First of all, be confident in your decision and give grace to others.
To mask, or not to mask. And if you do wear a mask, what kind is best? This is a controversial subject. It seems even the experts don’t agree.
I personally wear masks because I think what if this is actually the one thing that keeps me, my family and others from getting sick? My kids are required to wear them at school. So masks are just a part of our life now.
But that is not how many people feel. There are some who are passionately against masks. Here’s my philosophy on masks since we all have much better things to argue over: First of all, be confident in your decision and give grace to others. Do what you need to do for you and yours. We are all just trying to figure out how to weather through the current situation the best we can. And then be kind and understanding of others choices.
We are several months into wearing masks at this point, but you may be finding yourself still confused on your options as we start to return to more social gatherings and public places. So let me share with you my favorite masks.
The Gear
Fabric with embedded silver.
Norwex fabric is pretty awesome. If you’ve never heard of the company Norwex, they make microfiber cleaning cloths and fabrics that have silver embedded in the cloth. Silver kills nasty things so their microfiber makes for great mask material because they self sanitize. And the microfiber is so small, it does a much better job at trapping microscopic particles than your average fabric mask. And they’re breathable and cool! They can be hard to come by, but when they are available, you can shop for them here.
Cute…with or without filters.
This company has been recommended over and over again in our local mom’s group! Bailey Blue Clothing makes masks for kids and adults. They are super cute, and they even make coordinating shirts. Some masks have a filter pouch where you can put an extra layer of filtration. (A study in Japan says that paper towels may be the best filter for inside a mask.)
Custom Masks.
If you are the kind of person who wants to make a fashion statement with your mask, consider custom made masks. Snapfish is a fun website to order some fun, unique masks or even design your own!
And if you like sewing, here are some patterns that come highly recommended. The possibilities are endless if you have the skills and the resources to make your own. (or if you know someone)!
Gloves
The way I see it, if gloves give you an enhanced feeling of safety, you should be empowered to wear them. My mom loves her fabric white gloves because you can literally see what you could have had all over your hands, ewe! To increase their protection, she treats them with this spray that has all day germ killing power.
For me, I like these disposable plastic gloves. I also take a “one glove approach” when I am in “high touch” environments. Touch all the gross stuff with the gloved hand and non-gross stuff with my bare hand.
The important thing you have to keep in mind with the gloves is that you can easily spread the gross stuff to all of your things. For instance, if you touch a shopping cart with your gloves and then touch your credit card, you have just contaminated your credit card. So remember to remove them when you have left the environment so you don’t cross contaminate, and then sanitize anything you may have touched (cards, keys, purse, etc) with your gloves.
Relax without your mask.
If you are in a situation where you have to wear a mask all day, make sure to take time for “a breather!” Find a place where you feel comfortable. For example, go outside, find a large open room without many people, or take a few minutes relaxing in your car. You could even do some intentional breathing exercises for a little enhanced self love and enhanced oxygen flow.