The “dirt-bike” or sports dust masks are really popular. A lot of folks know them from using them at events like Burning Man and Coachella. The issue with a lot of “dirt bike” style masks is the exhalation valves which are totally unfiltered. This makes these masks pretty useless for COVID-19 safety. You can read more about what the CDC says about masks with valves.
Everything I used for this 2-min hack:
- CLUX Mesh Black Face Mask with Black Carbon Filter by Continental Luxury (amazon)
- small (not tiny) rubber bands – one for each valve
- Scissors
- Non-Woven Polypropylene Fabric (woven fabric will work too)
I assembled the mask according to manufacturers’ directions. I cut the filter fabric to go over the valve with a very generous overlap – you can always cut off the excess. Then I slipped the rubber band over 2 layers of filter fabric to secure it to the Valve. This covers the valve and any leaky spots around the opening.
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