Flame resistant (FR) materials afford end users serious protection from serious risks—so taking serious care of them is paramount to ensuring they can continue to do their job for the full lifetime of a protective workwear garment. From proper laundering to fixing or replacing damaged FR, these are the do’s (and don’ts) for maintaining your FR workwear in peak protective condition.
Do: Wash Your FR
When your FR has been exposed to environmental factors like particulate matter, oils, chemicals, or other contaminants, it is imperative to ensure the garment is clear of these substances before you wear it again. Why? The garment is rated as flame resistant; those contaminants are not. Which leads us to our first Don’t—
Don’t: Wear Dirty FR
Flame resistant materials protect wearers by self-extinguishing, which means they stop burning when a flame source is removed. But if the flame source is a burning oil stain on the fabric itself, the flame source can’t be removed, and your protection is severely compromised.
Do: Use an Industrial Laundry Program When Possible
While not every workplace partners with an industrial launderer, for those that can, using one helps ensure FR workwear stays in the best condition possible for the lifetime of the garment. Industrial launderers follow best practices for washing and drying various types of FR fabrics and for removing contaminants. Industrial laundry machines are bigger, hotter, and more powerful than home laundry machines, so for some types of FR and contamination, they are the only appropriate choice for laundering.
Industrial launderers can also repair damaged garments with the proper repair materials, or replace a garment if repair is not appropriate. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure protective equipment is properly maintained, and an industrial laundry program is an excellent way to do so.
Don’t: Use Cleaning Products That Degrade FR Properties
If you don’t have an industrial laundry program and your FR garments can safely be washed in a home washing machine and dryer, avoid using any products that can degrade the protective qualities of your FR. Your garment manufacturer or distributor should provide detailed care and maintenance instructions, including which specific products to use or avoid, but these are the cleaning products frequently mentioned in such instructions:
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Soaps (salts of fatty acids) – can form insoluble soap scum when combined with hard water, which can be a flammable contaminant left behind on the fabric after washing
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Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) – can affect fabric color and strength
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Hydrogen peroxide – can affect fabric color and strength
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Optical brighteners – can change fabric color
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Softeners and other laundry additives – can adversely affect flame resistant performance
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Starch and other stiffeners – can only be used in unique circumstances after testing their impact on FR properties
Do: Use Softened Water
Hard water contains mineral salts, such as calcium and magnesium that combine with other salts and fatty based soaps to form insoluble deposits that can be left behind on the fabric after washing. Those deposits can accumulate and affect the FR characteristics of the garment. Using soft water reduces detergent consumption, improves the quality of washing, and avoids the adverse effects of hard water on flame resistance.
Don’t: Wash FR in Mixed Laundry Loads
Aside from the list of products to avoid when washing FR, many of which are commonly used in regular household laundry, it’s important to sort your FR garments out from other laundry and wash them separately. You should also sort your FR into fabric types (composition and weight), dark and light colors, and/or degree of soiling and wash the groups separately.
Washing FR in mixed loads can lead to cross contamination. Foreign fibers from household laundry may not be flame resistant and if your garment is covered in flammable lint balls, those could ignite in a flash fire and continue to burn while attached to your FR fabric, negating the protective factor of the garment. Conversely, if you come into contact with harmful substances and chemicals while on the job, those substances could contaminate your family’s laundry.
Do: Respect Washing and Drying Temperature Guidelines
It’s important to ensure you are washing and drying your FR garments at the temperatures indicated for them. Using the wrong temperature can cause shrinkage in your garment, which can affect the fit and leave you with gaps in your protection. Just as you shouldn’t wear a garment that has a hole in it, a shrunken garment that no longer covers your exposed skin on the job should not be worn either.
Don’t: Wait to Wash
When your garment is soiled, you should wash it as soon as possible to avoid allowing stains or substances to set into the fabric, compromising the garment’s ability to protect. For example, if you get a lot of oil onto our garment, you should immediately put it into the wash. If you wear it again before washing and there’s a fire or spark, that oil can ignite.
Don’t: Wear Around Strong Acids
Strong acids may not necessarily affect the protective qualities of your FR gear, but acids such as hydrochloric or sulphuric acid may degrade the strength of cotton or cellulosic fibers and can cause holes in fabrics, opening you up to greater risk of harm in the event of an incident.
Do: Follow Your Garment Manufacturer’s Instructions
While the above Do’s and Don’ts may be applicable to many types of FR garments, it is paramount to note that these guidelines should not be taken above the specific instructions for your garment, which you should receive from your garment manufacturer. Any repairs should be consulted upon with the garment manufacturer, and their specific laundering instructions should be followed to a T. If you ever have questions about the care or maintenance of your FR, they will be your best resource.
The laundering, care, and maintenance recommendations provided here are to the best of TenCate Protective Fabrics’ knowledge at the time of posting and are intended to promote best practices in the care and maintenance of flame resistant protective workwear. At TenCate Protective Fabrics, we are happy to give further advice and assistance for the care and maintenance of our own products, but customers must ensure that the products are suitable for their purpose and conditions of use. TenCate Protective Fabrics is not liable for damage cause by not (correctly) following this advice.
Want to speak with a TenCate Protective Fabrics expert about your FR workwear maintenance program? We would love to be your resource for all things FR fabric. Reach out here:
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