What should I use as filters inside my homemade mask?

[SmolGreenCrocodileBaby]

Just that, really.

Making cotton masksnfor everyone but read they really need a filter?

kitchen roll

Non woven polypropylene fabric
AKA
Kitchen towel, the sort you can get wet without them disintegrating.

Other things are hard to get hold of or potentially toxic.

I made a couple of masks with tightly woven cotton, two layers. I tried using a coffee filter paper as a disposable filter, which I had read was a good filter but it was really difficult to breathe through.
I think that the idea of homemade cotton masks is to stop you coughing showers of infected droplets everywhere if you are asymptomatic, (rather than protecting you from catching it,) from what I've read, two layers of cotton works fine for that.

Kitchen roll. Coffee filter. Dried fragrance free baby wipe (although I'm not sure that wouldn't still stink).

If I ever get around to buying masks (I'll have to for the day the hairdressers reopens!) I wasn't going to bother with filters. I was just going to get the normal cotton ones rather than the extra expense of ones that contain filters. I don't use public transport or go to the supermarket so I don't want to spend any more than I have to.

As others have said, something non-woven. Mask with layers of different fabrics have been shown to be more effective than cotton alone.

The key word to look for is 'meltblown' fabric - it's what the put in disposable surgery masks. I ordered some off ebay a few weeks back - if you filter the results by location - 'UK' - you should get some that arrives within a few days.
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=meltblown+fabric+&_sacat=0&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1

I do take public transport and go shopping so I'd rather have filteplusnit won't be expensive as I'm making them myself

Unfortunately that's not an option for me as I can't sew so I'll be having to buy them! I'll only need them for the hairdresser once a month so I want to spend as little as possible.

I've read that cut up hoover bags (HEPA filter ones) are reasonably effective as an extra layer. Not sure how expensive that would work out, as the filter would be single use.