Lockdown No. 2: Don’t Forget to Get Your Breton Face Mask

On Thursday, November 5, the UK entered its second lockdown, which will last until December 2. This means some activities, like going to the shops, are restricted.

While the safest plan of action is obviously to stay home, factors like work, education and grocery shopping mean you still need to go outside. So how do you help keep yourself protected when you must go out?

The answer: face masks.

The importance of face masks cannot be overstated. Coronavirus is an airborne virus, meaning it travels through the air to enter an individual’s nasal passage, and eventually their lungs.

How do face masks work?

Face masks are designed to prevent particles as small as a virus from being transmitted or received, meaning you’ll protect both yourself and those around you.

FFP2 grade masks are among the most effective masks out there, filtering up to 94% of particles. Even those recognisable blue surgical masks are effective at preventing small particles from reaching you. The only con to these, though, is that they are disposable. Though they can be properly washed and reused, they’re still prone to wear and damage over time. What’s more, there is tight demand for disposable face masks, particularly for healthcare workers.

Remain Stylish While Staying Safe

However, with reusable cloth face masks, you can remain stylish while staying safe.

Since the start of the pandemic, lots of you have really let your creative sides show, from DIY-ing your own face masks out of unconventional items (like old t-shirts or women's tights) to sewing your own masks, complete with eye-catching designs.

How many masks should I have?

Experts recommend having around five to seven masks on hand that you rotate regularly. After wearing a mask, you should leave the mask in an isolated area – a paper bag is one solution – for at least three days to air out. You should wash used cloth face masks at least daily. Simply throw it into the wash with your usual laundry and detergent, or you can thoroughly wash the face mask by hand with tap water and either laundry detergent or hand soap. To dry your mask, you can use either your laundry dryer or air dry it in direct sunlight. Can’t find direct sunlight? No problem. Just lay your mask out flat to dry.

Now that you know all about face masks, don’t forget to stock up! And have a little fun with it too...why not? Try getting a different-coloured face mask for each day of the week so you’ll never run out.

Four Colour Combinations 

Here at the Breton Shirt Company, we have cloth face masks to suit everyone's style needs. Made from two layers of ultra-soft cotton, our face masks fit comfortably to your face, thanks to the elastic support around the nose and chin area. We offer four playful colour combinations, too, all featuring distinctive Breton stripes.

Take a look here on our site and don't forget to snap a photo or two to tag over on our Instagram feed

Until next time...