How do you double mask?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that simply wearing a face covering is not enough to protect you from COVID-19. It’s time to wear two masks-but how do you double mask? We’ll share tips below. And because we take pride in being an important part of our community, we’ve made personal protective equipment—reusable face masks, disposable surgical masks, face shields and hand sanitizer—available in our shop. You can buy online and get them delivered right to your door or do a curbside pickup.
Do you need to double mask?
The short answer is no, but a simple bandana, neck gaiter or just holding your t-shirt over your face are not enough to protect you from COVID-19, particularly from the new variants. If you can find a three-layered face mask that fits your face really well with no gaps—and you wear it properly and consistently, you probably don’t need to double mask. Our clients love the Veco triple-layered cloth mask we sell—and it comes in both adult and child sizes.
If you're not confident that your mask is a great fit, or you want additional protection, double masking is a good idea.
Why double mask?
A new study shows that wearing one mask—either a cloth or surgical mask—blocked about 40 percent of COVID-19 particles, but that a cloth mask worn over a surgical mask blocked about 80 percent of coronavirus-sized particles. When two people interacting both double mask, up to 95 percent of particles are blocked.
How do you double mask?
The best way to wear two masks so you feel like you can still breathe is to layer a cloth mask over a surgical mask. This helps prevent any gaps between the skin and the mask. Make sure both masks fit snugly against your face—and just because you're wearing two masks doesn't mean that you should skimp on either. Both should be of good quality.
Layering a cloth mask over a paper surgical mask can also be more comfortable during the winter when a wet cloth mask can feel pretty uncomfortable against your skin. Also, masks are much less effective when wet, so doubling up gives you added protection during the colder months, when your breath condenses and COVID is likely more contagious.
A couple of don'ts: Do not layer surgical masks. It won't improve fit. And don't layer using a kn95 mask. They can make breathing difficult enough on their own.
Want to try double masking? Check out our shop to invest in high quality PPE.