Here’s Why Blue Shop Towels May Be The Best Material To Use When Making Face Masks

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You know those thick, blue shop towels that people like mechanics use? Turns out, those may be a better fabric to use for homemade masks than cotton fabric.

Courtesy of Suay Sew Shop

Three clothing designers got together, and tested dozens of different fabrics to see which ones would be better at filtering out particles.

We spent a few days researching and brainstorming any material that could filter: coffee filters, batting, window shades, Swiffer, interfacing, etc., all the way to more technical materials that are available to specialized industrial sectors like aviation, oil refinery, medical fields

Chloe Schempf to Business Insider

The cotton was HIGHLY permeable. This means we can breathe when wearing cotton masks, but they may not be as effective as we need them to be to protect us from the virus.

When tested, the cotton only blocked out 20% to 60% of particles.

Vacuum filters worked REALLY well, but you could hardly breathe at all when wearing a mask that contained these filters.

Breathing is still pretty important.

What the designers found, however, was that those thick blue shop towels, when doubled, and sewn into a tight-fitting mask, blocked out 95% of particles.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1cu2cOgTr1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

You could also breathe through them!

This affirms that SOMETHING is better than NOTHING, but cotton, by itself, is probably not the best choice for a face mask when given an option.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-hmohkhStx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Those blue shop towels, though, may be the best choice yet!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B95NlCcA3LZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The three designers who ran the tests on the fabrics, are trying to raise money to test the blue shop towels against the virus, itself.

If they, in fact work, these Blue Shop Towels may become the next answer to helping protect medical personnel and people — like you and me — from the virus.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7CUw2oB_7g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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62 Comments

  1. Everyone is questioning if it is durable enough to protect you against the covid 19 virus, but what about inhaling those fibres and it’s effect on your lungs. Has anyone considered that? My long term care facility gave us Scott shop original to use in addition to the surgical mask. The day I wore it I experienced throat pain. Has they been even tested?

  2. Toolbox towels do not seem to be hydro knit. They are DRC bonded cellulose according to the SDS, but it does not say they are bonded to polypropylene. I wonder if the journalist got it wrong?

    1. The blogger (she is not a trained journalist) absolutely did get this wrong. Blue scott towels featured are NOT hydroknit, which includes both plant material and polypropylene. This post should be updated or removed as it is spreading misinformation regrading a critical safety matter.

  3. Scott’s was the worst brand. Stupid affiliates.

    1. Yep! It says right in their article about the testing that Scott isn’t as ineffective. It did not rate as highly as 2 other brands. The better brands required 2 layers to filter, so I added a third layer to my Scott towel filter to bolster it more.

      1. Ugh, I meant “isn’t as effective.” They aren’t totally ineffective, but Scott were not as effective as the others.

  4. Are these masks being seen with the blue towels permanently seen into them? I tried and successfully sewed one this morning, using blue towel instead of interfacing. However my question now is, are they able to be washed and dried like normal?

    1. Have you gotten an answer for this yet? I was wondering the same thing.

    2. The ability to click links and read words is an amazing thing:

      “The team also discovered the mask held 95% of its filtration abilities after up to three machine washes.

      “We are calling them semi-disposable at this point and are continuing testing after six, seven, 10 washes,” Pavlu said.”

  5. They mentioned testing different patterns to find the best fit but haven’t made it available. It looks like they found a metal nosepiece and perhaps fold over elastic around the entire mask. Interesting that they went with ties rather than around the ear pieces. Sewing this week for my elderly neighbors, family and friends. Appreciate any information on pattern, etc. I’d like to make a filter to insert into a cotton mask with 2-3 layers of hydro knit. Many thanks!

    1. Cut two pieces of a straw to length, then I sert one straw into the other. Thread the tie through the straw and use the straw to keep the side of your mask from bunching up. It will make for a more comfortable experience.

    2. I Used a pipe cleaner stitched into the top fold for the nose piece. It works very well. Using interfacing ( non woven) between two layers of cotton

      1. Pipe cleaners rust when washed and will end up poking through the fabric after a couple washes

    3. Elastic round the ears can make ears very sore if worn for any length of time.

      1. I have a friend who sewed buttons on a fabric headband and hooks the bands onto the buttons.

  6. I am in South Africa. What is that towels made of? What will be similar to the consistency of the fabric? Can I maybe get n photo of n closer look at the fabric please?

    1. They aren’t actually fabric. They are like very thick paper towels. There was a super premium paper towel I used to see in the grocery stores made by “Brawny” with a similar consistency. They come on the same sized roll as a paper towel, but much thicker, puffer. A woven fabric has gaps in the weave, but these shop towels are made of a blown material. You can wet one, squeeze, rewet many times without it falling apart like a regular paper towel. I bet an automotive parts store–a place you buy wiper blades, oil filters, general car maintenance items, will have something similar–they don’t need to be blue, just the thicker, puffier material. You might also find something similar at a Home improvement store. If you hold one of these at both ends and try to pull it apart, they are very difficult to tear that way–unlike a regular paper towel. Hope that helps

    2. Dear Mariette,
      The original article explaining how they were first used in California by group of ladies to create mask is below…
      Make sure to read the article to the end…they are actually made of highly absorbent recycled fibers called “Polyester hydro knit towels”…the group in Califirnia as you will see in the article tested 3 brands and likes the Scott brand the least. Article to read:
      https://www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4

      I hope this information helps you.

