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SINGAPORE: If you’ve collected your two free N95 masks to protect yourself from the haze, how long can you use them before they need to be replaced?<\/p>\n
The answer depends on how often you wear them, how long you spend outdoors and whether the masks remain in good condition, an expert said.<\/p>\n
Free N95 masks are being distributed to eligible Singaporeans after a sharp rise in PM2.5 levels on Wednesday (Oct 14), with air quality deteriorating further in parts of Singapore on Friday.<\/p>\n
Here’s what you need to know about making the most of your masks, including when to wear them and how to store them between uses.<\/span><\/p>\n That depends on how frequently and for how long they are worn, as well as how well they are maintained, said Associate Professor Miranda Loh from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.<\/p>\n “For someone who only wears a mask for short commutes and takes care to keep it clean and in good shape, two masks may be sufficient for a week,” she said.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, someone who spends several hours outdoors each day would likely need to replace their masks more frequently.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Prolonged use can cause moisture and dirt to build up, while repeated handling can affect a mask’s shape and fit.<\/p>\n “Rather than focusing on a fixed number of days, I would encourage people to pay attention to the condition and fit of their masks and replace them when necessary,” Assoc Prof Loh said.<\/p>\n N95 masks can be reused, but there is no fixed number of hours or uses for which they remain effective, said Assoc Prof Loh.<\/p>\n Their lifespan depends on how frequently they are worn and whether they remain in good condition.<\/p>\n For someone who wears a mask only during a short commute, reusing it the following day may be reasonable, provided it has been stored properly and remains clean, dry and undamaged.<\/p>\n But masks should be replaced if they become deformed, torn, dirty or damp, or if they no longer fit snugly against the face.<\/p>\n A poor fit can allow polluted air to enter through gaps around the edges, reducing the mask’s effectiveness.<\/p>\n “Over time, moisture from our breath can accumulate in the mask, particularly with prolonged use. I would therefore recommend replacing masks regularly, especially if they are worn for extended periods,” Assoc Prof Loh said.<\/p>\n She also advised users to check the fit each time they put on a mask, ensuring there are no gaps around the edges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SINGAPORE: If you’ve collected your two free N95 masks to protect yourself from the haze, how long can you use them before they need to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--JwEzZFw6--\/c_crop,h_1125,w_2000,x_0,y_1\/c_fill,g_auto,h_676,w_1200\/fl_relative,g_south_east,l_mediacorp:cna:watermark:2021-08:cna,w_0.1\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/10\/14\/img_9104.jpg?itok=pdM9LMBB","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1147,19324,11681,28375,31786,18138],"class_list":["post-93443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-news-sg-global","tag-free","tag-haze","tag-masks","tag-n95","tag-reusing","tag-wearing","wpcat-2-id"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=93443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/93444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=93443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=93443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=93443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}ARE TWO N95 MASKS ENOUGH?<\/h2>\n
HOW LONG CAN AN N95 MASK LAST, AND CAN IT BE REUSED?<\/h2>\n
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