I have received the guidance to upgrade to N95. Saving the last of my KNs for a less transmissable virus.

I let mine air out and reuse them.

Yes. I just read about this in an article in Scientific American today. This is under the heading "Reusing Masks".

One reason people may be reluctant to use KN95s and similar masks is because they are usually considered disposable. But several experts say they can in fact be worn multiple times. “You can probably reuse it until it becomes visibly damaged or soiled,” Marr says. Collins’s amateur testing suggests mask can be used for up 40 hours with no decrease in their filtration efficacy (he recommends using them within six months of opening a package). The virus likely does not survive long on these masks, but it is not a bad idea to have a few in rotation, reusing one every three days or so, Collins says.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-we-need-to-upgrade-our-face-masks-and-where-to-get-them/

I’ve read they can be disinfected in an instant pot: Instant pot

Healthcare workers were routinely wearing their n95 masks for a week, often longer.

Would not spray the masks with any disinfectant as wetness could make the fibers less effective.

Rotated my masks and left on car dash - to expose to UV - in hope of disinfection.

I think you can we use them keep them clean and free of dust and crud. When you go out into the Covid world, you can put a paper mask over them, then dispose of that paper mask.

Back along when they were in very very short supply people were finding ways to reheat them GENTLY out of all things in instant pot. I would not spray anything like alcohol of them because you do not want to clog up the small pores in the mask. I don’t know how Like alcohol molecules and solvents are but I would just stay away from that. Typical isopropyl alcohol that you buy over the counter is only, 40% alcohol and the rest is water. And who knows what hardware 90% isopropyl alcohol is mixed with.

Excuse typo voice rec goofs

It’s unlikely any virus is going to live very long on the surface of a mask, but maybe the filtration gets compromised. You can hear them out and then save them for when you’re dusting of mowing the lawn.

I tried the 95's and they were too big on me, especially gapping on the bottom. The design of the 94's fits me perfectly on the sides, bottom and even the top is close enough that my glasses don't fog as much. They are 4 layers. I just remember seeing youtubes about carefully removing a mask so as not to touch the outside. I'm glad to hear about others getting multiple uses out of disposables.

NPR — https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/12/23/1066871176/mask-n95-omicron-contagious

With omicron, you need a mask that means business

December 23, 20215:00 AM ET

a couple of exerpts

: <<"Cloth masks are not going to cut it with omicron," says Linsey Marr, a researcher at Virginia Tech who studies how viruses transmit in the air.

Omicron is so much more transmissible than coronavirus variants that have come before it. It spreads at least three times faster than delta. One person is infecting at least three others at a time on average, based on data from other countries.

"It's very contagious," says Dr. Robert Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. "And the kind of encounter that you could have had with prior versions of the virus that would have left you uninfected, there's now a good chance you will get infected from it.">>

…

<<Why high-filtration respirators are better and how to find a legitimate one

Given all this, you want a mask that means business when it comes to blocking viral particles. Unlike cloth masks, N95, KN95 and KF94 respirators are all made out of material with an electrostatic charge, which "actually pulls these particles in as they're floating around and prevents you from inhaling those particles," Karan notes. "And that really is key" — because if you don't inhale virus particles, they can't multiply in your respiratory tract.

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The material in surgical masks also has an electrostatic charge. But surgical masks tend to fit loosely, and a snug fit — with no gaps around nose, cheeks or chin — "really makes a big difference," says Marr, who has studied mask efficacy.

KN95s tend to be a bit more comfortable than N95s, but counterfeits continue to be a problem. For safer shopping, check out a site likeProject N95, a nonprofit that helps consumers find legitimate personal protective equipment. Or check the CDC's site for advice on how to spot a counterfeit and a list oftrusted sources for surgical N95s.

For maximum protection, make sure your N95 fits snugly as well, creating a seal around your mouth and nose. The CDC explains what makes a good fit and how to test that yours is sealing well.

Still, surgical masks are cheaper than respirators. And if cost is a factor for you, at a minimum consider topping a surgical mask with a cloth mask to ensure a tighter fit, or get a mask fitter — a frame that fits over your surgical mask to make it more snug. While these options won't offer as much protection as an N95, they're a big improvement over a cloth mask alone, Karan and Marr say.>>

continued at link

Some N95 masks; in the hospital, if one brand/style/size does not fit, we try another.

Don't spray them with anything, and handle them carefully (don't bend or fold them).

At work and out in public places, I've been using KN95s by Powecom, with a cloth triple layer mask over that. I always spray a light mist of 70% rubbing alcohol over both when I take them off in the car, and then use hand sanitizer to clean my hands. I switch them out after about 15 hours of use. The insides get kind of stinky after a few wearings.

So far I've been doing well, all my tests have been negative, and I've been working with dozens of kids who are mostly unmasked and unvaxxed.

Sort of an oxymoron really disposable/disinfect.

@arcy_gw, yes, so very sad, that is needed.

Folks who are spraying the masks, what do you think happens to this MOST PROTECTIVE inner layer when it gets wet

Do you think the fibers stay closely spaced apart and retain the electrostatic charge to attract the viral particles???

In medicine, "if your mask gets wet, remove and replace it with a new mask." Note, there are masks designed for OR use with an outer layer that repels water (more expensive, less available).

I read that you can disinfect a N95 mask by putting it in a 165°F oven for 30 minutes. I think this is the same temperature that a dehydrator uses, and so that would probably also work.

I recently bought a package of 50 Honeywell N95 masks. We wore these yesterday when we went to Gelson's in Rancho Mirage and noticed that almost everyone in the store was wearing masks, and most of these masks were N95. I only saw one person without a mask (He said he forgot to bring his), and everyone in the store was staying far away from him. The store was giving masks to people who had forgotten theirs, but somehow he slipped by this.

If the fabric loses its efficacy when wet, what happens when you breathe through it? Our breath contains a lot of moisture, and the exposure would be much longer.

I don't wear my masks wet and I don't saturate them either, just a light mist that evaporates in a few minutes

@carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b, that is a real concern expressed by healthcare workers.

Spraying with liquid just increases the amount of moisture to mask is exposed to.

This research shows 10 mild coughs decreases efficiency by ~8%.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7301882/

"Mask efficiency is dynamic (not constant). It is reduced during cough cycles. The fluid dynamics and the interactions between the droplets, the filter, and the face influence mask efficiency. We show that after ten mild cough cycles, efficiency can drop ∼8%. The above is a conservative prediction considering that we model a mild cough incident and ten cough cycles. We should expect more significant efficiency reduction for severe coughing events, as well as when wearing a mask for a longer period."

Wondering about sneezing...?

If you sneeze in the mask, you may want a fresh one anyway.

I have some Honeywell N95, and like a previous poster they don't fit my face very well. Uncomfortable, pokes my eyes. (But not as uncomfortabke as omicron!)

Just a thought—have an extra mask on hand in case the strap on the one you are wearing breaks. It just happened to me when I was trying on the Honeywell.

I put masks in the sun to sanitize.