I have been designing and manufacturing furniture for over a decade and have tried all the dust masks known to man. Either they hurt my face, my glasses got foggy, they slid down my face, they got too hot or they got loose and I ended up coughing up nasty stuff. The list goes on, but after my annual visit with my doctor about 8 months ago, I received a real wake up call about lung disease. As a result, sawdust is more damaging to the lungs than smoking.

It was only by chance that I finally discovered the dust mask that I now wear and would like to tell you about the pros and cons of wearing it.

I first saw it at my friend's (and competitor's) store about seven months ago. A really talented new boy started working at his store. This guy always wore his dust mask and said he had been wearing it every day for four years! I didn't think that was possible. Just wash it off at night, start again the next day.

When I saw that, I ordered one online and am really satisfied with it. Everything the boy said was true. Also, it is so comfortable that I can wear it all day. I almost forgot I have it on. It does not tarnish my lenses, it is easy to breathe and I can wear it wet on hot days to keep cool. I can even talk about it, which is really important to me since I'm quite a conversationalist.

There are a couple of things you should be careful about when you get one.

The first thing is that you can't pull too much on the strap when you put it on. I thought it had to be as awkward as everyone else to function properly. Incorrect! It has a nasal cable that adjusts to your nose for a custom fit, so while comfortable, it works properly. That is the reason why it does not tarnish my glasses. That only makes it invaluable to me, because as you know when working with wood, you really need to see and hold your fingers!

The second thing I would warn you against is that you can only wash it by hand. You can't throw it in the dryer. It is made from space age fabric that will fray in the washer and destroy in the dryer. If you remember that, it will last as long as my friend's new boy. Perhaps more, thinking about it, since yours is still in very good condition. At the end of the day, I just swirl it in mild soapy water, rinse it off, shake off the water, and it's like new in the morning. I hang it on a hook right next to my tools, so I always know exactly where to find it in the morning. http://www.queenluxcosmetics.com/

One more thing to know, you will still need a respirator when working with toxic fumes. So why even get this dust mask if you still need a respirator? Yeah right! Have you ever tried to wear a respirator all day?

For me this has been an excellent purchase and I can finally protect myself all day in my store. I finally found a dust mask that is comfortable and effective. It reassures me to think about protecting my lungs and frees me to think about the things I love; how to make furniture.

Author's Bio: 

If your work takes you to places where air quality can be compromised, or if you undertake a home project that exposes you to potential air pollutants,