Emergorok, that was satire, perhaps you missed it. :-D BTW bleach is an oxidizer and if sodium hypochlorite is all that's there, it's not alkaline. Alcohol is not alkaline either. *However* these things as well as detergent would have a terrible effect on soil life, which was, of course, the joke. I would not worry about soil unless it was VERY dusty and dry outside and the dust was bothering me (tightness in the chest, sneezing etc.). OR if my immune system was compromised. Compost I try to turn when it's damp, not dry, to reduce dust and spores. Soil is the ecstatic skin of the Earth, it's an efficient and powerful recycler of wastes, filter system for water, and grower of wonderful things. It is not something to be feared.

" Making your own face mask? Some fabrics work better than others, study finds " This study, non peer reviewed and non published that's touted all over NBC is, sorry, looking at the issue in the wrong way. They studied how various materials can filter out the virus, which is tiny teeny, 03 micron. Sounds like this means that they're trying to prevent incoming viruses from infecting the person who wears the mask. However, one primary mode of transmission is through face-to-face interaction. Fact is that in normal interaction, speaking, coughing, sneezing, the virus is ensconced in droplets --- these droplets are way, way bigger than what Segal tested. Therefore, 1. The point is to look at how to prevent EMITTING these virus carrying droplets, that is, the wearer prevents transmitting his/her infection to others. And this is where face covers are extremely efficient: They block the spit droplets from leaving the mouth of an infected person. 2. So, any meaningful tests of protective mouth covers needs to test such droplets. 3. Yes, there is evidence that such droplets that are emitted by talking, sneezing, coughing can become aerosolized, ie become tiny, the size of what Segal tested. However, again, this can be prevented by emitting droplets in the first place. Super frustrating to see some anesthesiologist's unpublished, non-peer reviewed "study" be all over the Internet.

I saw this on the news today: CDC warns: Don't argue with anti-maskers (hover your icon over the link to see the url--if that doesn't work--https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dont-argue-with-anti-maskers-cdc-warns-stores/ar-BB18mCM8?li=BBnb7Kz) There are people who will stop to help someone in trouble--a car accident, someone being attacked, someone who has fallen. Then there are people who will drive on by, ignore cries for help, never put themselves out for another human being. I tend to think of anti-maskers in the latter category.

OutsidePlaying I usually wear the disposable masks. I have a partial box in the car in a zip lock bag along with some disposable gloves. We also have a few N95’s and I have some very good fabric masks that fit me well with adjustable ear pieces I ordered from The Sak (yes, the handbag company). They had sent me a free one, and I liked it so much I ordered more and gave a couple to my DD. My face is narrow and my head is small so it is nice to find something that fits my nose bridge well without nearly covering my eyes, even after adjusting the metal band. I always have to adjust the ear pieces by tying another knot but these have an adjustable slide on the ear piece. ~~~~ Hi OutsidePlaying -- I looked up The Sak masks -- and the care instructions say, "Machine wash, gentle cycle, cold water." (!!!) I don't get it. Here I am checking the water temperature for my mask washing -- it's supposed to be HOT -- and they are telling you to wash in cold water! What's the point of that? I've washed my own masks 100 and more times in very hot water and they are still fine.