What is the correct way to wear a disposable mask

It should be noted that although disposable masks are very commonly used, if you are exposed to highly toxic substances, or need to come into contact with carcinogens, or need to come into contact with some radioactive substances, then disposable masks will not have any filtering effect. At this time, you must choose professional protective tools. Generally speaking, disposable masks can protect against some oily components, which are the most common dust, or against some microorganisms.

Let’s first understand the mask. Whether it is a disposable mask or other masks, they all have a front and back. For disposable masks, the darker color is the front, which faces outwards. Look at the picture below. The area circled in red contains the metal strip for the nose clip. The back of the disposable mask is lighter in color and faces inward, which means that the lighter side is close to our face. In addition, please note that the end with the metal strip is the top of the mask, so do not wear it upside down.

Once you know the front, back, top and bottom of the mask, you will be close to knowing how to wear the mask correctly. Wash your hands, make sure the light-colored side of the mask is facing inwards (the back), the end with the metal strip is facing upwards (the top), and hang the ropes at both ends on your ears. You need to use both hands to press the metal strips on both sides of the bridge of your nose so that the upper end of the mask fits tightly against the bridge of your nose. Then stretch the mask downwards so that there are no wrinkles on the mask and it can better cover the nose and mouth. Disposable masks cannot be reused. Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching the mask with your hands.

Disposable masks cannot be washed. Since the fabrics used to make disposable masks are non-woven, the strength of disposable masks is not very high. Therefore, do not rub or pull the mask excessively when using it, otherwise it will easily cause cracks at the corners of the mouth, which will not provide any protection. The maximum usage time of a disposable mask should not exceed 8 hours, and it should generally be replaced in about 6 hours.