What Are the Most Effective Fabrics for Coronavirus Face Masks?

by
Elizabeth Ann Roy

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Image of mother and children with face masks courtesy of Image by André Santana AndreMS from Pixabay

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Erika Edwards of NBC News posted this article entitled "For DIY Face Masks, Some Fabrics Work Better Than Others." This article recommends tightly woven fabrics and even suggests a thread count. Unfortunately, It doesn't name specific fabrics. As an experienced sewer who has also worked in fabric stores, I can and will.

Fabric stores may or may not be open, of course, depending on where you live, but many stores, large and small, have websites where you can order fabric online. That, of course, means that you won't be able to hold the fabric up to the light to see if any light shines through, as this article suggests. You probably won't find information about thread counts, either. However, you still can easily find the fabric you need.

You want the type of fabric that is used for making slacks, blazers, and suits. In fabric stores, they're called bottom-weight fabrics. Michael's lists them as utility fabrics on their home page.

As the article mentions, these are also the type of fabrics used as backing for quilts and quilting projects. The most effective fabrics to use for protective coronavirus face masks include:
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• ​Denim
• Chino
• Woven gabardine
• Broadcloth
• Percale
• Washable home décor fabrics
• Calico, but see the suggestions in the next paragraph
• Challis

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Denim, chino, and broadcloth are heavier, bottom weight fabrics, but denim has a slightly looser weave. I wouldn't use a fabric any lighter than trigger cloth. Broadcloth and percale, which is used for sheets, are similar to trigger cloth. Broadcloth comes in prints and solids. It's used for winter-weight shirts, blouses, and dresses. It might be a little too lightweight, but it might work with a layer of flannel between the layers of broadcloth. as the article suggests. For masks, I would stick with woven gabardine rather than gabardine knit. Knit fabrics stretch, leaving larger openings for the virus to get through.

Usually, bottom-weight fabrics are available in solid colors only.

If you want to make print masks, in addition to broadcloth, you could try heavier weight home decor drapery fabrics, but these might not be washable. You could also make the mask of the bottom-weight fabric with an extra outer layer of the print fabric you like, or, as the article suggests, put a layer of flannel between two layers of lighter weight fabric. Print fabrics could be lighter top-weight fabric that's used for shirts, blouses, and dresses. Some print and calico fabrics that are used for quilting are heavier than others, but they are still lighter than bottom-weight fabrics.

At fIrst, I was reading about making DIY protective cloth masks, it seemed that 100-percent woven cotton was  the most effective choice. 

The major fabric and craft stores -- Joann Fabric and Crafts, Michael's, and Hobby Lobby all have websites. Walmart and Amazon also sell fabric. For more choices, search for "fabric stores online." Jaimie Lees of the Riverfront Times of St. Louis, Missouri posted this article entitled "Is Joann Fabrics Really Offering Face Mask Sewing Kits?" Even if your local Joann Fabric store is open and you hear they have the face mask kits, it sounds as if it might be better and safer to stick with buying the fabric online.

Some of the stores you'll find feature fabrics with designs created by the designer offering them for sale. You might want to check reviews of the independent stores for comments about the quality of the printing and about whether or not the pattern extends clear to the side edges of the fabric.

Mood, the fabric store that has been used by Project Runway also has a website.

Print-on-Demand sites, like Zazzle.com, offer fabric with patterns created by designers who are part of the gig economy. You could also create your own design on a POD site. These sites charge more for the fabric, however, and you also have to wait until it is delivered. Then again, due to high volumes of orders, shipping is delayed on a lot of sites, including fabric and craft stores.

Check the clearance sites on the major fabric stores. You can save a lot by buying fabric remnants. These are fabrics from the ends of bolts. There's nothing wrong with the fabric; there simply aren't enough yards of it to wrap on a fabric-store size bolt.

This is not an advertisement. I am not an affiliate of any of the above mentioned sites other than Zazzle.com, where I do have fabric printed with my designs, but I have not included my affiliate link in this post. Consequently, I will not receive any money from this post, I am simply making my knowledge of fabric available.

WildGinger.com has software for sewers who want to design their own fashions. They also, for several years, have had a free iCare collection of software patterns for those who want to create hospital gowns, scrubs, and bed jackets for charitable purposes. I don't recall that face masks were part of the collection previously, but they now have a pattern for a face shield and two patterns for facemasks -- one plain and one with horizontal pleats. I have just discovered that the staffs of extended stay hotels are supposed to wear facemasks, but they can't find them. Another group that could use donated face masks PPE are those who are delivering groceries and orders from restaurants. Some of them are wearing bandanas, and some have no protection.