Health security

How to clean and reuse an N95 mask

You're not supposed to reuse the common N95 filtering facepiece respirator mask. But given that they're almost impossible to find (or impossible to afford) amid the coronavirus pandemic, here are some acceptable methods to decontaminate and reuse common N95 masks...

Method 1: Rotation

Dr. Tsai cites a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that uses a round robin rotation of masks so that each one is rested for at least 72 hours before being worn again. Tsai has not experimentally verified this method himself, but it relies on the widely held belief that the coronavirus should not survive more than 72 hours on an inhospitable host, like the surface of an N95 mask. The downside to this method is that you need four masks per wearer, and that's assuming you use only a single mask each day. But if you just make a single trip for essentials any given day, the numbers work. 

Method 2: Steaming or boiling

Dr. Tsai says submerging an N95 in 125C/260F degree steam or boiling water for 3 minutes will disinfect the mask without significantly reducing its filtration efficiency (FE). Don't excessively stir the mask if you boil it, use only enough manipulation to keep it submerged. If your mask has paper outer and inner layers, neither the steam or boiling methods are advisable as they will disintegrate those paper layers that hold the filter medium between them...