Do it yourself PPE

Surgical Masks

The do-it-yourself "surgical mask" patterns I have been able to find on the web use ear loops and don't have a nose clip. That is dangerous unless it is worn over an N95 mask (to make the N95 masks reusable).

Fabric surgical masks to protect people from virus and bacterial infections must have three things:
1) Layers of fabric to assure a small enough hole size (4 layers for tee shirt fabric, 2 for shirt fabric, 1 for 100-count sheets).
2) Two elastic bands (or 4 tie straps) – one that wraps around the back of the neck and one that wraps around the back of the head near the top.
3) A nose clip that presses the fabric around the nose and against the cheeks.

The most important thing about a cloth mask is that it seals to the face around the mouth and nose. If the wearer sneezes or coughs, all air must be forced to pass through the mask.

Pattern:

1) Cut a 7" by 5" (18 cm x 13 cm) or wider section of clean fabric from a 100-count or better sheet. For shirt or quilt fabric use two layers with the good side up.
2) Cut 2 12" (30 cm) lengths of 6 mm (1/4 inch) elastic or 4 12" lengths of bias tape, shoelace or ribbon. Masks made with bias tape are the longest lasting and may be machine-washed. Masks made with elastic are the easiest to put on or take off but must be hand washed.
3) Cut a 1/4" (6 mm) by 3 inches (8 cm) piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold it in half to make a 1/8" (3 mm) strip. Alternatively, straighten a small (about 1" or 2.5 cm) paperclip.
4) Fold back 1/2" (12 mm) of the fabric in the long direction (to 7" x 4.5"). Iron flat (if you can) to get a crisp fold.
The first four steps should be repeated for several masks before you begin sewing.

5) Center the paperclip or aluminum strip inside the fold. Sew around the metal to hold it in place.
6) Insert the end of one of the elastic pieces about 1/2 inch (1 cm) into the corner of the fold and sew an X over the elastic (or sew over it twice with a zigzag stitch. Substitute bias tape, shoelace, or ribbon if desired.
7) Sew down to the nearest open corner and sew in the second elastic piece (or bias tape, shoelace, or ribbon).
8) Sew along the long side of the fabric to the opposite open corner.
9) Wrap the elastic to the other open corner and sew in place the same way (or sew-in another bias tape, shoelace, section or ribbon).
10) Sew up the edge of the fabric to the last corner and sew the remaining elastic end (or bias tape, shoelace, or ribbon) in place.
11) If the mask is made with bias tape, sew along the open edge of the bias tape and sew closed the end of the tape.
12) Tie off any loose threads.

Updated April 5, 2020


Protecting your ears

If you have had frequent ear infection, it might be possible to contract infections through your ears. A small cotton ball in your ears will help protect your ears from infection and to protect you from an epidemic entering through the ears.


Face shield

Face shields are imperfect, but help to protect from infections through the eyes and allow you to wear a mask for hours at a time. Without a face shield, a mask must be changed every time you or another person in the vicinity coughs or sneezes.

Purchase some heavy-duty sheet protectors, some packing tape and some shoelaces (or ribbons) between 36 and 40 inches long. Also, obtain some alcohol prep swabs (or wipes).

1) Cut the large sides from the sheet protectors. These are the face of the shield.
For each face shield:
2) Cut a length of tape the width (short side) of the sheet protector, center the tape over the edge of the sheet protector so that half falls is on the plastic and half over the edge. Fold the tape over the edge. This serves to soften the edge where it leans on your head.
3) Center the shoelace or ribbon over the plastic, about 3/4 inc (about 18 mm) from the top.
4) Cut another piece of tape about the width of the plastic. Line the edge of the tape with the top of the plastic and tape down the shoelace (or ribbon).
5) When you wear the face shield, the shoelace or ribbon goes on the outside of the shield.

To clean a disinfect a face shield between patients (or trips out of the house), wipe it with an alcohol swab. If it is dirty, you can wash it with a paper towel dipped in soapy water, followed by rinsing the shield. Disinfect after washing.


Hand Sanitizer - in a pinch

It is best to use commercial hand sanitizers if you can. Given the shortage of commercial sanitizers, many people are trying to make their own. Unfortunately, most of the recipes on the Internet are not very good.

If you have access to 70% alcohol (denatured ethanol) or 70% isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) you could use that instead of hand sanitizer, but it will dry out your hands. It is recommended to add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of glycerin (aka glycerol) per liter/quart. If you cannot find glycerin, you can add mineral oil to isopropyl alcohol (as a last resort, you can add vegetable oil).

Avoid buying higher than 71% alcohol if you have a choice. If you have 95% denatured alcohol or 90+ percent isopropyl alcohol, add 20% distilled (or purified) water and 4 tablespoons (60 ml) per liter/quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide before adding the glycerine.

Homemade hand sanitizers should never contain flavoring, fragrances, or anything containing sugar. Never add aloe to a hand sanitizer, since it contains sugar.

Caution: Alcohol and hand sanitizers are flammable and toxic


Trash-Bag Gown

Inexpensive trash bags can be converted for use as a gown to protect clothing from contamination. This is only necessary when you are near somebody who is infected.

Top
Cut a 9-inch slit at the bottom of a "tall kitchen trash bag" for your head (larger people might need 30-gallon bags).
Cut 5-inch slits on the sides near the bottom of the bag for your arms.
Tape two smaller plastic bags (either 3-gallon trash bags or produce bags) with their open ends over the slits.
Cut a 3" slit in the bottom of each smaller bag for your hands.

Bottom
You can cut the bottom off of a drawstring bag and wear the drawstring bag over pants or a skirt to protect the bottom half of your clothes. If the top bag is a drawstring bag, the top overlaps the bottom. Otherwise, the drawstring bottom bag goes over the top bag.

If you don't have drawstring bags, you can make a double-length bag by removing the bottom of a second bag and taping the two bags together.

Attaching gloves
If you wear gloves, the gloves should go over the bottom of the smaller bags.
Nitrile gloves are best. They can be washed with alcohol swabs or hand sanitizer.


Making Alcohol Prep Swabs

Alcohol prep swabs are paper toweling soaked with 70% alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. Prep swab should always be stored in a sealed container (such as a zipper bag).

To make prep swabs, cut as many 1 1/4 inch by 2.5 inches (3 cm by 6 cm) sections of paper towel and fold each in half.

Put the sections of paper towel in a zipper plastic bag and pour enough alcohol over them to wet them thoroughly. There should be a small amount of liquid alcohol at the bottom of the bag.

Caution: Alcohol is flammable and toxic


Storing PPE

All used PPE should be disinfected with alcohol (or prep swabs) and stored in a paper (or unsealed plastic) bag if they are to be reused.

Anything like gloves or gowns should be stored inside out after use and then put back the right way before wearing them again. To remove gloves, always grab them by the hem and invert them when taking them off (leave them inside out).

Sanitize your hands (or gloves) after taking off or putting on used PPE.


Disposing of used PPE

If you wear gloves, always grab them by the hem and invert them when taking them off (leave them inside out). Any gowns, caps, or booties should also be inverted before disposal.

Hospitals or medical offices use blue coded trash bags for possibly infected PPE. The trash bags are always covered and sealed before disposal. Do not confuse this with Red or Black trash, which contains items contaminated with blood.

Personal PPE, tissues, and used alcohol swabs must be stored in a sealed plastic bag. Before disposing of the bag, add a small amount of disinfectant and reseal the bag. Over time, the disinfectant will evaporate and kill any bacteria or viruses in the bag.

This information or any subset may be used by the public, provided credit is given to the author.
Martin Katz, Ph.D.