When double-masking with a cloth and a surgical mask...

[Iggo]

...does it matter which one’s on the inside?

I’ve been looking around, and I haven’t seen anything specific, just the 1+1.

I ask because I get less fogging of my glasses if I put the paper mask on the outside. But I’m not sure that’s the right thing to do.

Anyone got a link to better info?

[PatSeg]

1. Kick for a good question

[soothsayer]

2. I do paper on the inside and cloth over, since cloth is washable

Plus it helps keep the paper snug (though I do tie knots in the ear thingies close to the mask to make it extra snuggy).

[Ms. Toad]

3. I would arrange it so you get a tight fit.

That will likely depend on the masks.

My masks are relatively large (3D masks), so I think I could fit the surgical mask inside and still get a tight fit.

But I've got a few that are smaller - they fit tightly to my face when they are on the inside; putting them on the outside would forfeit the tight fit, so when I wear those I would put the surgical mask on the outside.

The goal is to force the air to go through both masks. That can't happen of the air leaks out at the side, around the nose, etc. Air will take the path of least resistance.

[Greybnk48]

14. Yes. #1 is the tight fit. Put that one on the inside,

then another of any sort (except N95) on the outside.

Edited to add: A friend of my daughter, who teaches what we used to call Home-Ec, made me an excellent cloth mask with pretty flowers on it. In between the flowers it says "6 feet motherfucker," and "Back the fuck off." I'm a 72 y/o retired grandma, so almost no one notices what it says, lol! But I love it!

[NoMoreRepugs]

4. Find a picture of Dr Faucci double masking.

[Tribetime]

5. I swore I heard doctors say to put the surgical mask on the inside

So that's what I've been doing

[Maeve]

6. I'm seeing more cloth over paper

fitting the nose piece on the surgical better might help. But the main thing is two layers of protection, so if the other way works for you...

edited to add this link https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/effective-masks.html

[targetpractice]

7. This is just me...

I wear a clean new surgical mask first, then my "fashion" mask on top. I have a Darth Vader mask that makes a statement. I've read that the cloth mask should tighten up the seal of the surgical mask on your face. But, it probably doesn't matter... It's the number of layers that count. As long as they are tight.

[littlemissmartypants]

8. Dr. Fauci

Link to tweet

?s=19

https://www.self.com/story/dr-fauci-demo-double-mask

❤ miss pants

[hlthe2b]

9. Surgical masks have the better filtering capacity and include a nose wire to cinch down for a

tighter fit. Cloth masks on the outside, can help seal in the sides of your face, provide a good secondary filtering effect from aerosols around you, and are washable.

For those reasons, surgical mask closest to your face and cloth mask over it.

[Bev54]

10. In Canada we were told to put the surgical mask on first with cloth over

[W_HAMILTON]

11. I usually see people wearing the "stronger filtering" mask closest to their face.

[Faux pas]

12. ...

Cloth on the outside.

[Patterson]

13. I've been doubling two identical KN95s.