Did you make your homemade mask so you could go out?
You are right, because there are plenty of easy and economical tutorials!
You can use a simple bandana, a piece of fabric, or even a sock.
But once you have made your mask or bought one, it is important to test its effectiveness.
Fortunately, there is a quick and easy trick to know if your mask is effective or not.
The trick is to use the flame test to make sure the mask is airtight . Watch:
1. Put your homemade mask on the face.
2. Light a lighter or a match.
3. Place the flame in front of you about 15 cm from your mouth.
4. Blow through your mask to try and extinguish the flame.
5. If the flame goes out, your mask is not effective enough. If the flame does not go out, your mask is effective.
There you go, you now know if your mask is effective or not :-)
Easy, fast and practical as a test, right?
This test is important to perform if you made your own mask or bought one from a supermarket, pharmacy or online.
It is indeed essential to ensure the tightness of your mask to protect yourself and others.
This test allows you to know in a few seconds if the droplets that you emit while talking, coughing or sneezing pass through.
If the flame goes out or flickers, it means that respiratory droplets can pass through the mask.
In this case, it is best to reinforce the protection of your mask by adding 1 or 2 additional layers.
For this, you can add an extra paper towel to your homemade mask as we recommend here.
