IPD is Changing Minds Behind the Cotton Face Mask (Source: IPD USA)

In my life I only saw people wearing face masks who worked in a medical environment, usually a group of people diagnosing my broken body after a motocross accident or drilling my teeth!  The first time I was exposed to a significant amount of people wearing masks in public was back in January of 2013 when I traveled to Tokyo Japan.  I remember walking through Narita airport and seeing people wearing some form of protective mask.  To be honest, I felt out of place because there were more people wearing a cotton face mask than not.   In an effort to maintain transparency while writing this, I will say, I felt completely awkward in this situation.   Was something going on I wasn’t privy to, did something happen during my flight that forced everyone to cover their face?

After meeting up with associates and partners in the industry I finally felt comfortable enough to breach the subject.   Why are there so many people wearing masks?   A good friend of mine said, “It’s cold and flu season here in Japan.”  He went on to tell me that when they feel a tickle in their throat, cough, or have symptoms of a cold or flu, it’s a sign of being respectful.  They wear the mask to protect others, not necessarily to protect themselves.

This was a big shift for me, not just that they weren’t hiding their faces, but basically advertising that they may be ill. My personal experience was to always hide the fact I was sick, mainly for fear of people distancing themselves from me.   Throughout that particular trip, I wondered how something like this would ever be adopted or fit into western culture.

Now the CDC is asking people to wear these masks in public to help prevent the spread of disease.  My shopping has become more intentional these days and I remind myself I’m wearing this mask to be respectful and protect others.

IPD has many relationships with hospitals and nursing organizations.  IPD partners with Nursingale, a home health care organization catering to medically fragile children.   We have been doing everything we can to support these organizations during this time.  We’ve donated thousands of gloves to those in need.  We now offer comfortable 100% cotton face masks that are strictly used for social distancing protocols.

SaniKey is an antimicrobial tool used to limit the amount of surface contact through daily life. The tool works by conveniently helping the user open doors, press buttons and keypads.

If you are looking for where to buy cotton face masks or for more information about how effective a cotton face mask is, visit IPD online today.

About IPD USA

IPD is the Volvo Parts, Accessories and Performance Specialists Since 1963. We offer a wide variety of high quality replacement, maintenance and restoration car parts plus our own line of heavy duty and performance products. Our custom built online parts catalog features Genuine, OE, OES, OEM, Aftermarket and IPD branded replacement auto parts.