Fire Resistant Clothing are those wearables that are specially designed for protection from a sudden outbreak of fires and thermal exposure. On the first place, they normally don’t catch fire and even so happens such attires are structured to self – extinguish giving the victim a considerable time to protect themselves from the unsafe environment.
FR clothing is of different types and is available in different sizes, starting from t-shirts, pants, work shirts the variety extends to lab coats, coveralls, bibs, jackets, sweatshirts, boots, etc. They are available through a wide range of shapes and sizes.
There are a few guidelines to be followed while handling these types of clothing, listed below are the major ones.
Washing and Drying
These types of clothes can be easily washed and dried at home. They can be cleaned using normal laundry soaps and detergents. And equally can be dried at home like any other daily clothes. It is definitely advisable not to apply chlorine bleach or fabric softener or detergent with animal fats in the process, this takes to be harmful to the materials. There is no need for a dry clean though but one is free to take them for dry – cleaning. For more appreciable results it is better to launder them separately from the rest to retain the luminescent effect for a longer time.
Temperature Control and Others
In the case of Industrial Wash, the temperature of the water shouldn’t be more than 165 degrees. For home wash, the temperature can increase up to 140 degrees. The washer must not be filled for more than 2/3. The clothes should be turned inside out to avoid abrasion. In the case of Industrial wash, the clothes should be sourced within a ph. Value of 5.5 – 6.5. And also the tunnel temperature should not exceed 280 degrees Fahrenheit. Any violation of the temperature can lead to permanent damage to these types of clothes.
Cleansing
Firstly a contaminated garment should be immediately replaced with a clean fire – resistant apparel. If a particular garment becomes stained by a flammable substance it is normally removed by using a home wash with everyday detergents. But at times home laundry fails to remove stains of the industry which is caused by different types of tough soils. In this case, an industrial wash may be required for further cleaning. But there are times that the stain isn’t removed even through the industrial laundry. Then, the garment is to be compromised to a certain extent if not much.
Maintenance
ASTM has taken up two main standards for repairing and maintenance of flame-resistant garment.
Standard F1449 Guide for Industrial Laundering of Flame, Thermal and Arc Resistant Clothing for maintenance of the apparel by industrial laundries. The newly adopted Standard F2757 Guide for Home Laundering Care and Maintenance of Flame, Thermal and Arc Resistant Clothing for home care and maintenance of fire-resisting garments.
It is necessary that all repairs are being done by using the materials of the original garment. Heat seal Fire – resisting patches are availed to make small repairs.
Conclusion
One must choose the garment so that it isn’t too loose or tight – fit because both are liable for causing discomfort and may turn out disadvantageous. Since it contains amounts of cotton thus after the first and second wash it may shrink a bit, so the garment should be selected keeping this in mind. It is always advisable to change the clothing once it possesses holes, pores or collars are worn out, etc. because a bit of negligence might cause a fatal accident.
