A recent study reveals that using vacuum cleaner bags to make do-it-yourself face masks is a highly efficient way to protect against contracting and spreading the coronavirus.

The researchers found that besides medical grade and N95 masks, which health officials say should be reserved for frontline workers, the material used in vacuum cleaner bags provides the best filtration for reducing the risk of infection.

According to Newsweek Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises everyone to wear face coverings in public to help curb the spread of disease. The researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of Hospital Infection, found that wearing a mask made from vacuum cleaner bags reduces the risk of infection 83% during a 30-second exposure. This compares favorably, they said, to the N95 respirator that filters 95% of potentially infectious particles.

Other suitable materials in descending order of effectiveness include: tea towels, cotton mix fabrics, an antibacterial pillowcase, linen, a regular pillowcase, silk and a 100% cotton T-shirt. Scarves were found to have the worst protection, according to Newsweek.

Lead author Amanda Wilson, an environmental health sciences doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Pubic Health, said in a statement:

“A mask can’t reduce your risk to zero. Don’t go to a bar for four hours and think you’re risk-free because you are wearing a mask. Stay at home as much as possible, wash your hands often, wear a mask when you’re out and don’t touch your face.”

Here are directions on how to make a mask from a vacuum cleaner bag.