There's one item you probably have in your closet that can upgrade the personal protection factor for your cloth mask -- nylon stockings.

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NPR reports, "Researchers at Northeastern University have found that adding an outer layer made from nylon stockings to a homemade face covering can boost its ability to filter out small particles in the air by creating a tighter seal between the mask and the wearer's face. In some cases, that extra nylon layer helped homemade cloth masks match or exceed the filtering capability of medical-grade surgical masks."

According to the research, adding a layer of nylon even improved the efficacy of surgical masks. That's because the nylon keeps the mask tight to your face.

According to NPR, "Testing showed that it went from blocking out 75% of small particles to 90% with the addition of a pantyhose overlayer. An N95 respirator, by comparison, is designed to block out at least 95% of small particles when worn properly."

 

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