Proposed guide is meant to provide a simple outline of best practices to make, use and reuse face covers to enable NGOs and individuals to make face protection themselves. The key criteria for proposed designs are Ease of Access to Materials, Ease of Making at Home, Ease of Use and Reuse. The homemade face cover should be prepared in such a manner that it can cover the mouth and nose completely and can be tied over the face easily. This face cover is not recommended for either health workers or those working with or in contact with COVID 19 patients or are patients themselves as these categories of people are required to wear specified protective gear. Wearing of face covers is especially recommended for people living in densely populated areas across India

  1. We are aware that social distancing and personal hygiene are keys to prevent COVID 19 infections. Certain countries have claimed benefits of homemade face cover for the general public. Such homemade face cover is a good method for maintaining personal hygiene. Such usage certainly will help in maintaining overall hygienic health conditions.     2. Therefore, it is suggested that such people who are not suffering from medical conditions or having breathing difficulties may use the handmade reusable face cover, particularly when they step out of their house. This will help in protecting the community at large.    3. This face cover is not recommended for either health workers or those working with or in contact with COVID 19 patients or are patients themselves as these categories of people are required to wear specified protective gear.    4. It is advised that two sets of such face covers be made so that one can be washed while the other is used. Hand washing would still remain essential criteria and hand should be washed before wearing the face cover. Such face covers should also not be thrown anywhere but kept safely, washed properly with soap and hot water and dried properly before they are used.     5. These face covers could be made out of clean cloth available at home, which needs to be thoroughly cleaned and washed before a face cover is stitched/made. The face cover should be prepared in such a manner that it can cover the mouth and nose completely and can be tied over the face easily.  6. There must not be a sharing of face covers and a face cover must be used by only one individual. So, in a family of several members, each member should have a separate face cover.

You can easily make a face cover at home to protect yourself.

Option 1. Make a Face Cover using a Sewing Machine

Things you will need: 100% cotton material

Four pieces of cloth strips

Scissors

Sewing Machine

Any used cotton cloth can be used to make this face cover. The colour of the fabric does NOT matter but you must ensure that you wash the fabric well in boiling water for 5 minutes and dry it well before making the face cover.  Adding salt to this water is recommended.

To Begin with

1.a Cutting Fabric – Cut cloth for the face cover at the following sizes as required:

1.b Cutting Strips – Cut 4 strips for tying and piping from cloth:  Two pieces at 1.5”x 5” and  Two pieces at 1.5”x 40”

Adult: 9 inch x 7 inch    Child: 7 inch x 5 inch

Take the cut fabric, attach the 1.5×5” strip to be used as piping to the fabric on one end.

Create three downward facing pleats of approximately 1.5” each folding cloth.

Turn the pleated cloth to the other side and repeat steps for pleating on this side as shown above. Once the pleats have been made, the height of the pleated cloth will be reduced from 9” to 5”.

Secure the pleats with piping on both sides as shown above.  Take extra care to keep all pleats facing downward as shown.

Now begin attaching the long 40” strips used for tying the face cover to the top and bottom as shown.

Once again fold both these strips three times and stitch as shown above.

Your face cover is now ready

Ensure that the face cover fits around your mouth and nose and there is no gap between it and your face. When wearing the face cover, the side facing you should show the pleats as facing downwards.

You must never reverse the face cover for reuse. Always thoroughly wash it after every use following process shown further.

Make sure the face cover fits your face well and there are no gaps on the sides…

Remember to still maintain up to 2 meter distance from others at all times, wash your hands thoroughly when back home and do not touch your face or eyes!

Option 2: Making a Face Cover at Home without a Sewing Machine

Things you will need:

100% Cotton material or a Men’s cotton handkerchief

Two rubber bands

Step -1 Fold the handkerchief from one side to little above the middle of the cloth

Step -2 Now fold over the other edge to go above the first fold

Step -3 Fold this again evenly from the middle

Step-4 Take a rubber band and tie it on left side of the cloth as shown

Step-5 Now tie the other side with another rubber band Ensure that the area in the middle of the two rubber bands is big enough to cover your mouth and nose

Step-6 Take one edge of the cloth on the side of the rubber band and fold over it. Do this for both sides

Step-7 Now take one fold and insert in to the other fold

  1. Your face cover is now ready
  2. Please ensure that the face cover fits around your mouth and nose comfortably but that there is no gap left between the face cover and the mouth. 3. To wear this face cover just wrap each rubber band around your ears
  3. To wear this face cover just wrap each rubber band around your ears
  4. You must follow all precautions and instructions outlined above when using the face cover

How to Clean and Sanitize your Homemade Face Cover Everyday

  1. Thoroughly wash the face cover in soap and warm water and leave it to dry in hot sun for at least 5 hours. If you do not have access to the sun, follow Option 2:
  2. Place the face cover in water in a pressure cooker and pressure boil it for at least 10 minutes and leave it to dry. Adding salt to the water is recommended. In the absence of a pressure cooker, you may boil the cloth face cover in hot water for 15 minutes.
  3. Wash and clean with soap and apply heat on the face cover for up to five minutes. (You may use an iron).