In makeshift home laboratories, a team of scientists discovered that cotton flannel is the optimal fabric, and their latest study says that the moisture from our breath makes the mask more effective.

Cloth face masks have become part of the daily routine for many of us. The first thing I did at the beginning of the pandemic last year was buy some cloth face masks for my mom, who is 68 years old ...

Scanning electron microscope images of cotton flannel (left) and polyester (right). Cotton fibers absorb moisture from breath, which increases filtration. Each segment of the image scale bars is 50 ...

This image shows the individual fibers in cotton flannel. Image: E.P. Vicenzi/Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute and NIST So, what exactly happens when you’re out and about wearing a cloth ...