buy a couple of washable reusable ones.
Anyone have any experience as to what's easiest to be understood in, a curved shaped fitted or a pleated mask?
I did try asking Google but it was useless.

[giropaul]

My wife has got me some that seem to prevent speech.

[Mrs Pingu]

What are they then?

[Beardy]

As a deaf person not being able to see a persons mouth when they speak renders them virtually mute 

[Cudzoziemiec]

Those visors are being worn by hairdressers and similar here. I understand it gets very hot under them.

On Friday I spent a couple of hours wearing a pleated 'surgical' mask. Relatively easy to talk and breathe but painful on the ear straps while simultaneously slightly too large for me, so tended to slip down off my nose. So I replaced it with a cloth one which has 'round the head' straps rather than ear straps. Much more comfortable, still breathable, but definitely not so easy to be understood. Your ears might vary.

[Manotea]

Masks... My glasses fog up everything I breathe, which is quite often...

[IanN]

I haven't got round to making a cloth mask yet (I use an AUK buff for essential shopping duties / bank robberies etc)

But...  in work I am also struggling with the latest surgical type masks with ear loops. They really cut in after a while.
BC, surgical masks had tie on straps which you can make fit (your lumpy head may vary)
They also migrate down my face as I talk for any length of time

I think a homemade / non medical mask may take a few iterations

[andrewc]

The misting glasses thing is a problem.  I’ve been meaning to organise some refresher driving lessons, as I haven’t driven for 20 years.  That now means masks, which means impaired vision.  I no longer wear contact lenses but have a small stash somewhere.  I’ll have to dig them out.

[FifeingEejit]

Anyone got any experience?

I made a buckshee one out of a buff but it's not the easiest thing to ve understood in when talking. So being as it's compulsary up here I thought I'd buy a couple of washable reusable ones.
Anyone have any experience as to what's easiest to be understood in, a curved shaped fitted or a pleated mask?
I did try asking Google but it was useless.

Ye bide roond Aiberdeen wai and ye want tae be forstawed?

Masks... My glasses fog up everything I breathe, which is quite often...

I've almost got the hang of having to conciously triple my breathing rate, but this... It seems to be that some people have figured it out, and aren't telling those that haven't.

I haven't got round to making a cloth mask yet (I use an AUK buff for essential shopping duties / bank robberies etc)

But...  in work I am also struggling with the latest surgical type masks with ear loops. They really cut in after a while.
BC, surgical masks had tie on straps which you can make fit (your lumpy head may vary)
They also migrate down my face as I talk for any length of time

I think a homemade / non medical mask may take a few iterations

I'm sure I've seen something about alternatives to using ear loops, as the board communications put out something to the local volunteer industry making them about not using certain materials on them due to infection control) i.e. they can't be washed

Some sort of conversion that makes them more like tie on; can't find link...

[chrisbainbridge]

It is possible to get a headband with two buttons, one above each ear. The mask then loops onto the buttons. Most nurses use them.
I think everybody in Britain with some spare cloth, buttons and a sewing machine made a thousand of them in April.

[Sergeant Pluck]

In work I find the beak-shaped FFP3 masks to be the best fit, with behind-the-head elasticated straps.

In the case of surgical masks, I find ones with ties to be much better than ear loops. However, if needs must (current stock seems to be ear loops) I use a face mask ear protector like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085759SFH/ref=crt_ewc_title_huc_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1N6ZQKZEV2MI8

This improves the fit and helps to avoid getting my bloody hearing aids caught when I take a mask off.

[Kim]

It is possible to get a headband with two buttons, one above each ear. The mask then loops onto the buttons. Most nurses use them.

Alternative glasses-wearer approach:  Attach buttons to the arms of your glasses with suitable o-rings.

Hardcore barakta approach: Have suitable anchor points surgically implanted in your skull.

[Mrs Pingu]

Anyone got any experience?

I made a buckshee one out of a buff but it's not the easiest thing to ve understood in when talking. So being as it's compulsary up here I thought I'd buy a couple of washable reusable ones.
Anyone have any experience as to what's easiest to be understood in, a curved shaped fitted or a pleated mask?
I did try asking Google but it was useless.

Ye bide roond Aiberdeen wai and ye want tae be forstawed?

Wot?

[FifeingEejit]

Anyone got any experience?

