Fire resistant clothing is known as FR clothing in short. These all garments are required in specific industries which deal with, fire, gas, oil, plastic, electrical system, arc flash etc. It is necessary to wear during job while you are in these sites to minimize your chances of injury. This is an integral part of your industry’s safety program. These clothing can reduce 50% burnt injury.
These are made up of cotton and wool materials and combined with a flame resistant fabric that helps the attire to keep you safe from any hazardous life-threatening injury. Therefore Fire Resistant clothing needs special care and maintenance.
Here we are sharing the washing and cleaning guide for fire resistant clothing:
Water Temperature and laundry wash key:
- Do not recommend more than 165 degrees while you do Industrial wash
- For light soil formulas, 140 degree was maximum
- For home wash 120 degrees or less temperature to be used.
Things that you should avoid:
- Do not bleach such as Tide detergent powder
- Do not use chlorine
- Do not use animal fat contained detergent
- Do not use any fabric softener or dryer sheets
Safety measures for Industrial laundry:
- It has luminescent effects, so to save that effect do not was the FR clothing with other garments
- Use soft water. Hard or hot water can affect the fabric coating to stop working or reduce its impact from preventing fire or flame
- To thoroughly clean all contamination from the garment maximum of 140 degrees should be used and detergents
- Try to avoid chlorine bleach, repeated use of bleach can reduce the luminescent effect of the clothing
- Try the cloth should be wrinkle free, reduce the extract time of water
- Do not over dry
- Properly cool down the garments at less than 100 degrees F
- Use tunnel fishing, and this improves the appearance of FR garments
- You can press the garment using a short cycle. But the press temperature should not exceed more than 280 degrees F
- For detailed instruction and precaution the best person is the manufacturer of the garment
Dry cleaning Precautions: Only petroleum or perchloroethylene solvent may be used.
Home wash precaution:
- Wash separately on normal or cotton cycle, but the temperature should not exceed 140 degrees F. Do not use any soap you can try using any general detergent that is used at home
- Turn your FR garments inside out, so that while washing friction should not affect the abrasion.
- Use high water level so that you can immerse the cloth totally into the water and take it out accordingly without crushing
- Do not use liquid bleach or non-chlorine bleach. Bleach is not suitable for FR products; it can affect the fabric.
- Do not use any starch, fabric softener otherwise using these can coat the fibre and mask FR performance
- Soft water or condition can be used to remove all the stains or contaminations without harming the fire resistant coating. If all the impurities cannot be removed at home, then dry cleaning is suggested
- Do not use hard water to wash the clothes because it can result in the accumulation of calcium and magnesium salts in the outfit which can affect it negatively. This can work as a catalyst to catch fire.
- Do not over dry the garment.
- If you want you can press iron but keep the temperature under said conditions.
These are a couple of points to be followed while you clean or wash FR garments. They should be given different and unique care.
