Cloth Masks: Are all masks the same? Could a mask have some hidden secret weapons that can help protect both the wearer and their community? Wearing a mask helps minimize the spread of Covid-19; whether the wearer feels unwell or not. It’s a wonderful and powerful tool to protect both the wearer and others. This article will help you explore and find the right fabric technologies that make sense for you and your family. Let’s explore.
1. NanoTech Fiber Cloth Masks
The NanoTech Fiber Masks are face coverings that use synthetic materials to make fibers that are 1 µm (micron). A micron refers to a small unit of measurement – a millionth of one meter (1/1,000,000). In other words, 1 µm nanofibers are fibers that have 1,000 nm or less in diameter. The easily breathable fiber materials used to manufacture this mask have a Bacteria Filtering Efficiency (BFE) of between 97 and 99% and can filter out up to 100-nanometer particles, which equals the size of many viruses. Additionally, the NanoTech cloth fiber masks bring comfort, thus allowing you to wear the mask for 6-8 hours. Finally, NanoTech fiber cloth masks are economical for daily use because you can wash and reuse them indefinitely.Features/ Benefits
- Easy breathability of up to 6-8 hours because of its high air flow rate.
- Economical and environmentally friendly because they are washable.
- The nanofiber materials can filter particles the size of most viruses.
- Maskne-free, which means no skin irritation when worn for long.
2. Water Repellent Coating Masks (Cloth Masks)
These are face masks made from water repellent fabric coatings (usually the outer surface). They filter and maintain hydrophobicity to prevent wetting by saliva or moisture, thus prohibiting the growth and transmission of bacteria. Manufacturers choose water repellent fabrics like polypropylene and polyester for making the best moisture water droplet-resistant masks. The materials used to make these cloth masks are lightweight and people who wear glasses feel comfortable wearing this mask.Features/ Benefits
- Made from water repellent fabrics, such as nanofiber.
- Better cytocompatibility; not being harmful, thus harmless to the human body.
- Maintain hydrophobicity to prevent wetting by saliva or moisture.
3. Antibacterial/Antimicrobial Cloth Masks
These masks are made from antibacterial or antimicrobial fabrics, and by adding Zinc Oxide via a sonochemical process to give the fabric antibacterial properties. The antibacterial or antimicrobial coatings help prevent microorganisms, such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc. That said, the effectiveness of these masks lies on the level of protection the antibacterial or antimicrobial fabrics used can offer. They also come with other desirable features, such as odor resistance, which means that you can wear these cloth masks for long without them producing unpleasant odors. Remember, microorganisms can live and grow in other fabrics, such as wool, cotton, etc., and that’s why antimicrobials and antibacterial fabrics are preferred.Features/ Benefits
- Made from antibacterial and antimicrobial fabrics.
- The antibacterial or antimicrobial properties prevent the growth of microorganisms.
- Zinc Oxide coating gives the fabric used antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
- Sustains easy breathability of up to 6-8 hours.
4. Biocide Coating Masks
These masks are made from fabric coated with non-hazardous and organic biocide to reduce the viral count by 99% in under 2 hours. The biocide coating masks have been lab-tested (ISO standards) to reduce the Covid-19 virus by 99% in under 2 hours.Features/ Benefits
- This mask features antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
- Reduces Covid-19 virus by 99 percent in under 2 hours.
- Offers excellent breathability of up to 6-8 hours.
- Maskne-free, so no skin irritation even when you wear the mask for long hours.
- Economical and environmentally friendly – some models are washable up to 50 times.