    3. Hey! They are made out of polyester hydro knit which is a processed type of plastic fiber that is then made into a fabric by mechanical compression instead of weaving.

  7. How do you make the mask, using the shop towel?

      1. There is no pattern for the masks in the article, maybe you should read it and you would find that out!

  8. I found that this was both interesting and informative, Thanx!

  9. Do the Scott shop original multi- purpose work? They are available in my area.

    1. “Polyester hydro knit towels are readily available at hardware and automotive stores. The two brands they tested were ToolBox’s shop towel and ZEP’s industrial blue towel. Interestingly, Scott’s pro shop towels, which are also made with a hydro knit fabric, didn’t work as well”
      -https://www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4

      1. Tool Box shop towels are available at Harbor Freight Tools and Suay.com tested them.They came out better than Scott brand and on a par with Zep’s. I make maskes with filter insert, double layer, anymore and it’s harder to breath. Outside layer tight weave cotton, 2 filter layers, liner of tight weave cotton. Hand wash, you can remove and change out the filter after several washings, no bleach or fabric softeners. If possible, line dry in sunshine, get the added benefit of sun’s UV rays for disinfecting. They did come out with mask pattern that is snug, but I prefer the Olson pattern. Personal preference and a bit easier to sew. You can order nose metals online cheap.
        If hand washing, pipe cleaners also work, I used two twisted tightly, now I use metal ones with adhesive to insert inside the lining at the top center. A roll of Tool Box cost <3.00 for 55 sheets, larger rolls available as well. Cut as many as you need!

  10. What about micro fiber towels, do you think they will also work.

    1. “Polyester hydro knit towels are readily available at hardware and automotive stores. The two brands they tested were ToolBox’s shop towel and ZEP’s industrial blue towel. Interestingly, Scott’s pro shop towels, which are also made with a hydro knit fabric, didn’t work as well”
      -https://www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4

  11. I’m planning to leave the 2-inch opening at the bottom of the mask open in order to remove and replace the “shop cloth” filter after washing the cloth mask.

  12. Blue “Tool Box” paper clothes are sold out! I bought the “Tool Box” Professional white paper cloths. Do you know if they are as effective at filtering as the blue towels in filtering?
    I was a pattern maker/designer in the industry for years. If ever I decide to get married…I may make my wedding dress out of these things. SO comfy and easy to sew!

  13. This is wonderful news my husband works at an auto Zone so he can purchase them there so awesome ! Thank you

  14. Does anyone know if it has to be the blue towels? I have a huge roll of Wypall hydroknit shop towels but they are pink.

    1. Poly hydroknit (regardless of color) did the best.

      However, Suay only tetsed a limited number of brands of poly hydroknit towels and and the fabric used by some brands tested (Toolbox’s, ZEP) was better than others (Scott). I have no information on if Wypall was tested.

  15. Did you test a piece of flanel in between 2 pieces of cotton?

  16. DON’T use the Scott’s pro towels, though. Those apparently didn’t do very well. ToolBox and ZEP’s shop towels actually worked pretty well. All of what I posted is from the source article.

    1. Could someone please clear up wether or not the Scott Heavy Duty towels are ok or not. Thanks for a great article!

      1. “Polyester hydro knit towels are readily available at hardware and automotive stores. The two brands they tested were ToolBox’s shop towel and ZEP’s industrial blue towel. Interestingly, Scott’s pro shop towels, which are also made with a hydro knit fabric, didn’t work as well”
        -https://www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4

    2. They didn’t say why Scott’s was inferior. They didn’t say what size particulate Scott’s is good to. They are made of the same material but maybe different methods of fabrication? They also didn’t say Scott’s didn’t work just that it wasn’t as good as Zeps and toolbox. Zeps and toolbox are sold out. Scott’s is available so I would use Scott’s before I use cotton. Maybe double it up?

  17. The regular Scott shop towels are not the hydro knit mentioned by the testers. Only the pro or heavy duty are

  18. Can you use white scott shop towel instead of blue?

  19. These tests are not in a lab using highly sophisticated equipment that can measure particles as small as the corona virus. There are more scientific tests out there.

    1. Not on these fabrics there aren’t.

      And they aren’t in a lab but they ARE using sophisticated equipment.

      https://www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4?fbclid=IwAR3gNYtxhcTjjvO1uxL652y9Wq-naOmZNgxcTMtyQs2eXznoOPaTsMl9Mh4

      On top of that, they want to test in a full blown lab, but it costs 40K for that. So when they raise that money through crowdfunding we’ll know.

      I think the point of this post is that we now know a FURTHER better way to protect ourselves instead of scarves and plain cotton masks. It means we are closer to an optimum solution . I’m using this until I hear of anything that tests better.

      1. What about using the baton that’s used for making quilts

  20. I would like to know if the filtering ability is maintained if the shop towels are laundered. I routinely wash and dry mine to get extended use from them for environmental reasons. They handle the washer and dryer quite well. If this works then they could be sewn as a middle layer into cloth masks and could be a very doable solution to the facemask crisis.I have a team of 50 volunteer sewers who supply our county hospital and seniors facilities. Please tell me this will work!

      1. Thank you very much for your prompt reply. That information alone is enough to help us strategize.

    1. I would think if you leave a small opening in the bottom of the mask, you could replace the towelling when it is no longer effective.

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