On June 25, 2020, Judge B. Glen Whitley issued an Executive Order that all persons over the age of 10 years old in Tarrant County who enter a business wear face mask covering their nose and mouth or when there are large gatherings of 100 people or more.

A face mask or covering could be a homemade mask, scarf, bandana or handkerchief.

How to Wear and Remove Cloth Face Coverings

• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol prior to putting on your face covering
• Place the face covering on your nose AND mouth. It is not enough to just keep the face covering on your mouth
• Fit the covering snugly against the sides of your face
• Try to limit how often your touch your face covering and if you must touch it, try to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer prior to and after touching your face covering
• When removing your face covering, handle only the ear loops or ties and fold outside corners together.  Wash your hands immediately after handling

Cleaning Cloth Face Coverings

• You can include your face covering with your regular laundry.
  
  • Use regular laundry detergent and the warmest appropriate water setting for the cloth used to make the face covering.
    
  • Use the highest heat setting and leave in the dryer until completely dry.
• You can also wash by hand using diluted bleach solution.
  
  • Use four teaspoons of household bleach per quart of room temperature water.
    
  • Soak face covering in the solution for five minutes.
    
  • Rinse thoroughly with cool or room temperature water. 
  • Let dry completely either in the dryer or let air dry by laying it flat until completely dry.

• Fit your mask to your face

o   If your mask doesn’t fit your face well, warm air is likely to escape and fog up your lenses.

o   When putting on your mask, make sure to pinch the top of the mask to fit the shape of your nose.

o   If your mask allows it, tighten the sides as well for a good fit.

o   Use medical or athletic tape to close the gap between the bridge of your nose and the top of your mask. If you don’t have tape, try an adhesive bandage.

• Wipe your lenses before wearing them (make sure that these options will not destroy any coatings that are professionally applied to your lenses)

o   An anti-fogging solution or even

o   Gently washing your lenses with soap and water before wearing them may help.

These hacks will keep water droplets from building up and fogging your lenses.

• Adjust your glasses

o   Pushing your glasses forward on your nose will allow more air to circulate and keep your breath from fogging up your vision.  

o   Rest your glasses over your face mask

o   Try pulling your mask up over your nose and rest your glasses on top of it. This will block the air from escaping and prevent fogging.

Make sure your mask still fits properly over your face. Your nose and mouth should be completely covered.

Explore and share these additional tips on eye safety during the pandemic.

Creating your own face covering

In this short video, Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, shares ways to create your own face covering in a few easy steps.

Additional CDC guidance regarding use of cloth face coverings