I made a buckshee one out of a buff but it's not the easiest thing to ve understood in when talking. So being as it's compulsary up here I thought I'd buy a couple of washable reusable ones.
Anyone have any experience as to what's easiest to be understood in, a curved shaped fitted or a pleated mask?
I did try asking Google but it was useless.

Ye bide roond Aiberdeen wai and ye want tae be forstawed?

Wot?

You mean "fit?"

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk

[T42]

Alternative glasses-wearer approach:  Attach buttons to the arms of your glasses with suitable o-rings.

Then you sneeze and blow your glasses off.

We have pleated masks, but unless I twist them the ear-loops pull the upper edge into my eyes. Hard on the ears, though - can't imagine wearing that all day.

[Shreds]

Most masks are either ineffective, not face fit (beards make most types ineffective) or very costly.

At present they are also very difficult to source good ones. NHS have priority.

N95 or FFP3 (full face, P3 level protection) are very much what are seen as the ‘standard’ but some masks protect against fibres and dusts, rather than vapours. The total ignorance of the Great British public, panic buying and hoarding is probably why initially they were not recommended.

Now getting them for genuine work purposes where they are needed is proving very difficult. Prices have doubled too.

https://www.jspsafety.com/link/en/force10/e/

And are masks being used to protect you or to protect others from you?

To avoid condensation and be suitable for use over a long period as well as having suitable level filtration is very, very expensive. Ask a dental surgeon.

https://www.jspsafety.com/link/en/respiratory-protection/powercap-infinity-papr/powercap-infinity-complete-unit/a/?parm=NOM041%20%20%20%20%20aeabab&cat=JSP

You dont see too many of those being used. (Again very, very difficult to source at present).

[Kim]

And are masks being used to protect you or to protect others from you?

To protect others from you.  That's why we're talking about drip-catching cloth masks that are practical to wear for prolonged periods, rather than anything that might have effective filtration.

[andrewc]

A bit prettier than the standard ones....   https://www.silkgarters.co.uk/face-masks

[Mrs Pingu]

And are masks being used to protect you or to protect others from you?

To protect others from you.  That's why we're talking about drip-catching cloth masks that are practical to wear for prolonged periods, rather than anything that might have effective filtration.

And because we're being asked to, up here.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Which is at least a clear rule, whether it's right or wrong or even irrelevant. Here, if you don't wear a mask, some people are horrified, but if you do, some think you're crazy.

[Mrs Pingu]

I have ordered a selection off etsy & ebay and will report back.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Previously I've made do with a buff (for shop visits and occasional working in office).

Just tried a pleated one (work-supplied). Much more comfortable (less hot) than buff, shaping bit over nose makes big difference to glasses misting up.

We are going to make some up for forthcoming holiday in Scotland. Triple-layered masks only are acceptable up there.

The idea that the simple pleated tyvek ones are single use annoys me. Get some alcohol, spray after use. They'll be fine for one person using multiple times.

[rafletcher]

P

We are going to make some up for forthcoming holiday in Scotland. Triple-layered masks only are acceptable up there.

Not according to this from gov.scot

"What is a face covering?
A face covering can be any covering of the mouth and nose that is made of cloth or other textiles and through which you can breathe.

Religious face coverings that cover the mouth and the nose count as face coverings for these purposes.

You may also use, if you prefer, a face visor but it must cover your nose and mouth completely.

When applying or removing the covering, it is important that you wash/sanitise your hands first and avoid touching your face.

After each use, you must wash the face covering at 60 degrees centigrade or dispose of it safely."

Their advice (re washing/sanitising hands, not touching face) is also pretty much impossible to follow unless you're in a sterile environment.

[phantasmagoriana]

We are going to make some up for forthcoming holiday in Scotland. Triple-layered masks only are acceptable up there.

Nope, anything goes really (even Buffs/scarves are fine). Mine certainly isn't triple-layered.

Then again, half the people I've seen appear to have missed the bit about covering their noses...

[rafletcher]

I'd wash them as you normally do, and then leave them 72 hours before wearing again. After all how many "religious face coverings" are going to be washed at 60C, and how would you check? But they're acceptable. 

Or you could use alcohol, or diluted bleach

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK214356/

Looks like 30 minutes in a 1:100 dilution is recommended.