Best Fabric for Face Masks to Protect Against the Spread of COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cast shadows on life as we know it, many people are left wondering how to adapt to our new norms in the safest way possible. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to practicing social distancing, frequently washing your hands, and disinfecting surfaces, you can protect yourself and others by wearing a face-covering every time you are in public space.

The Rationale for Wearing Face Masks

As the saying goes around RxSaver, “WTF: Wear The Facemask.” We like to think of face coverings as a new way to be a good neighbor and friend during this tough time. That’s because a face-covering primarily serves to protect those around you, by preventing the spread of your own germs. On a large community health scale, if everyone is wearing a facial covering, everyone reaps the benefits of reduced virus transmission. This is especially important because many cases of COVID-19 are asymptomatic, meaning that people who feel fine can unknowingly pass the virus to others.

What type of fabric is best for face masks?

Once you’ve decided to spread love, not germs, by wearing a face mask, the question remains: What kind of mask is best? Many individuals are sewing masks at home or opting to purchase one from their favorite retailer. However you determine where to get your face mask, it’s important to know why some materials are better than others for optimal protection.

Read on to learn about the best fabric for face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Plain Cotton or T-Shirt Material

When it comes to an effective mask, one of the most important considerations is choosing a fabric that you can tolerate covering your nose and mouth for prolonged periods. Your fabric should also be machine-washable so that you can easily clean it between each use. For these reasons, the CDC recommends simple materials such as plain cotton or T-shirt material for homemade masks. While these materials are less effective than surgical masks, they outperform other types of materials used for homemade masks.

Research conducted on homemade facial masks in anticipation of a pandemic situation has also echoed the finding that a 100% cotton T-shirt material is the “most suitable household material for an improvised face mask,” based on its breathability and ability to block the dissemination of small particles. This type of fabric outperformed thicker fabrics—like vacuum bags or tea towels—and lighter fabric types, such as silk or linen.

Quilting Cotton

A new study published on June 30, 2020, in the Journal of Physics examined the fabric types that were most effective in preventing the spread of respiratory droplets. Researchers used mannequin heads to expel simulated cough and sneezed droplets in order to map out the distance that these droplets traveled depending on the various fabric type placed on the mannequin. Without any mask at all, droplets traveled the frequently referenced distance of six feet, or even greater. With a loosely folded cotton handkerchief, droplet travel distance was reduced by about 85%, and reduced by about 50% with a bandana made of elastic T-shirt material.

The most effective fabric for preventing the spread of respiratory droplets, however, was found to be quilter’s cotton. This reduced the distance of droplet travel almost completely, allowing droplets to travel fewer than three inches from the mask, with minimal leakage around the edges.

Does thread count matter for face masks?

In the research conducted on various materials, it is unclear whether thread count is a particularly valuable metric. On one hand, a high thread count would seem to be the most effective at preventing the transmission of droplets; however, some materials with a very high thread count seem to perform poorly when tested in the lab. In the recent study in the Journal of Physics, the quilter’s cotton with a thread count of 70 threads/inch outperformed fabrics that had both a higher and lower thread count.

Does the number of layers of fabric matter?

Experts do seem to agree that a double layer of fabric will be more effective at preventing the transmission of respiratory droplets than a single layer. This finding was echoed in the recent study in the Journal of Physics, which found that a double layer of quilter's cotton was the most effective strategy.

The Verdict

The most up-to-date research suggests that the best fabric for a face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 may be a double layer of quilter’s cotton. Researchers found that this type of mask was the most effective at preventing the spread of respiratory droplets beyond the mask. However, research on this topic will certainly continue, and more data and information will become available over time.