Extending the lifetime of your turnout gear comes with a range of benefits. First and foremost, it provides the confidence that your garment is serving you with a high standard of protection. In addition, it lowers overall costs from not needing to replace the gear as frequently. Which, as a follow on benefit, means you are being more sustainable and eco-friendly. So, what are the best ways to go about extending the lifetime of your turnout gear? Here are our six top tips.
1. Wash Your Turnout Gear Using the Manufacturer’s Recommendations
Following the guidelines around how to wash your turnout gear — e.g. at what temperature — will help prevent unnecessary damage to the garment and help it last longer. In addition, remember to remove attachments such as carabiners and other metal applications before washing.
2. Wash Your Turnout Gear More Often
On the job, it’s likely that chemicals and pollutants can stick to the turnout gear, and remain there until it’s washed. Over time, this contamination can pose a health risk to the wearer. There are care and maintenance standards available that provide guidelines and recommendations on washing and maintaining your gear including frequency of laundering.
3. Take Advantage of Your Manufacturer’s Care and Maintenance Programs
Nowadays, many garment manufacturers offer care and maintenance programs which provide full solutions for washing and looking after your turnout gear. This is a great solution for outsourcing the work and maintaining your turnout gear to the highest standard.
4. Store Your Turnout Gear Properly
It is imperative to ensure turnout gear is stored in a dark area, such as lockers or other designated areas where it can hang out of the light. This is because the fibres that are used within the turnout gear can degrade if left out to constant light exposure, compromising the turnout gear's ability to protect the wearer on the job.
5. Be Aware of Your Turnout Gear's Color Durability
When purchasing turnout gear, it’s worth taking into account the type of fabric being used in the turnout gear and its ability to maintain look and appearance. Fabric manufacturers are constantly developing new fabrics and technologies — such as Truecolor® technology — which maintain their color after repeated industrial washes. Be sure to ask the manufacturer about the turnout gear's color durability properties when enquiring about new gear, to make sure you’re getting the most from your purchase.
6. Use Your Turnout Gear Properly
Knowing the functionality of your turnout gear and the correct way to utilise its different accessories will help avoid damage to the gear. Each garment has a specific purpose which defines its requirements and limits. Using the right garment for the intended purpose will significantly help to extend the life of the garment. For example, garments designed for technical rescue have their strength in their mechanical properties and not in their thermal properties. This makes them more robust than, for example, structural firefighting gear in this application.
Ready to Learn More About Extending the Lifetime of Your Turnout Gear?
To find out more about any of our top tips above, or for any other questions, feel free to get in touch with us here.
