COVID-19: A step-by-step guide by Health Ministry on how to make face masks at home

The Ministry of Health shared a simple DIY guide on making face masks at home, and all one needs is cloth, scissors and a sewing machine. As per the government's guidelines, any used cotton cloth can be used to make a face cover at home. 

It is important to ensure that the fabric is washed well in boiling water for five minutes and dried before making a face mask. It is also suggested to add salt while washing the cloth. 

Here is a step by step guide on making the mask at home:

1. Cutting Fabric – Cut the cloth in this manner: 9 inches x 7 inches for adults and 7 inches x 5 inches for children. Then, cut four strips for tying and piping. Two pieces at 1.5”x 5” and two pieces at 1.5”x 40”
2. Now, attach the 1.5x5” strip to be used as piping to the cloth on one end
3. Create three downward facing pleats of approximately 1.5” each by folding the cloth
4. Once the pleats have been made, the height of the cloth will be reduced from 9” to 5”
5. Now attach the long 40” strips used for tying the face cover to the top and bottom
6. Fold both these wide strips three times and stitch
7. The face mask is now ready!

Picture Credit: Union Health Ministry

It is important to ensure that the face mask covers the mouth and nose. When wearing the mask, the pleats must face downwards. It is advised to never reverse the face cover for reuse. The mask should be washed thoroughly after every use. 

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The Government's advisory on Homemade masks

For a more elaborate guide on making and using masks at home, one can also check out the PDF shared by the Ministry of Health on Twitter. It also provides guidelines on the manual use of these homemade masks. 

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