Gloves & protection
Face Masks
Three-ply surgical masks and N95 respirators for carers, visitors and immunocompromised patients at home.
Also searched as: surgical mask · 3 ply mask · N95 · muh ka mask
This is a clinical item. Read the safety information below before use. If nobody in the household has been trained, tell us when you order and we will arrange a nurse rather than leave you to it.
Get the best quote
Consumables are quoted by size and quantity, and it is usually cheaper per unit to set up a standing reorder than to buy pack by pack. Tell us the situation and we will work the sizes out with you.
Quotes state GST separately at the applicable rate.
What it is for
A three-ply surgical mask protects other people from the wearer and gives the wearer modest protection in return; an N95 seals to the face and filters the air the wearer breathes in. Which one is right depends on which direction the risk runs. For a household caring for an immunocompromised patient — after chemotherapy, on immunosuppressants, or with advanced lung disease — masks on visitors and carers with any respiratory symptoms are one of the few genuinely cheap interventions available.
Sizes & variants
- Types
- 3-ply surgical, or N95/FFP2 respirator
- Fit
- Ear-loop or head-strap; moulded nose clip
- Filtration
- N95 filters at least 95% of airborne particlesOnly when it seals — facial hair and a loose fit defeat it entirely.
- Packing
- Boxes of 50 or 100; N95 individually wrapped
How to use it properly
- Cover nose and mouth, and mould the nose clip to the bridge.
- Handle by the straps only; the front is the contaminated surface.
- Replace when damp — a wet mask has stopped working.
- Single-use. Do not hang one around the neck and put it back on later.
Also know about
- N95 protects the wearer; a surgical mask protects everyone else
- For a carer with a cough looking after a frail patient, a surgical mask is the right choice. For a carer protecting themselves in a household with an active infection, N95.
- A seal you can feel is the point
- An N95 that leaks around the edges performs roughly like a surgical mask. It should pull slightly against the face on inhalation.
- Under the nose is not wearing a mask
- Worth saying plainly, because it is the most common failure and it removes the benefit entirely.
Safety & clinical information
Device information, not medical advice. Suitability for a particular patient is a decision for the treating clinician.
How it is installed and used
Hands are washed before gloves go on and after they come off — gloves supplement hand hygiene, they do not replace it. Masks cover nose and mouth with the nose clip moulded to the bridge, and are handled by the straps only. Both are removed without touching the outer surface and disposed of immediately.
Ongoing care and servicing
Gloves are changed between tasks on the same patient, not just between patients — moving from a catheter bag to a feed with the same gloves transfers exactly what the gloves were meant to stop. Masks are replaced when damp.
When not to use it
- Latex gloves where anyone involved has a latex allergy
- Latex sensitivity affects carers as well as patients, and reactions worsen with repeated exposure. Nitrile is the default where allergy status is unknown.
- Reuse of single-use gloves or masks
- Washing and reusing examination gloves damages the barrier invisibly. A reused item provides false confidence rather than protection.
Possible side effects
- Contact dermatitis and skin irritation
- From prolonged glove use, trapped moisture, or latex sensitivity. Powder-free nitrile and drying hands properly both help.
- Cross-contamination from gloves worn too long
- Gloves worn from task to task spread organisms as effectively as bare hands. The failure here is behavioural, not material.
- Facial pressure injury from tight mask straps
- Relevant for carers wearing a mask through a long shift; rotate the strap position and take breaks where it is safe to.
Regulatory status
Examination gloves and face masks are notified medical devices under India's Medical Devices Rules, 2017. Supplied as single-use items; Encone Care claims no CDSCO approval.
Relevant specialties
- Nursing
- PublicHealth
- Pulmonary medicine
About face masks
What is the difference between a surgical mask and an N95?
Can N95 masks be reused at home?
Used with
Updated 6 August 2026. Product information, not medical advice — sizes and technique are decisions for the treating clinician.