What is a minimalist lifestyle?
It means living with things you really need. It means removing anything that distracts us from living with intentionality and freedom.
—Becoming Minimalist
In that sense Andy and I are minimalists, we’ve never bought into consumerism or buying things to make an impression. But we do have a fair share of tools/junk/whatever. It’s not for pride of ownership, it’s because they might come in handy someday.
Andy has a shed to keep his stuff on the land, and down here I have more storage space than junk so our living areas are fairly uncluttered. I go through my junk from time to time to see if some things can be tossed or recycled before I shuffle off. I occasionally find things that are expendable, but there will still be a lot left. So I’m starting to look into services that could handle the mess for Kaitlin when the time comes. (Living in a small remote town makes it harder, but I haven’t given up.)
Anyway, the powers that be are starting to think people should wear masks, even homemade ones, when they go out for necessary errands. Hmm. I gave away my sewing machine a long time ago, and when I suggested to Andy we should rig something up for ourselves he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. So I got out this old N95 mask, which he is willing to try. I think I bought it about 30 years ago and used it once. It still seems to work, so it’s better than nothing. I’ll have to see if I can hand wash it after he uses it.
I also got out a Solumbra face mask I bought about fifteen years ago, when I was photo sensitive. I ended up using something else at the time, so I never wore it outside. (It’s shown in black, mine is in stone.)
I’ll have to add a layer of cloth inside to cover the breathing area, and I have an old cotton pillowcase I can cut up and use. Apparently that’s a good choice:
Making DIY Masks with Household Materials
Bottom line: Test data shows that the best choices for DIY masks are cotton t-shirts, pillowcases, or other cotton materials.
These materials filter out approximately 50% of 0.2 micron particles, similar in size to the coronavirus. They are also as easy to breathe through as surgical masks, which makes them more comfortable enough to wear for several hours.
Doubling the layers of material for your DIY mask gives a very small increase in filtration effectiveness, but makes the mask much more difficult to breathe through.
—What Are The Best Materials for Making DIY Masks?
Anyway Andy and I are set for our shopping trip tonight, and I’ll no doubt continue to play with other ideas. The elastic on his N95 is in amazingly good shape after all these years, but it has to stretch a lot to get it over his head, and it’s not made for long term use.
At least we’re getting started. Take care and be creative!
April 3, 2020
—But we do have a fair share of tools/junk/whatever. It’s not for pride of ownership, it’s because they might come in handy someday.—
This is so us…and then there are the things I cannot bare to part with that belonged to family members. To top that off I broke a crock bowl that Roger’s grandmother gave me, and if I ever found another, I would probably buy it. I cried when I broke it. I still have a couple from her. They are big and heavy, and I seldom use them but still they were hers.
I don’t have one single thing I bought to impress, either. I do have things I don’t need. I have two sewing machines up here, and I do use both at various times. I have two in the basement…one of them seldom sees use. And the other one mainly when daughter is here, or if I am actually machine quilting a quilt.
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I was seeing that about the masks…it made the most sense of anything I had seen. That if we all go ahead and wear them, it might stop the spread of the virus from those that don’t know they have it.
Every little bit helps with the virus, and some masks, even home made, help more than a little.
I’m not sure you have too many sewing machines since sewing is such an important part of your life.
Michael has a Hazmat mask issued to him when he worked that hurricane in the south years ago. ashamed I can’t remember the name right now. the one where people were stranded on roofs… Katrina I think. issued then by the air force.
I have two that are just regular ones given to me by the doctor’s office when I had pneumonia last year. I never wore them. when you can’t breathe they seem to even make it harder! but I don’t go around people now. except for Michael. but I admire what you’re doing! it’s good. and that’s coming from a die hard minimalist! Yay Cheerful Monk!
I can understand why it’s easier to completely avoid people than wear the mask. It does make breathing harder if you already have problems. 🙁
I saw a video online for making a mask out of two rubber bands and a handkerchief, the kind we used to wear around our necks. And another video for making two masks out of a bra. That one cracked me up.
I sold my sewing machine a month or so ago and sent my old dog grooming tools to the auction house. I truly wish I had them back right now.. Some junk and clutter does come in handy.
I’ve heard about using bras, but I haven’t seen the video. I can see how that might work, but the idea is funny.
That’s the trouble with getting rid of things, sometimes later you do wish you still had it. I’m so sorry your downsizing and eventually moving had to be now. 🙁
We have a few medical masks here that we will share with the family, but they seem pretty flimsy. Mom has a sewing machine and Hobby Lobby has a video for making masks that seem pretty easy, but she can’t lift the darn machine; no weight bearing for that darn arm. So we may just have to get creative here.
I’m so sorry about the arm and your dad’s eyes! Being able to sew would help your mom a lot, I think.
The virus has brought on a lot of creativity from designing mask patterns to entertaining yourself. I watched a video the other day of a woman who was using a pair of thong underwear as a face mask…lol
😀
I saw on fb today how to make a mask without sewing. here is the link
https://nypost.com/2020/04/03/how-to-make-a-diy-no-sew-face-mask-with-fabric-and-hair-elastics/
I made one and will take it apart and make it better.
Thanks. I can do that. I know I have at least one bandana and I probably have two hair ties. I must look and see.
Thank you!
Commercial masks do have expiration dates I read. I have a couple in my earthquake preparedness kit and have since been gifted a couple more by an Asian couple I didn’t know who surprisingly but generously gave them to me. Have thought if my children needed any I could share and would mail to them, or if I needed help during this time I could offer one to anyone I had to have come in the house if they didn’t wear a mask. Haven’t tried making a mask but saved links to some “How to’ both non-sew and sown though my machine hadn’t been used for several years since on the fritz I never got repaired.