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N95 masks

BobJudy
Been doing some research on reusing N95 masks cause we have a few around that I sometimes wear for woodworking. The only reliable sterilization method I found was heating for 30 minutes at 160 degrees. Using anything else like alcohol or soap degraded the filters efficiency. So if you are using one and it is doing what it is supposed to do, it is contaminated. Throw it in the oven for a half hour at 160 and it should be good to go.  Don't forget to wash your hands after handling it while placing in oven. Hope someone finds this helpful. Bob
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • Ditch-Runner
    Thanks 
    we had a partial box from the same projects involving sanding and minor painting 
     good to know 
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  • yoshmyster
    Throwing it in the oven? That just sounds like asking for problems. My oven I doubt goes that low. I suppose tumble in the dryer will degrade the mask. How about a hair dryer or a heat gun? Or a quick press under an iron?
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  • SoreShoulder
    Tie it to something under your hood just behind the radiator. 
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  • BobJudy
    yoshmyster said:
    Throwing it in the oven? That just sounds like asking for problems. My oven I doubt goes that low. I suppose tumble in the dryer will degrade the mask. How about a hair dryer or a heat gun? Or a quick press under an iron?
    The guidelines did mention a hair dryer but you would need a virus proof container to avoid blowing the virus into the atmosphere. I guess you could heat oven, turn it off and monitor the temp with a probe thermometer. Turning the oven on and off occasionally to maintain temp. To high a heat will degrade the filter so you would have to keep a close eye on it. Bob
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  • notnow
    Pressure cooker?? Maybe not at 15lbs but 10 ought to do it. Isn't that what an autoclave is?
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  • nmyers
    Until someone has posted evidence from NIOSH that there is any procedure approved for cleaning N95 or any other single use respirators, I think that it's best to just throw them away at the end of the day.  I'm not saying that there aren't hospitals that instruct care providers to put used respirators in a brown paper bag & bring them back to work the next day; I'm just saying that misuse of safety equipment can have unexpected results.
    Be aware that some N95 respirators are made for painting; they are not the same as N95 masks certified for medical use.
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  • buddyb
    I do industrial HVAC work and have always carried a N95 in the breast pocket of my coveralls.I may use the same one for a week,depending what I get into.I am using mine for airborne particulates and would try to never reuse one biological hazards. 
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  • JimmyJack
    Why couldnt you hang it in a paper bag for 14 days?
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  • Beeramid

    My wife has to use the same disposable n95 for five shifts at the hospital. They're doing some type of UV treatment to the masks, which supposedly starts to degrade after five times.

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  • gartman
    But, but, but. the guvmint says we expendables are not to use the N95 masks.
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