It’s obvious what flame-resistant clothes do to take care of you. You know, protect you from flames. But it’s not always obvious how you’re supposed to take care of your flame resistant clothing. How to wash it, dry it, & keep it in good condition…you know, returning the favor.
It’ll last much longer if it is properly cared for, & it will also retain its flame-resistant properties much better. So here are some good instructions:
When it comes to laundering flame-resistant cotton clothing, ASTM F1449-01 has several recommendations. It’s important to realize that some laundering procedures can damage for FR clothes. Hard water & high temperatures that are used in industrial laundering & drying can cause minerals to build up on cotton fabrics. This can make them flammable. The harder the water, the more minerals build up, the more flammable your flame-resistant clothes become. But this can be prevented! Using soft water or an adequate soap can keep minerals from building up, & thus, keep your flame-resistant clothes flame-resistant.
If you do use hard water or don’t follow the ASTM F1449-01 guidelines, you should test the flammability of your FR clothing after 100 launderings using the vertical flame method in ASTM D6413.
To keep your FR clothes in tip-top shape, fabric temperature should NOT exceed 280 degrees Fahrenheit during the drying process. & since fabrics can shrink up to 5% while drying, clothing should be fitted with this in mind. You don’t want to have to get rid of an FR garment because suddenly too small.
There are many different kinds of detergents that are okay to use with flame-resistant clothes. Except for ones containing chlorine or peroxide bleach and enzymes, all detergents sold for home use can be used. Provided that the fabrics are adequately rinsed, these will not harm your FR clothes.
Dry cleaning can be utilized for cleaning your flame-resistant clothes, but you need to pay attention to the specific care instructions on each garment because not all FR clothes can be dry cleaned. For those that can be dry cleaned, it must be done in a manner that removes all dry cleaning solvent from the fabric.
If a flame-resistant garment becomes contaminated with flammable materials, remove & launder it. If it’s lost its integrity, get rid of it. You don’t want to chance it. Minor tears can be repaired with patches made out of flame-resistant fabric, & NOMEX thread is recommended. But you’re better off just replacing the garment entirely.
Taking these steps to properly take care of your flame-resistant clothing will ensure that it will be able to properly take care of you. Wearing FR gear is very important – & can be life-saving. Make sure you are properly protected with FR clothing that has been properly maintained. Get yours today at Working Person’s Store!
