Improper maintenance is a risk. For example, chemical protective clothing with reflective tape must be re-impregnated after each wash. “An extremely thin film of fluorinated carbon, vaporized on the fabric, gives the desired waterproof effect. When the garment is worn, this film can be damaged by mechanical actions. For effective rehabilitation, we add special chemicals at last rinse before drying the garment at temperatures of 130°C to 140°C. This step can only be performed by a professional, “says Christophe, technical director of France.
Unsuitable maintenance also reduces the reflective, antistatic and flame retardant characteristics of protective clothing. Dirt residues significantly reduce the signaling function of reflective clothing. With household detergents and softeners, antistatic workwear gradually loses its electrostatic discharge capacity.
“Washing in a domestic washing machine, drying on a clothesline, or even ironing is not suitable for protective clothing with reflective material,” says Christophe. For work clothes with rain protection (EN 343 standard), the small volume of a domestic washing machine damages the waterproof membrane incorporated in the clothes.
If the work clothing is soiled with solvents, paints, lacquers, oil, tar or chemicals, it can contaminate personal clothing. For this reason, it is strongly discouraged to wash work clothes and textiles for personal use. The power of a domestic washing machine is often insufficient to eliminate recalcitrant industrial fouling. The large washing tunnels of textile service providers are much better able to deal with the constraints of professional cleaning.
Finally, the cleaning of clothing is the first step, but it is far from sufficient to ensure the sustainability of their protective functions. In addition, each garment is controlled after each wash. If there are missing buttons, in the event of a faulty zipper, holes or insufficient thickness, the articles are repaired in the internal sewing workshop.