So, it’s smoky here.
This is the difference between an instant headache and being able to breathe without too much trouble.
But adult masks don’t fit kid faces and none of the ones available for kids are readily available here, and none of those have exhale ports.
Exhale ports make masks infinitely more wearable because you don’t end up with a sweaty, gross face.
You can fit the top to a 5-year-old’s face okay with the flexible metal clip, but it gapes at the chin.
It takes about five minutes to hack the mask to work on a kid’s face. This is not a perfect solution (the duct tape will pull free under the strain of the elastic eventually, even like this) but it is fast, easily fixable, and requires only duct tape and a working N95 particle mask. Observe:
Materials needed.
Tear off a small piece of duct tape.
Tear it in half so you have two squares of duct tape. They can be a little bigger than this.
Press them firmly about an inch and a half to two inches apart on the underside of the mask, not overlapping the edge. Rub them in place with your thumbs, you need them to stick as well as possible to the felt.
PInch a little tuck.
Fold it over.
Tape it down over the other tape. This will give more longevity for the kludge than just using one piece of tape.
You can reinforce it if you think it necessary.
The part that is taped is not the part that even an adult would draw air through. The majority of the mask is clear and able to bring air in–the only part that is taped is under the chin, which on an adult is up against skin anyway. Flatten the top clip out and then fit it to the kiddo’s face once the mask is in place.
No gaps! (His nose clip needs a little adjusting, but we’re otherwise good to go.)
One retape later…
Anyway, this is a temporary solution, but fast to implement. Takes longer to explain than to do.
