The White House recently issued a recommendation to wear ‘non-medical’ face masks to help protect and combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The guidelines are strongly aimed towards those who are dwelling in high transmission areas, but all are encouraged to partake. The masks are to help stay healthy in unavoidable social settings where social distancing may be harder to maintain, such as the grocery store.

The CDC reminds us:

“The virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity — for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing — even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.”

However, these guidelines come with a particular set of difficulties.

As we know, face masks are almost impossible to find. People are making a mad dash to purchase any and all supplies that are available. Right now, empty grocery store shelves are a common sight.

Fortunately, the CDC has released an additional tip to the public – if you don’t have a surgical-grade mask, you can make your own!

Yes, you heard it. DIY face masks for the pandemic are coming into style. The tip explains that cloth face coverings are just as helpful for preventative measures.

Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, recently revealed that you can make a face covering from a variety of items you probably have at home. This includes scarves, bandanas, face towels, and even an old shirt.

These guidelines have seemingly sparked a new DIY revolution, and everyone is getting on board.

If you’re one of many who cannot find face masks for sale, Colin Hanks has you covered. He recently posted his own guide on Instagram outlining how to make your own mask simply out of a bandana.

Hanks takes you through a series of fairly easy steps to fashion a makeshift face mask. With a series of folds and a couple of rubber bands, he gets you ready in no time.

First, you lay the kerchief down on a flat surface.

He has you fold both the top and the bottom sections in towards the center. Then, you flip the kerchief over and do the same thing.

Secure it with elastic bands, fold it in, and voila!

Hanks’ Instagram post garnered a lot of attention with over 72,000 likes and almost three thousand comments. The method’s reception has been met with overwhelming praise.

Since posting it just about a week ago, he provided an update with some additional tips to help things go smoothly.

Hanks declared after wearing his face mask around for a week he noticed that his ears were beginning to get sore from the tough elastic bands. Following the suggestion of a nurse, he replaced the elastic bands with string and instantly found the mask much more wearable over a longer period of time.

Additionally, he reminds everyone to frequently wash their makeshift mouth covers. While they may work to protect us we need to maintain their cleanliness after each endeavor.

Finally, he asks people to pass the word along. The more knowledge we can share amongst one another the more protected we are.

Check out his Instagram posts below for this simple and effective DIY mask! And then check out the video to watch the method in action.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-fr3k3jWN6/?utm_source=ig_embed

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-k49ZlDopE/

Sources: Buzzfeed, ABC News, CDC, Instagram