Which fabrics make the safest masks?

Not all fabrics are created equal when it comes to DIY masks.

Some fabrics hardly block any virus molecules.

USING A PILLOWCASE.

NEWSY'SPATRICK TERPSTRA TALKED TOSCIENTISTS ABOUT WHICHHOUSEHOLD FABRICS ARE THE BESTAND WORST AT FILTERING OUTVIRUSES.MANY OF US ARE VENTURING OUTWITH FACES COVERED BY CLOTHFROM WHATEVER WE CAN DIG OUTOF OUR CLOSETS TO WARD OFFCORONAVIRUS.

THE CDCRECOMMENDATIONS FORDO-IT-YOURSELF MASKS SAY USE"TIGHTLY WOVEN COTTON," BUTRESEARCHERS ARE GETTING ANIDEA ABOUT WHICH HOUSEHOLDFABRICS ACTUALLY WORK BEST."WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING FROMCOFFEE FILTERS TO VACUUM BAGS,PILLOWCASES, SHEETS, DIFFERENTSCARF MATERIALS," SAID JOELBURKEN, PART OF A TEAM LED BYWANG YANG AT THE MISSOURIUNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY.

THE RESEARCHERSFOUND CLOTH MASKS ACTUALLYALLOW MOST VIRUS SIZEDPARTICLES TO PASS THROUGH.TWO LAYERS OF A COTTON BANDANABLOCK JUST 18% OF PARTICLESTWO LAYERS OF A WOOL SCARF AREA LITTLE BETTER, FILTERING OUT21% A 600 THREAD COUNTPILLOWCASE WAS 22% EFFECTIVETHE MORE OF ANY FABRIC YOULAYER THE BETTER, AS LONG ASYOU CAN BREATHE.

FOUR LAYERSOF 600- THREAD COUNTPILLOWCASE FABRIC ARE 58PERCENT EFFECTIVE THE MISSOURITEAM FOUND THE BEST FACECOVERING, PERFORMING EVENBETTER THAN A SURGICAL MASK,MAY BE A PIECE OF AIR FILTERFOR SOMETHING LIKE A FURNACEOR AIR CONDITIONING,SANDWICHED IN CLOTH TO PREVENTINHALING FIBERS FROM THEFILTER ITSELF.

AFTER THE SWINEFLU OUTBREAK, SCIENTISTS INCONDUCTED A SIMILAR STUDY OFHOMEMADE MASKS FOR THE CDC'SNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOROCCUPATIONAL SAFETY ANDHEALTH.

RESULTS SHOWEDSWEATSHIRTS AND TOWELS DID THEBEST JOB DEFENDING AGAINSTNANO-SIZED PARTICLES LIKE AVIRUS.

"THE BEST MATERIALSWERE THE FUZZY FABRICS,ANYTHING THAT HAD A VERY HIGHAMOUNT OF SURFACE AREA," SAIDBEN EIMER, WHO WORKED ON THECDC NIOSH EXPERIMENT.

WHATDIDN'T DO SO WELL?

TEE SHIRTS,BLOCKING JUST 13 PERCENT OFPARTICLES, AND HANDKERCHIEFS,ONLY 11 PERCENT EFFECTIVE."LIKE THE OLD-STYLE, YOURGRANDFATHER CARRIED IT IN HISPOCKET, HANDKERCHIEFS," EIMERSA