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Thread: Clean N95 dust mask

  1. #16
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    And the K in KN95 means they were made in China to Chinese standards. FYI. I have a 3M 8246 R95 that I bought for cleaning the shower as it has a charcoal layer for absorbing light acid fumes. Been wearing it so long to go shopping it looks grubby, but it now fits like an old pair of jeans.
    Last edited by Ole Anderson; 09-09-2020 at 8:57 AM.
    NOW you tell me...

  2. #17
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    Oct 2006
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    I have a 3M full face respirator with a set of P100 particulate filters and a set of vapor filters. I use that respirator in the shop with whichever filter set is appropriate for the job. The filters seem to last forever. Besides, I don't think you can get real 3M P100 filters at all right now. There are a lot of imitation filters that may or may not filter properly that also tend to be very expensive right now. It seems like the vapor filters are still good as I can't smell the vapors once the respirator is on.

    I saw a chart comparing the KN95 and the P95 masks. They are very similar and I would have no problem with a KN95 mask as long as the manufacturer is making them to the standard and didn't cut corners. The KN95 actually filters some particle sizes slightly better than a N95 mask. There was a small business locally that managed to get an entire container or two of KN95 masks around April 1st of this year. They were selling them for $4 each and I think you had to buy a case of 1000 so $4,000 worth. They were donating 100 masks for every case purchased. The company got reamed on social media for charging so much for masks and for not donating them all to healthcare.

  3. #18
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    Sep 2016
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    Do not use fabric softener when washing them. My wife did and I can no longer use that mask. It fogs up my glasses. Same reason to not use softener on towels. It clogs the pores and leaves a waxy substance behind so it no longer absorbs water or allow as much air to pass through the fabric.
    Bil lD

  4. #19
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    Sep 2015
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    I cleaned a couple of my N95's. These were ones only used in my workshop so I was just looking for a cleaning and wasn't looking to sanitize them for Covid.

    First I used compressed air and blew out the wood dust from the inside. Then I did the same on the outside and then again on the inside. Then I squirted them with some spray cleaner and gently massaged them. Then rinse, then re-spray, then rinse. Then I let them dry for a day or two. Other than looking perhaps a little fuzzy, they looked like brand new.

  5. #20
    Thanks Brice, even though I've purchased some KN95 masks I will try that and see how it works. What kind of spray cleaner did you use?
    Assumption is the mother of all screw ups
    Anonyms

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brice Rogers View Post
    I cleaned a couple of my N95's. These were ones only used in my workshop so I was just looking for a cleaning and wasn't looking to sanitize them for Covid.

    First I used compressed air and blew out the wood dust from the inside. Then I did the same on the outside and then again on the inside. Then I squirted them with some spray cleaner and gently massaged them. Then rinse, then re-spray, then rinse. Then I let them dry for a day or two. Other than looking perhaps a little fuzzy, they looked like brand new.
    Be careful with those. A study, for Covid sanitizing, compared different methods and retested the mask's filtering ability to check for degradation. (I think it was Stanford Med Center, but don't remember. It was last March or April.) The masks went from the spec 95-100% effectiveness for particles down to the low-40s range for most (all?) liquid cleaners. You aren't concerned about killing viruses, but the filtering efficiency will affect dust protection too.

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Bassett View Post
    Be careful with those. A study, for Covid sanitizing, compared different methods and retested the mask's filtering ability to check for degradation. (I think it was Stanford Med Center, but don't remember. It was last March or April.) The masks went from the spec 95-100% effectiveness for particles down to the low-40s range for most (all?) liquid cleaners. You aren't concerned about killing viruses, but the filtering efficiency will affect dust protection too.
    I read 2 or 3 different sources on mask cleaning studies and they all had the same result. Washing them greatly reduces the filtering efficiency.

  8. #23
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    Sep 2015
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Allen View Post
    Thanks Brice, even though I've purchased some KN95 masks I will try that and see how it works. What kind of spray cleaner did you use?
    I think that I might have used Chlorox tub and tile cleaner. It is actually like half or quarter strength bleach.

  9. #24
    I received the KN95 masks from Tool Nut today, I can only report on their comfort, which is minimum, the straps go around the ears, interfering with the glasses and not a significant seal around the nose causing the glasses to fog up. They are better than no dust mask, but not very comfortable.

    Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions.
    Assumption is the mother of all screw ups
    Anonyms

  10. #25
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    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    Paul, if you're not happy with them, let them know. Perhaps they will do something for you. And I can appreciate the issue with behind the ears...I can't wear a mask that is that way because of my hearing aids and my cloth masks (not shop use) tie on without engaging my ears.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #26
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    I threw my p95 mask in the wash. I might have lost some filtering efficiency, but it is still better than most homemade solutions or the common blue surgical style mask.
    NOW you tell me...

  12. #27
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    Apr 2013
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    Here's a current article in Newsweek on how to sanitize KN95 masks: https://www.newsweek.com/amplify/how...afer-n95-masks
    Point being that you can sanitize to kill viruses on the mask, but not to wash them to clean from dust.

  13. #28
    My wife's a quilter, she's probably made over 300 masks for people in our community and all of our family throughout the country. I explained my problem to her so she converted the KN95 masks to N95 sans valve.
    IMG_20200917_143701547.jpg IMG_20200917_143714317.jpg
    Assumption is the mother of all screw ups
    Anonyms

  14. #29
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    Not all N95's have an exhaust valve, it's a part of neither specification. But, I'm also not a huge fan of the ear loops (not all KN95's are ear looped either, for that matter and like n95's some have exhaust valves).
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  15. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by mike stenson View Post
    Not all N95's have an exhaust valve, it's a part of neither specification. . .
    That's true. I had some that don't in the shop.
    For those of you that use RZ masks in the shop or elsewhere, they now have some caps you can replace the valves with.

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