Texas Mattress Makers produces masks for essential workers

HOUSTON – Production hasn’t stopped at Texas Mattress Makers.

The Houston company, within the last week, has transitioned from making mattresses to protective face masks.

“Some of the material that we have making mattresses are the same materials that make these masks,” said owner, Youval Meichler.

Meichler said his employees use a non-wovel material, which is typically used to line the bottom of sofas and box springs. He said the material is superb at repelling water.

“The only way you can get this water though this product is if you took something and rubbed it and rubbed it hard and put a lot of pressure on it and then you would actually push the particle through,” he said while demonstrating.

The material stops droplets from getting into the mask from the outside and escaping if someone coughs while wearing one, according to the mattress expert.

The crew at the furniture store has been making about 1,000 masks a day for the last week. Meichler said they’re not selling mask to the general public at the moment.

“My goal is to give it not to sell it,” he said. “As long as I can continue doing that. The economics allow me to do that, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

He plans to donate them to first responders and essential workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

“As long as we can stay open and manufacture things for folks in this city that’s what we’re gonna do,” Meichler said.

He said knowing those workers are protected helps him sleep better at night.